
Green tea is effective for intestinal health! For those who are concerned about their stomach condition! What are the surprising effects of tea?
Introduction
Have you ever felt like your stomach hasn't been feeling well lately? Intestinal problems such as constipation, diarrhea, and gas buildup can have a major impact on your daily life.
There are many causes of stomach problems, including poor eating habits, stress, and irregular lifestyles, but it may actually be possible to improve your intestinal environment with green tea, a drink that is very familiar to us Japanese people.
Green tea has many benefits for regulating the intestinal environment.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the amazing effects of green tea on the intestines and the mechanism behind it.
The balance of intestinal bacteria determines the condition of your stomach
Catechins contained in green tea are attracting attention as a component that has various positive effects on our health, one of which is its effect on improving the intestinal environment.
Our intestines are home to an incredible 1,000 different types of bacteria, forming a complex ecosystem.
This is called the "intestinal flora," and it consists of good bacteria that are beneficial to our health, bad bacteria that have a detrimental effect, and opportunistic bacteria that can become either depending on the situation; all of these bacteria coexist and influence each other.
The ideal intestinal flora is one in which a diverse range of bacteria exists in balance.
If good bacteria predominates, your stomach will be in good condition and you will be able to live a healthy life every day.
However, if bad bacteria proliferate or the balance of bacteria is disrupted due to poor diet or stress, it can cause digestive problems such as constipation and diarrhea.
Not only that, it can also cause various health problems such as a weakened immune system, allergies, and even mental disorders.
The mechanism by which green tea improves intestinal environment
The catechins contained in green tea are known to have strong bactericidal and antibacterial properties, and also play an important role in regulating the intestinal environment.
Specifically, catechin has the effect of suppressing the growth of bad bacteria .
Bad bacteria are bacteria that produce harmful substances in the intestines and cause various disorders.
Catechin suppresses the growth of these bad bacteria by destroying their cell membranes and inhibiting the action of enzymes .
On the other hand, good bacteria are essential for maintaining intestinal health.
Catechin does not directly promote the growth of good bacteria, but by suppressing bad bacteria, it creates an environment in which good bacteria can thrive.
In this way, catechins support a healthy intestinal environment by adjusting the balance of intestinal flora and leading to a state in which good bacteria predominate.
Generally, many ingredients are absorbed in the small intestine, but catechin has a low absorption rate in the small intestine and is characterized by being able to reach the large intestine . Therefore, it is thought that it acts directly on the intestinal bacteria present in the large intestine and contributes to improving the intestinal environment .
Drinking green tea on a daily basis improves the balance of intestinal bacteria, creating a virtuous cycle of reduced bad bacteria and increased good bacteria.
The effects of catechin revealed in research
Various studies have been conducted on the effects of green tea on the intestinal environment.
For example, one study showed that a group of elderly people who drank green tea every day had improved intestinal flora, specifically an increase in good bacteria such as bifidobacteria and a decrease in bad bacteria.
Additionally, a study investigating changes in intestinal bacteria following four weeks of green tea consumption yielded the interesting result of selectively reducing bad bacteria without affecting the numbers of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria.
Additionally, test-tube studies suggest that compounds found in green tea, such as EGCG and methylated catechins, may regulate the balance of intestinal bacteria through their bactericidal and antibacterial effects.
These ingredients are expected to improve the intestinal environment by promoting the growth of good bacteria and suppressing the growth of bad bacteria.
These research results suggest that green tea may have the effect of improving the balance of intestinal flora and maintaining a healthy intestinal environment.
Does catechin reduce stool odor?
The main cause of stool odor is substances such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia that are produced when intestinal bacteria break down food, but green tea catechins have the ability to adsorb these odorous substances.
Also, just to reiterate, catechins also have the effect of improving the intestinal environment. By reducing the number of bad bacteria in the intestines and improving the intestinal environment, the bad odor of stool is also reduced.
In fact, many pet food manufacturers have focused on the effects of catechins and are using them in pet food that regulates the intestines, and in pet toilet sheets and litter that have deodorizing effects.
Finally
What do you think? By improving your intestinal environment, you can expect various health benefits, such as relieving constipation, improving your immune system, and preventing lifestyle-related diseases. Also, if you no longer have to worry about the smell of your stool, you should be able to spend your days more comfortably.
This is great information for anyone who is thinking, "Okay, I'm going to start drinking green tea today!"
To efficiently consume catechins, it is recommended to drink green tea (such as high-grade sencha, regular sencha, or deep-steamed sencha) that has been brewed slowly over a period of time using hot water of 85°C or higher.
Why not try improving your intestinal environment by drinking green tea every day? Start living a healthy, vibrant life from the inside out.