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Benefits of Tea
Benefits of Tea 3 “Major components of tea”
Professor Yoriyuki Nakamura of the University of Shizuoka wrote the original article in Japanese, which CHAMART translated into English.
Tea contains a variety of components, including catechins, theanine, caffeine, and various vitamins, which perform many functions.
Each component has unique functions. Many products have been developed taking advantage of its functions.
Functional components of tea (fresh leaves) and their characteristics
Insoluble components
– Dietary fiber (20-30%): Preventing constipation, colon cancer and heart disease
– Protein (24%): Nutrition
– β-carotene (20mg%): Antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-heart disease and immune activation
– Vitamin E (25-70mg%): Antioxidant, anti-cancer and immune activation
– Chlorophyll (0.80%): Prevents cancer, anti-mutation, anti-tumor and immune activation
Water-soluble components
– Catechins (10-18%): antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, preventing lifestyle-related diseases, deodorizing, anti-allergy, etc.
– Caffeine (3-4%): Preventing drowsiness, cardiotonic and preventing hangovers
– Flavonols (0.6-0.7%): Antioxidant, anticancer and immune activation
– Vitamin C (200mg%): Antioxidant and immune activation
– Vitamin B (1.4mg%): Antioxidant and preventing stomatitis
– Saponin (0.1%): Antiasthma, antibacterial and blood pressure effect
– Theanine (0.6-2%): Relaxation, blood pressure effect, etc.
These components include caffeine, amino acids, and catechins that easily dissolve in hot water, as well as dietary fiber, vitamin E, and beta-carotene that do not dissolve easily. You can take these components by drinking brewed tea with loose-leaf tea or tea bags. On the other hand, insoluble components do not dissolve in hot water. Thus, you can take them by drinking matcha or powdered tea or eating sweets containing matcha or powdered tea.
Writer’s Profile
Yoriyuki Nakamura
Specially-appointed professor, Director of the Tea Science Center, University of Shizuoka
https://dfns.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp/labs/tsc/index.html
Awards and commendations
2016 Awarded as Japanese Tea Industry Achievement Award: Popularization of tea varieties and pot seedling cultivation techniques
2015 Awarded as O-CHA Pioneer Award of academic research section: Tea breeding technology and Variety development
2013 Awarded as Tea Industry Technology Merit Award: Efforts in tea industry technology
2013 Awarded as Sugiyama Hikosaburo Tea Technology Award: Developing tea variety
2013 Awarded as Tea Academic Research Award: Tea breeding and tea propagation technology
Related article on the site:
Benefits of Tea 1 “Tea has long been a powerful elixir with abundant benefits!”
Benefits of Tea 2 “Functional ingredient of Tea”
Benefits of Tea 3 “Major components of tea”
Benefits of Tea 4 “Catechins”
Benefits of Tea 5 “Amino acids”
Benefits of Tea 6 “Caffeine”
Benefits of Tea 7 “Vitamins”
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