Adopted by the stars, this trendy drink is also said to be a remedy to relieve menstrual cramps and prevent gum disease. What is this elixir to adopt? What are the proofs of its virtues? All the answers.
Zendaya, Kourtney Kardashian, Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber… These stars have one thing in common: they love drinking matcha tea. The drink has become very popular with celebrities, due to its supposed health benefits. What does science really say about it?
A drink that helps reduce menstrual pain
Matcha tea is a drink that contains catechin, a substance that affects hormones at the time of periods, thus leading to a reduction in cycle-related pain in women.
This claim has been circulating since a 2019 study in China examined the effect of catechins in green tea and its effects on dysmenorrhea in female participants. The researchers found that 56.4% of the volunteers suffered from it and among them, 6.5% described very serious or unbearable symptoms.
Prostaglandins secreted by the uterus are believed to be the cause of these cramps and the catechins in matcha tea helped inhibit their production. “Our study suggests that drinking green tea was associated with a lower prevalence of dysmenorrhea among women of childbearing age in China.” note the researchers. Cautious, however, they point out that a “excessive consumption of thé may not be recommended either, as tea may inhibit the absorption of fer“.
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Effects on pathologies affecting the gums
According to a study published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum, matcha also has the power to kill bacteria responsible for gum disease. This study carried out in Japan involved 45 people.
Participants were randomly assigned to 3 groups:
- One received barley tea mouthwash;
- The second received a mouthwash based on matcha extract;
- The third was given a mouthwash that included sodium azulene sulfonate hydrate, which is used to treat inflammation.
They were instructed to rinse their mouths twice a day and saliva samples were collected before and after the study. Result: Researchers found that those who used matcha mouthwash had significantly lower levels of harmful bacteria in their saliva samples at the end of follow-up.
This work demonstrates that rinsing your mouth with matcha extract destroys the bacteria porphyromonas gingivalis which colonizes the surfaces of the teeth and causes periodontitis, a gum disease which in the most serious cases can lead to loosening and loss of teeth. For scientists, “Matcha may have clinical applicability for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis”.
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