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Matcha green tea enhances cognition and sleep in older adults

Daily matcha intake sharpens social cognition and enhances sleep quality, offering potential benefits for older adults facing early stages of cognitive decline.

A randomized controlled clinical trial has recently been conducted to investigate the effect of matcha green tea intake on cognitive function and sleep quality in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. The trial report is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Background

Dementia is one of the most severe age-related neurodegenerative diseases worldwide. According to the World Alzheimer Report 2022, the number of dementia patients is expected to increase from 57 million in 2019 to 152 million in 2050.

Sleep disturbance is another major problem in aging populations. A reduction in sleep duration from 7 hours to 6 hours has been found to increase dementia risk by 30% in older adults aged 50 – 60 years.

Lifestyle habits, including diet, play a vital role in maintaining cognitive functions in older adults. Preclinical trials have reported that nutrition is essential in preventing dementia-related cognitive decline.   

Matcha green tea powder contains several bioactive compounds, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), theanine, and caffeine, which are known to have a beneficial impact on cognitive functions and mood.

In this randomized controlled clinical trial, scientists have investigated the effect of matcha green tea on cognitive function and sleep quality in older adults residing in Japan over a 12-month period.  

Tea plants used for matcha are shade-grown, increasing their theanine and caffeine content, resulting in a vibrant green color.

Study design

A total of 99 older adults aged 60 – 85 years were enrolled for the trial. Of them, 64 had subjective cognitive decline, and 35 had mild cognitive impairment.

The participants were randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group and the control group. The intervention group received two grams of matcha green tea daily for 12 months. The control group participants received placebo capsules that were identical in appearance, color, and odor to the matcha capsules.

Cognitive functions and sleep quality of the participants were measured at baseline and during 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up visits.

Important observations

The study found 98-99% intake rates of matcha and placebo capsules during the entire study period. A significantly increased blood level of theanine in the matcha group compared to that in the placebo group also indicated high adherence to the study intervention.

The evaluation of the perception of facial expressions in cognitive functions indicated that matcha green tea intake is associated with a significant increase in social cognition, including recognition of facial expressions and descriptions (word meanings). However, it is important to note that no significant improvements were observed in the primary cognitive outcomes, including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J) and Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Activity of Daily Living (ADCS-MCI-ADL) scores. An improving trend in sleep quality was also observed in participants who consumed matcha green tea for 12 months.

However, no significant differences in other tested cognitive functions, including daily-life functional abilities, attention and concentration, executive functions, memory, language, visuoconstructional skills, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation, were observed between the matcha and placebo groups.

In the perception of facial expression test, a reduction in false response and a shortening of simple reaction time were observed among matcha-consuming participants compared to placebo-consuming participants.

The study found significant positive correlations between social cognition and cognitive impairment scores in all participants at baseline and 12-month visits. The correlations were stronger among participants with subjective cognitive decline than those with mild cognitive impairment.

Significant correlations were also observed between social cognition scores and conventional cognitive functioning test scores among participants with subjective cognitive decline but not among participants with mild cognitive impairment.  

Study significance

The trial findings indicate that regular consumption of matcha green tea can improve emotional perception and sleep quality in older adults with subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment. However, the absence of significant changes in primary cognitive outcomes suggests that matcha's benefits may be limited to specific aspects of cognition, such as social acuity, rather than broader cognitive functions.

Sleep quality-improving effect of matcha green tea could be attributed to its theanine content. Previous studies involving healthy adults as well as schizophrenia patients have shown that theanine intake is associated with enhanced sleep quality.

A large body of evidence has suggested that sleep disturbance can significantly increase the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment. Improvement in sleep quality through continuous positive airway pressure therapy, together with donepezil administration, has been found to enhance cognitive performance in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Considering these observations, the current trial suggests that matcha-mediated improvement in sleep quality could be responsible for the observed enhancement in social cognition in the intervention group.

However, the study's findings should be interpreted with caution due to certain limitations. One significant limitation is the relatively small sample size, which may not fully represent the broader population of older adults with cognitive decline. Additionally, the study relied on self-reported sleep quality measures, such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which may not capture all aspects of sleep architecture. More objective measures, such as polysomnography, are recommended in future studies to assess sleep stages, including REM and non-REM sleep.

Matcha green tea's cultivation method differs from conventional green tea's. This alternative cultivation method increases the content of catechins and theanine, making matcha green tea potentially superior to green tea in terms of health benefits.

Matcha green tea is widely available and culturally well-accepted worldwide. Thus, incorporating it into the daily routine may offer a simple yet effective strategy for cognitive enhancement, sleep quality improvement, and dementia prevention.

