Chronic inflammation is a major cause of disease, including cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, cognitive disease, autoimmune disease, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
Sometimes, an acute health problem can lead to a long-term state of chronic inflammation. This is especially relevant today.
The hard facts about inflammation are what is behind the popular concept of ‘anti-inflammatories’. Examples of this are the anti-inflammatory diet, anti-inflammatory adaptogens like green tea, and related lifestyle habits (exercise).
We review the mechanisms of chronic inflammation from the perspective of Japanese green teas. What are the anti-inflammatory constituents in green tea and how do they work?
Japanese Green Tea for Anti-inflammatory Benefits
The possibilities for using Japanese green tea as an anti-inflammatory are nearly endless. According to a recent study, green tea may be effective in treating chronic inflammation.
These conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and certain cancers where Japanese matcha and loose-leaf teas may be able to reduce inflammation .
What is inflammation and why Green Tea?
Our bodies are constantly trying to find a balance between pro-inflammation and anti-inflammation. We’re constantly exposed to environmental agents that can disrupt how our signals work, leading to too much or too little healing Our cells constantly react to signals in order to achieve the right amount of healing. However, we are constantly exposed to outside agents that can disrupt these signals and lead to excessive or insufficient healing.
This happens when the scale is tipped in the wrong direction, usually because we’re not doing or getting enough “anti-inflammatories.” This creates a cycle that is hard to break.
- At a fundamental level there are two ways to counteract chronic inflammation: lifestyle (e.g. more exercise) and diet (including adaptogens like Japanese green teas).
- Unlike conventional anti-inflammatories, such as NSAIDs, daily green tea does not have any safety concerns for the average adult [1].
- Once inflammation has become chronic, keep reading why it can be useful to have the help of Japanese green tea to get back on track.
Inflammation pathways and how Japanese Teas are Anti-inflammatory
Even just a cup or two of Japanese green tea each day offers a potent mix of molecules that have positive effects on the body. These compounds target and may interruptsignaling of many kinds.
The antioxidants found in Japanese green tea, such as EGCG, EC, and flavonols like kaempferol, can help to reduce inflammation. Additionally, the high levels of L-theanine found in green tea can also help to reduce inflammation.
Inflammatory Biomarkers which Green Tea may Help
To be specific, the following cells/cellular-products are examples which are carefully monitored in those with chronic inflammation and in which green tea may act beneficially towards [2-12]:
- Lowering levels of C-reactive protein
- Lowering Interleukin-6 and other pro-inflammatory cytokines
- Lowering INDO (Indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase)
- Balancing T-helper cells (such as Th1, Th2)
- Modulating levels of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)
- Lowering of NF-κB and related Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNFα)
If you suffer from a chronic inflammation, you may be familiar with some of the points from the above list. Let’s review a few specific cases of what the research can help us surmise about a daily routine of drinking Japanese green tea:
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Japanese Green Tea
There are many inflammatory mechanisms/cell signals that are shared between diseases of chronic inflammation. It is known that for the case of arthritis, impaired structural cell-growth in conjunction with inflammatory cascades can lead to cartilage decay while also continuing in cycle.
The anti-inflammatory properties of naturally occurring green tea compounds may help reduce the symptoms of arthritis in two ways. The inflammatory response can be reduced by modulating various inflammatory signals and by quenching free radicals.
Cartilage and anti-arthritic natural therapies
Japanese green tea may help with the growth of new cartilage cells in people with arthritis.
Green tea may help people with arthritis in two ways: by reducing inflammation and by encouraging new cell growth to replace damaged cartilage.
Cognitive Degeneration and Japanese Green Tea
This year’s research indicates that Japanese Matcha may help alleviate cycles of inflammation involved in cognitive degeneration and interconnected metabolism syndromes.
Japanese matcha powder’s ability to fight inflammation has been put to the test by looking at more than 50 clinical studies. The aim was to see if the antioxidants present in the powder could help to reduce inflammation in the body.
Metabolic-inflammation, The Brain, and Japanese Matcha
What’s more, is that the researchers made the positive finding of reduced production of inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α and IL-6 in each: the liver, fat tissue, and the brain [2], leading to at least two possibilities:
- Matcha as anti-degenerative for brain health
- Matcha as a therapy against metabolic disorders like diabetes
The anti-inflammatory effects of matcha mean that it may help to stop or reverse the progression of certain cellular processes that are behind metabolic syndromes like diabetes.
Cognitive health may be spared from the negative impacts of inflammation by halting the cell-cycle of inflammation.
Green Tea, Atherosclerosis and other Cardiovascular Diseases
Green tea seems to help protect against inflammation of the heart, which may help people who have atherosclerosis or have had a heart attack.
Antioxidants, such as those found in Japanese green tea, have been shown to reduce the release of inflammatory cell signals following a heart attack, which allows for a healthier healing response.
Arterial-scarring, blood flow, anti-inflammatory green tea
After looking at different studies, it has been found that tea molecules have both anti-inflammatory and improve blood flow benefits, which in turn improves cardiovascular fitness. This is especially helpful in slowing the progression of scarring of the arteries, which is a common result of chronic inflammation.
ies have also shown that the polyphenols in Japanese green tea can help to control bad cholesterol, including VLDL.
