The products, namely Sleep Night Peach Rooibos Tea and Slim Cleanse Green Tea, would enable consumers to “efficiently enjoy them” because of the easy preparation and cleanup, as there are no tea leaves involved.
“In recent years, there has been growing interest in maintaining health, including quality of sleep and intestinal activity. Particularly, functional teas that can be conveniently incorporated into the daily lives of busy modern people have been attracting attention.
“Our products are made with carefully selected functional and supportive ingredients that address current concerns of consumers and replenish nutrients that are often lacking in diets. People not only get to reap the original effects of tea, such as relaxation of body and mind, but also delicious taste and functionality,” the brand said.
The Sleep Night Peach Rooibos Tea is claimed to be the first and only powdered rooibos tea in Japan that contains gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-theanine, functional ingredients recognised by the country’s Consumer Affairs Agency to improve sleep quality.
Specifically, each serving (3g) contains 100mg of GABA, which has been reported to help improve depth of sleep, protect skin health, and maintain skin elasticity, especially for people with dry skin.
A study cited by Teaflex indicated that taking GABA for two weeks can increase the duration of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep in people experiencing stress or fatigue.
Non-REM sleep is known as the deepest and restorative stage of sleep that helps one feel rested upon waking up. As such, an adequate amount of deep sleep enhances sleep quality.
Ageing and ultraviolet damage, which causes a decrease in fibroblasts responsible for producing elastin, leads to degeneration of elastin and loss of skin elasticity. As the skin becomes less flexible and thinner, it results in dryness.
“Research suggests that consuming GABA significantly increases the expression of elastin genes and significantly raises the amount of elastin at the protein level, thereby maintaining skin elasticity.
“Therefore, our functional tea is useful for people troubled by shallow sleep, and those who want to keep their skin hydrated and elastic.”
In addition, the product contains vitamins C, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6, apple fibre, oligosaccharides, L-theanine, hyaluronic acid, and isomaltodextrin, among other ingredients.
Notably, isomaltodextrin is a water-soluble dietary fibre with various bioactive functions, including regulating gut microbiota composition, bowel movement, blood glucose, and immunity. Acting as a prebiotic, it supports a healthier gut barrier function.
Rich in minerals, iron and polyphenols, the rooibos tea is caffeine-free so it would not affect sleep, while its mellow peach aroma serves to provide relaxation before bedtime.
Hidden fat-reducing tea
Similarly, the Slim Cleanse Green Tea, which contains 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) propionic acid (HMPA) and plant-derived lactic acid bacteria K-1 (Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei 327), is said to be the first of its kind in Japan.
HMPA is a polyphenolic compound that comes from metabolism by gut bacteria or through dietary intake.
Studies have shown that HMPA could reduce visceral fat (abdominal obesity) by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an enzyme in the body that regulates cellular energy and metabolism.
“Many polyphenols, such as chlorogenic acid in coffee, hesperidin in citrus fruits, and curcumin in turmeric, are absorbed into the body as HMPA, which has been reported to reduce abdominal fat and waist circumference in people with a high BMI (23 to 30 kg/m2).”
L. casei 327 is a rice-derived lactic acid bacteria that the brand said “Japanese consumers are familiar with”.
“It is a functional ingredient that reaches the intestines without being broken down by stomach acid or digestive juices. It helps improve bowel movements by promoting the secretion of serotonin and stimulate intestinal peristalsis (muscle movements that drive food through the digestive tract).”
With the addition of vitamins C, B1, B2, B3 and B6, the tea aims to fill the nutrient gaps often found in the population’s daily diet.
“It is a non-sweetened green tea made with matcha that goes well with meals. Its green note aroma is also perfect for when you want to feel refreshed or invigorated.”
Pre-orders for the two products began on February 13 at Teaflex’s online store, and the teas will be officially released from February 24 on the same platform as well as various e-commerce malls, including Rakuten Ichiba, Amazon, and Yahoo! Shopping.
