Matcha, the powdered green tea popular in cafes and health food stores, may help reduce pathological changes to heart tissue caused by unhealthy diets and obesity, according to a new study published in the journal Nutrients.
How the study was conducted
Researchers divided six-week-old mice into several groups. Some received a standard diet, while others were fed a diet high in fat and sugar, either without matcha or with matcha added at concentrations of 0.2 percent or 1 percent. The experiment ran for 10 weeks, after which the scientists examined the animals' hearts and the composition of their gut microbiota.
What the researchers found
Mice fed the high-fat, high-sugar diet showed enlarged heart muscle cells and increased collagen deposits, both signs of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Adding matcha at either concentration significantly weakened these changes, and the effect held regardless of the animals' body weight.
Matcha also increased the presence of potentially beneficial gut bacteria, including Lactobacillus, while reducing levels of some potentially harmful microorganisms, including Klebsiella, the study found.
A possible gut-heart connection
The study's authors suggested the protective effect of matcha on the heart may be linked to changes in gut microbiota and what researchers call the gut-heart axis, a proposed pathway through which the digestive system's bacterial makeup can influence cardiovascular health.
The research was conducted on mice, so it remains unknown whether the same effect would occur in humans.
Background on matcha
Matcha is a finely ground powder made from specially grown green tea leaves, traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies and now widely consumed as lattes, smoothies and supplements. Unlike steeped green tea, matcha involves consuming the whole leaf in powdered form, which concentrates its antioxidant compounds known as catechins.
The study adds to a body of research on beverages and long-term health. Separately, other research has found that regular coffee drinkers are less likely to experience age-related loss of muscle mass.
