Type 2 Diabetes and Matcha Report

 

 

Usefulness of powdered green tea (Matcha) against type 2 diabetes Authors/Contribution by:

Noriko Yamabe, Kan Kison, and Takako Yokozawa of Toyama University, Japan Yoshio Sugita of Aiya Co.Ltd., Japan

Objective

Researchers have shown, through scientific experiments, that green tea polyphenols, or (-)- epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate, and dietary fiber have a beneficial effect at suppressing the progression of nephrotic syndromes caused by diabetes. In this experiment, we utilized matcha, which contains high amounts of green tea polyphenols and dietary fiber, to examine its effects against type 2 diabetes.

 

Method

As a type 2 diabetes model, an Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) Rat (male, 22 weeks old) was used. A LETO rat was used as a healthy comparison subject. The amount of matcha used was 50/100/200 mg/kg weight/day for a duration of 16 consecutive weeks via an oral dosage, and each compound was measured.

 

Result

The amount of sugar in blood serum, or the cholesterol amount, showed a decreasing trend after 8 weeks, and the compounds proved strongly effective in lowering cholesterol. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in proteinuria or lowered kidney functions, however, there were some signs of improvement. Additionally, the compound showed modest effects at suppressing AGEs levels within the kidney system and decreasing the amount of fatty tissue within the liver, with the 200mg dosage being the most effective and the 50mg the least.

 

Study

Against a type 2 diabetic liver model, matcha suppressed saccharification and reduced the amount of fatty tissue within the liver. We plan to investigate related effects including the appearance of protein and report on the findings.