The potential of high-quality green teas from Japan is still being explored but what has been found so far is very promising.
Japanese Green Tea as Broadscale Anti-inflammatory
science is uncovering more and more about the compounds found in green tea that have a profound effect on the body, including reducing inflammation.
We are grateful to the thousands of researchers who have devoted themselves to investigating the valuable benefits of CBD. The evidence they have uncovered is impressive, and especially relevant today, when so many people suffer from conditions involving systemic inflammation.
We should keep an open mind and be prepared to learn more as research on green tea continues. As we continue, we hope that you will join us by drinking Japanese green tea. It is a great way to start your day and it is good for your overall health.
Other Therapeutic Effects of Green Tea
The Effects of Green Tea on Oral and Periodontal Health
Gingivitis and periodontitis
Regular consumption of green tea has been associated with a lower risk of developing periodontal disease. Several studies that have been conducted in a laboratory have shown that the growth of porphyromonas gingivalis, prevotella intermedia, and prevotella nigrescens on human cells that line the inside of the cheek are inhibited by a component of green tea called EGCG. These bacteria are very destructive to gum tissue and can cause it to break down. The catechins in green tea are released slowly into the tissues around the gums, which inhibits the production of harmful chemicals by the bacteria that cause gum disease.
Antioxidants are important for preventing oxidative stress, and green tea catechins are a type of antioxidant. The overproduction of free radicals leads to damage of the gingival tissues, the periodontal ligaments, and the alveolar bone in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. Green tea is believed to be effective in reducing inflammation by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly interleukin 8 (IL-8). According to a study, green tea products can increase the total antioxidant capacity of gingival crevicular fluid, as well as having potent anti-inflammatory and antiplaque effects. If you drink green tea regularly, it can help reduce gum bleeding, pocket depth, and promote healing of the gums. The presence of polyphenols may help to improve periodontal health by decreasing the expression of matrix metalloproteins, suppressing the development of osteoclasts, and inducing apoptosis.
Dental caries
The high concentration of fluorides in green tea leaves helps prevent cavities. Dental plaque that consists of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as anaerobic bacteria, can lead to the development of cavities. Two major bacteria that contribute to dental caries are Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus. They are able to tolerate lower pH and have a higher metabolic activity at pH 6-6.5. Other antibiotics are being used to try to eliminate S. mutans, however they can have negative consequences such as changing the microbial flora and causing antimicrobial resistance.
Green tea extracts inhibit the growth of oral pathogens, preventing tooth decay. The antimicrobial mechanisms proposed include: i) disruption of the bacterial cell membrane; ii) inhibition of the activity of enzymes such as glucosyl transferase and lactate dehydrogenase; iii) inhibition of efflux pump activity; iv) decrease in acid production after sugar consumption and v) stimulation of antimicrobial components such as immunoglobulins, lysosome, lactoferrin, histatin and mucin.
Oral cancer
The main polyphenols in green tea, which are called catechins, are strong antioxidants that have many beneficial effects on the body. The ability to scavenge free radicals may protect cells from damage caused by reactive oxygen species. Studies on tea polyphenols have shown that they have the ability to prevent cancerous cells from developing, growing, and spreading. They can also induce cell death in cancer cells. The chemicals in tea may help protect the body against radiation and reduce the chances of getting cancer. Several randomised trials assessed the effect of green tea extracts on premalignant oral lesions; a double-blinded randomised trial on 59 Oral Leukoplakia (OL) patients were given 3-g oral and topical mixed tea product. After six months of treatment, 38% of patients showed some improvement in their oral lesions, and 3% of patients in the treatment group saw a reduction in the size of their lesions.
Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. The Anderson Cancer Centre found that more than half of the patients who consumed the green tea extract showed promising results. In the second stage of their trial, patients with a specific type of cancer consumed green tea extract as an oral agent at one of three doses (500, 750 or 1000 mg/m 2 ) three times a day for three months. This means that a higher extract dose is the same as drinking eight cups of green tea three times a day. A greater percentage of patients responded to the two highest doses of the medication than to the lowest dose. The supplement was well-received, although some people in the group who took the highest dosage reported feeling mildly insomnia and anxious. There were no serious side effects noted, however. Despite the promising results of green tea in cancer prevention, more clinical trials should be conducted to determine the long-term benefits of green tea products.
Bad breath (halitosis)
The main reason for bad breath is volatile sulphide compounds, like hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S), methyl mercaptan (CH 3 SH), and dimethylsulphide (CH 3 ) 2 S. The breakdown of these compounds is caused mainly by anaerobic gram-negative bacteria in food, saliva, blood, and epithelial cells that contain sulfur. Given that gram-negative anaerobic bacteria present in the periodontal pockets and crypts at the back of the tongue produce volatile sulphides, antimicrobial polyphenols in green tea may improve breathing capacity by eliminating these bacteria.
Green tea with 1% tannin can reduce microbes in the mouth, preventing dental plaque and improving bad breath caused by bacterial infection. The catechins in tea reduce the production of methyl mercaptan, which is a main cause of bad breath. The EGCG molecule has a methylthion and/or a mechanical sulfinyl group inserted in it. The methylthion group is added to the orthoquinone during this reaction, which helps reduce halitosis. So, green tea products can help reduce bad breath because they work well as deodorants and disinfectants.
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