Future studies are needed to explore matcha's long-term effects on cognitive decline comprehensively. These studies should include larger sample sizes, more sensitive neuropsychological tests, and biomarker analyses to better understand the underlying mechanisms of matcha's effects on cognition and sleep.

Additionally, it would be beneficial to investigate whether the observed improvements in social cognition translate into meaningful changes in daily-life functioning and quality of life for older adults at risk of dementia.

Journal reference:

Reference: By Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D.

HMPV virus outbreak is surging across China – should we be worried?

An outbreak of human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a virus causing symptoms similar to COVID-19, has been reported in China.

Children under 14 are being hit the hardest, particularly in northern provinces, according to the China Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Chinese hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed with cases of high fever, cough, and sore throat, especially among children, as documented by social media posts and reports from The Daily Star.

Authorities have placed the country on high alert due to the sharp rise in cases.

The virus, which can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, is drawing concern internationally.

The Daily Star also reports that early cases of hMPV infection have been detected in the UK, where the virus is increasing while other respiratory illnesses, such as adenovirus and rhinovirus, are on the decline.

The virus is particularly dangerous for infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

According to Taiwanese doctors cited by Money UDN, hMPV’s mortality rate could be as high as 43% in severe cases.

Dr. Zhou Baiqian of Taipei Medical University warned that the outbreak in China could spark a broader epidemic.

Currently, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for HMPV.

Medical interventions are focused on managing symptoms. Experts advise heightened hygiene practices and vigilance, particularly among vulnerable populations. 

8 causes of foamy urine (and when to call your doctor)

Your bathroom habits can tell you a lot of about your health. If you have dark yellow or cloudy urine, you're probably dehydrated, and if you ate some asparagus earlier, smelly pee may ensue. But what about foamy urine? And if you notice bubbles in the toilet all of a sudden, is it a cause for concern?

'After you urinate, a single layer of larger bubbles that disappears within a couple of minutes is considered normal,' says Ana Claudia Onuchic-Whitford, MD, a nephrologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. 'But 'foamy' urine is multiple layers of tiny to medium-sized bubbles in the toilet bowl that do not go away after a few minutes,' she says. While bubbles are clear, foam is more of an opaque shade of white.

In some cases, foamy urine may be a sign of kidney issues, diabetes, or even blood cancer. However, it could also be something entirely simple, like how the urine hits the surface of the toilet or the bathroom cleaning products you used, says Vikas Desai, MD, a urologist at Delnor Hospital. If you're concerned, here are eight potential reasons why you suddenly have foamy urine, and when to seek help, according to doctors.

Why is my urine foamy?

1. You have a super-fast urine stream.

Yes, really. 'Some amount of bubbles in the urine is normal,' says Yaakov Liss, MD, a nephrologist at CareMount Medical in New York. 'This can be affected by how fast the urinary stream is and how far the urine has to travel before hitting the toilet,' he says.

FYI: A normal urinary stream flows at about 15 milliliters per second (not necessarily helpful information, but still interesting!)—so, if your pee looks a bit bubblier than usual, it might just be coming out a little faster, says Dr. Liss.

2. You're dehydrated.

Not drinking enough water can also make your urine foamy. 'The more dehydrated someone is, the more concentrated their urine will be [as their body tries to] conserve water,' says Dr. Liss. This results in foaminess because more substances are excreted in a smaller volume of water. If you spot foamy urine, a good first step is increasing your hydration to see if that helps.

3. You could have kidney disease.

Healthy kidneys filter out waste from your blood while keeping protein and other important substances circulating in your bloodstream. Foamy pee is often a sign that there is protein in your urine, according to Northwestern Medicine, and in some cases, it could be a sign of kidney disease.

'Under normal circumstances, the kidney filters do not permit protein molecules from the blood to pass through and end up in the urine,' Dr. Liss says. 'An increase of protein in the urine is generally evidence of a damaged and leaky kidney filter.'

4. You have diabetes or hypertension.

Protein in the urine is at play here once again. Both conditions—diabetes, which affects the body's insulin levels; and hypertension (a.k.a. high blood pressure)—can affect blood flow to the kidneys, impairing their function.

'This increased pressure [causes] increased stress, which leads to damage and protein in the urine,' says Dr. Liss, which, again, can result in foaminess. 

Both diabetes and hypertension have other symptoms, too—diabetes often comes with increased urination and thirst and hypertension can manifest as chest pain or shortness of breath. If you're experiencing those symptoms along with foamy urine, let your doc know.

Diabetes and high blood pressure are often managed with oral medications. Following a healthy lifestyle including exercise, a healthy diet with lower sugar, calorie, and salt intake, and limited alcohol intake is also an important part of treatment for both diseases, adds Dr. Onuchic-Whitford.

