Tea Day: Five Benefits of Green Tea You Didn’t Know About

Besides providing a light umami taste, green tea has various therapeutic effects on health.

São Paulo, May 2022 – Fancy a cup of tea? Just recognizing the herbal aroma of green tea brings a sense of peace to our minds that spreads throughout our bodies. In addition to its numerous benefits and nutrients for the body, tea is a great ally for emotional health, capable of reducing daily stress.

Dr. Hellen Maluly, a consultant for the Umami Committee and a PhD in Food Science, points out that the habit of drinking tea may be one of the oldest customs in the world. Even today, green tea is widely consumed in Japan during the Tea Ceremony, which is based on principles of respect, harmony, and purification of the soul. Also used for therapeutic purposes, it can help reduce damage to the body. Because green tea is rich in antioxidants, compounds that fight free radicals, it aids in cell renewal, combats aging, and is considered a beverage for “youthfulness.”

Other health benefits, such as improved digestion, may be directly related to the umami taste, provided by the amino acids glutamate and theanine, naturally present in Camellia sinensis leaves. The stomach has receptors for glutamate, the same amino acid that provides umami. It produces a local action and releases molecules that activate the vagus nerve. This nerve informs the brain about the presence of proteins in the stomach and, consequently, digestion is intensified.

According to Maluly, green tea is a good choice, especially in this cold weather. It can offer the palate flavorful combinations of sweet, umami, and slightly bitter tastes, as well as various aromas that vary according to the blend and variety of the herb. “Sensitivity to umami can increase salivation and balance the other tastes and aromas present in teas,” she explains.

Want to know how to prepare this delicious beverage? Check below:

Ideally, the best way to prepare green tea is with its natural dried leaves to maximize its benefits. When preparing it, it’s important to consider the quantity and steeping time. This means that the boiling time should be carefully measured to avoid overheating and degrading the herb’s bioactive compounds.

• For every 1 g of leaves, add 100 ml of water.
• Let it steep for five minutes.
• It is recommended to drink up to three cups a day.

UMAMI

It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by the Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami found the existence of specific receptors for this taste in the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and the persistence of the taste for a few minutes after ingesting the food. To learn more, visit hmg-new.portalumami.com.br/wp/.