One cup of green tea a day and the owners of the apothecary will surely starve~ Chinese Proverb
The Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA, reported a study in 2006 on green tea and longevity completed in Japan. It is important to remember that the green tea used in the study was not matcha green tea. Matcha is powdered green tea and the nutritional benefits of matcha are known to be at least ten times higher than a typical cup of green tea. Future studies may reveal that only one cup of matcha a day will achieve the same results as the study based on the nutrient density and health benefits of matcha.
In 1994, the Ohsaki National Health Insurance Cohort initiated a study of over 40,000 Japanese adults. Researchers discovered that people who drank five or more cups of green tea a day had a death rate that was 26% lower than non tea drinkers at seven years into the study, and 16% at eleven years. Green tea was particularly effective in reducing the risk of heart disease.
Multiple studies have proven that consumption of green tea helps prevent cardiovascular disease and one of the possible mechanisms of this effect is mediated through the preservation of Nitric Oxide in the body. Nitric Oxide, or NO, assists with vaso-dilation. The polyphenols in green tea, particularly EGCg, slow Nitric Oxide degradation. For more on NO and matcha see my other blog article: “Matcha and Nitric Oxide.”
The JAMA study concluded: Green tea consumption is associated with reduced mortality due to all causes and due to cardiovascular disease.
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Reference: JAMA. 2006 SEP; 296(10):1255-65.