 

5. You have a chronic infection.

Chronic infections (like hepatitis or HIV) can also cause excess protein in your urine, says Dr. Liss. Some infections can directly attack the kidney filters while others cause inflammation that can affect your kidneys' functioning.

'For HIV, there are antivirals [as treatment] and you’ll work with an infectious disease doctor,' says Dr. Desai. Your primary care physician can likely prescribe antiviral meds for hepatitis and you may be referred to a hepatologist for follow-up care. 

If you’ve been battling a chronic illness and your urine looks soapy or sudsy, check with your doctor—a simply urine test can help your doc figure out what to do from there.

6. It could be due to pain meds.

If you’ve been taking over-the-counter painkillers for a while and your urine is looking foamier than usual, those pills could be to blame. NSAIDs in particular (think: Advil, Motrin, and Aleve) can cause you to have high levels of protein in your urine, Dr. Liss says. Even worse: Sometimes those pain meds can result in an allergic reaction that causes inflammation in your kidneys.

It’s not a great idea to take any OTC painkillers for an extended period of time without medical supervision, so if you’ve been on a steady regimen of pills, check in with your doctor to make a long-term plan for pain management.

'In these cases, it’s best to see a pain specialist who may be able to offer a nerve block depending on the source of the pain,' says Dr. Desai. Physical therapy and rehab can also help with pain from injuries.

7. You have an autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune conditions also put stress and strain on the kidneys, potentially causing enough damage to disrupt the filtering process. 'Similar to [chronic viral infections], autoimmune conditions can lead to protein in the urine via the patient’s own immune system mistakenly attacking the patient’s own kidney filters,' says Dr. Liss, who notes that these conditions can be exclusive to the kidneys or systemic, like lupus.

Symptoms of autoimmune conditions vary, but have several symptoms in common, like fatigue, joint pain, and recurring fever, for example. If you see foamy urine and you haven’t felt like yourself for a while, check in with your doctor. Treatment often includes steroids or other medications to suppress the immune system.

8. You could have a type of blood cancer.

Multiple myeloma—a type of cancer that forms in the plasma cells of your blood—can lead to extra protein in the urine and cause it to look foamy. Antibodies that are produced as a result of the cancer 'can be highly toxic to the kidney filters and lead to protein in the urine,' according to Dr. Liss.

However, this situation is rare. Multiple myeloma is a relatively uncommon cancer most prevalent in men over 60 and is twice as common in black people compared to other ethnic groups, per the NHS. It’s probably not the first conclusion you should jump to if you have foamy urine, but depending on your age and race, it could be a possibility.

Other telltale symptoms of this condition include bone pain, nausea, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, confusion, and excessive thirst. Blood cancer is usually treated with a combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, corticosteroids and radiation therapy, per Mayo Clinic.

When should I be worried about foamy urine?

If foamy urine is a one time occurrence, experts say there’s no need to worry. That said, if you notice foamy urine every time you use the bathroom or it persists for several days to a week, you definitely want to get it checked out, says Dr. Desai.

'If someone has foamy urine and other new or concerning symptoms like blood in the urine, pain when urinating, excessive fatigue, fevers, weight loss, swelling, shortness of breath, or persistent joint pain, they should contact their doctor immediately,' notes Dr. Onuchic-Whitford. Additionally, if you’re pregnant, protein in the urine may indicate a serious condition called preeclampsia, and you should let your doctor know ASAP, she adds.

The 20 ‘most painful' health conditions, according to the NHS

Pain is subjective, meaning it will be experienced in different ways by different people.

What might seem extremely painful to one person might not be so bad for others.

It is also difficult to understand someone else's level of pain if you have not faced it yourself.

However, the NHS has compiled a list of what is considered to be the 20 most painful conditions and illnesses experienced by humans.

For the sufferer these can make everyday life hard and even render them immobile at times.

Endometriosis

A previously little-known or understood condition, endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the wombs grows in other places such as the fallopian tubes and ovaries.

It can result in chronic pelvic pain as well as pain when going to the toilet and during and after sex, along with other severe symptoms. 

There is currently no cure for endometriosis but there are treatments available to help manage symptoms. In more serious cases, surgery is needed to remove the tissue.

Slipped disc

Also known as a prolapsed or herniated disc, a slipped disc occurs when the soft cushion of tissue between the vertebrae in your spine pushes out.

This can cause severe pain if the tissue then pressed on the nerves that run down the spine.

It can lead to back pain, numbness or tingling in the shoulders, arms, back, legs or feet, neck pain, problems bending or straightening your back and muscle weakness. If it presses on the sciatic nerve it can also cause pain to shoot down the leg.

