Matcha, liver & hormones
Hey Muse,
Science continues to study natural products, reviewing properties, interactions, adverse reactions, best uses and dosages. Under the lens, a certain type of green tea was found, matcha. Increasingly popular also in the West for its excellent detox properties, in favor of focus, relax, metabolism and against high cholesterol and stress.
Longevity, but not only ...
Already in the 1980s, American researchers studied flavonoids and catechins, powerful polyphenols capable of exerting an antioxidant action. Studies of 3300 Japanese women have clearly linked the practice of the matcha ceremony with their longevity. The prevention of fatal diseases and the repair of blood cells are the best-known effects.
PROTECTS THE LIVER
The liver is vital for health and plays a central role in the elimination of toxins, in the metabolism of drugs and hormones and in the processing of nutrients.
Some studies have found that matcha can help protect liver health.
A Japanese study where matcha was given to diabetic rats for 16 weeks showed that it helped prevent kidney and liver damage.
Another study of 80 people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), or fatty liver, found that after 90 days of taking 500mg of matcha, a lowering of the levels of liver enzymes that are indicators of liver damage.
Some American doctors, like Dean Ornish, talk about matcha in their preventive care programs. Excess triglycerides and bad cholesterol decrease, leaving the blood clean and improving the general condition of the heart and liver.
One study administered matcha to diabetic rats for 16 weeks and found that it helped prevent damage to both the kidneys and liver. Another study saw improvements in 80 people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as matcha significantly reduced liver enzyme levels. Furthermore, an analysis of 15 studies found that drinking matcha was associated with a reduced risk of liver disease.
Some studies indicate that the intake of flavonoids and / or anthocyanins present in matcha can improve glycemic control and help normalize blood sugar levels. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, matcha is considered useful for those who are at risk of estrogen dominance, since thanks to the balancing of blood sugar levels and consequently of insulin sensitivity, we get to regulate the levels of estrogen in the body. In particular, thanks to the catechins of matcha, especially EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate). EGCG has been shown to exert its insulin mimetic effects, at least in part through a mechanism that is similar but not identical to insulin.
Among the most studied compounds in the literature containing polyphenols, we find quercetin and catechins, both found in matcha. The polyphenols of quercetin and EGCG have shown various activities in the literature, those related to the anti-tumor aspect see them as protagonists in reducing oxidative stress, in their anti-inflammatory and metabolic capacity (metabolic remodulation in the cancer cell), but also in reducing the levels of estrogen in the circulation, an important aspect for hormone-sensitive tumors.
In this case, matcha also serves to inhibit aromatase, the enzyme that intervenes in the transformation of androstenedione into estrone and of testosterone into 17-β-estradiol. In women of childbearing age, most estrogen is produced by the ovaries, but a portion is produced by the transformation of these enzymes into androgens present in food and body fat. While in menopausal women it represents the major endogenous source of estrogen production.
Matcha has also been associated with epigenetic changes, chemical modifications in the body that affect which genes are turned on and off. In the new study, published in Human Molecular Genetics, matcha drinking for women was associated with epigenetic changes in 28 different gene regions known to interact with cancer or estrogen metabolism.
Previous studies have suggested that matcha plays an important role in modulating disease-risk in humans by suppressing tumor progression, decreasing inflammation and influencing estrogen metabolism, mechanisms that may be mediated by epigenetic changes.
As always, I highly suggest that you start implementing the beautiful ritual of drinking a cup of matcha in the morning as part of your routine, and my routine has become so much better thanks to MATCHITA because their matcha is truly at another level and you can taste their quality (third party tested against heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins) at every sip. Ahhh enjoy!
I always choose MATCHITA: why? Read the blog’s previous articles and I'm sure you'll fall in love with the brand too!
Much Love,
Manuela