A slipped disc can get better slowly with rest, gentle exercise and painkillers, but in more serious cases surgery might be required.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. The first sign of this condition is typically a pain in the middle of the tummy that will come and go.

A few hours later, the pain usually travels to the lower right side of the abdomen, and becomes constant and more severe. Walking, coughing or pressing on the affected area might make the pain worse. 

Other symptoms of appendicitis include nausea, being sick, loss of appetite, constipation or diarrhoea and a high temperature.

Broken bones

Also known as a fracture, bones can break after an accident like a fall or being hit by something.

It can sometimes be difficult to tell if a bone is broken if it isn't displaced but common signs include pain, swelling and a deformity. If you think you have broken a bone you should seek medical advice.

Shingles

Shingles is an infection that causes a painful, itchy rash that usually develops on one side of the face or body.

Before the rash appears the sufferer will usually experience a tingling feeling in an area of skin or a headache.

The rash can consist of blisters that scab over in seven to 10 days but take up to four weeks to fully heal.

Frozen shoulder

If you have a frozen shoulder it means your shoulder is painful and stiff for a long period of time, sometimes years.

This happens when the tissue around your shoulder joint becomes inflamed. Luckily it can be treated with shoulder exercises and painkillers.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are rare compared to regular headaches. They can come on quickly without warning and occur in groups, or clusters, and each attack typically lasts between one and three hours. 

Anyone can experience them, but they're much more common in men and tend to start when a person is in their 30s or 40s.

 

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)

People with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) experience persistent severe and debilitating pain.

Most cases of CRPS are triggered by an injury but the pain is more severe and lasts longer than usual. It typically only affects one limb but can spread.

The skin around the affected area can become so sensitive that a slight touch, bump or even a change in temperature can cause intense pain.

It usually gradually gets better over time but for some people the pain will last years.

Heart attack

Also known as myocardial infarction, a heart attack is a medical emergency that occurs when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, often by a blood clot.

This can seriously damage the heart muscle and can be life threatening. It can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling weak and feeling anxious. 

However, not everyone experiences chest pain with a heart attack and in some cases it can be mistaken for indigestion.

Kidney stones

These are typically found in the kidneys or in the ureter, the tube that connects the kidneys to your bladder.

They can be extremely painful, and if left untreated can result in kidney infections or the kidney not working properly.

Arthritis

It is thought around 10 million people in the UK are living with arthritis or some kind of joint condition.

Arthritis causes pain and inflammation in a joint, sometimes to the point where it becomes difficult to move.

Gout

Gout is a type of arthritis that causes sudden severe joint pain that can last up to two weeks at a time. Hot, swollen and red joints are another telltale sign.

Attacks of gout are often treated with anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen. Leaving it untreated can cause lasting damage to the joints.

Sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease refers to a group of inherited health conditions that affect the red blood cells.

Sickle cell anaemia is one of the most serious types, which can cause painful episodes called sickle cell crises, which can be very severe and last for days or weeks. It is a serious and lifelong health condition.

Fibromyalgia

This is a long-term condition that causes pain over the entire body.

Also known as fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), it can make sufferers more sensitive to pain.

They might also experience extreme fatigue, muscle stiffness, insomnia, problems with mental processes, headaches and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Although there's currently no cure for fibromyalgia, there are treatments to help relieve some of the symptoms and make the condition easier to live with.

Migraine

A migraine is more than "just" a headache, felt as a throbbing pain on one side of the head. 

It is often accompanied by debilitating symptoms such as feeling sick, being sick and increased sensitivity to light or sound.

Sciatica

Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve, which runs from your hips to your feet, becomes irritated.

Symptoms can worsen when moving, sneezing or coughing. In most cases it gets better within six weeks but can last longer.

Trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is sudden, severe facial pain often likened to a sharp shooting pain or like having an electric shock in the jaw, teeth or gums.

Most people experience this in short, unpredictable attacks that can last from a few seconds to about two minutes.

Acute pancreatitis

The pancreas is a small organ, located behind the stomach, that helps with digestion.

Acute pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas becomes inflamed quickly.

While most people will recover after a week or so, some people with severe acute pancreatitis can go on to develop serious complications.

It differs from chronic pancreatitis, where the pancreas has become permanently damaged from inflammation over many years.

Stomach ulcer

These ulcers are open sores that develop on the lining of the stomach. If you have a stomach ulcer you might experience a burning or gnawing pain in the centre of the tummy

Pain after surgery

It is expected that you will experience some type of pain after undergoing surgery, although this will vary depending on the type of operation you have had.

However, the NHS advises you should never have to "tough it out". If you feel the pain is too much you should see your GP.

Story by Fiona Callingham: Daily Express: