Good news: Benifuuki tea could be the key to unlocking relief from the discomfort of MCAD!
If you've been living with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAD), you might be struggling to find relief from pervasive and often debilitating symptoms.
This serious and chronic disease often baffles medical professionals who find it difficult to diagnose and identify its triggers. The traditional approach for treating MCAD is through diphenhydramine such as Benadryl or hydroxyzine.
Unfortunately, the side effects of using diphenhydramine are often not much better than those caused by the disease itself. Ranging from dizziness to digestive issues and drowsiness, the treatment may feel conflated with side effects from the disease itself.
If you're feeling helpless in your search for relief from MCAD, we are here to help! There is a more natural approach to consider that could ease the lifelong symptoms of MCAD you've been battling.
Benifuuki Green Tea
Benifuuki green tea is being used more and more to alleviate the effects of MCAD, with the practice starting in Japan and gaining momentum in recent years.
There are many reasons to choose a more holistic approach to lessening the symptoms of a serious disease. Freeing yourself from the pressure to use more traditional medicine may be the right choice for you. Especially if you're looking to be kind to your body and not exacerbate any of the already serious symptoms you're dealing with!
What Is Benifuuki?
Benifuuki is a relatively new type of Japanese green tea. It was first created in 1965 when the tea cultivars Assamica and Sinensis were cross-bred in Japan. Before long, it was categorized as one of the most effective green teas for fighting allergens.
(Read more about the power of Benifuuki green tea for allergies in this post)Tea brewed from the Benifuuki plant is produced by utilizing the entire plant, leaves and flowers and all, to brew a unique and powerful strain of tea.
This cultivar is rich in methylated catechins, an active ingredient in many green teas known to inhibit mast cell response to allergens. Scientists have shown that methylated catechins (in particular one type called EGCG) can specifically inhibit activation of mast cells so they do not release their contents in response to allergens or other stimuli.
Methylated catechin levels in Benifuuki teas are extremely high. This leads researchers to believe Benifuuki to be one of the most impactful teas for drinkers in terms of its positive effects on health!
Consuming Benifuuki Tea
To cultivate mass amounts of these effective catechins in the Benifuuki cultivar, strains are fermented and stored for at least three months. That means this powerful plant is most effective if digested toward the end of its lifespan.
But because there are such large amounts of catechins within the Benifuuki strain, it shouldn't be consumed on an empty stomach. It should also not be allowed to steep in hot water for long periods of time before consumption, as the plant’s toxicity levels could possibly increase.
Small amounts of Benifuuki go a long way. It is not necessary or recommended for drinkers to ingest Benifuuki daily, making it an uncomplicated and powerful solution to chronic symptoms caused by MCAD.
In fact, Benifuuki is so powerful and diverse in its effects, drinkers looking to relieve themselves of MCAD symptoms may also find themselves benefitting from improved health overall, even outside of their disease.
Other Positive Effects
The plant is gaining popularity worldwide as a homeopathic cure for multiple conditions with great effect. It's easily accessible and a great solution for those looking for relief from the constraints imposed upon them by medical insurance in relation to medications they are able to expense.
Benifuuki is also helpful for hay fever, dermatitis, eczema, histamine reduction, Diet-Induced Lipid Metabolism Disorder, Gaucher Disease, and Tay-Sachs disease. The methylated catechins in Benifuuki have many and varied health effects, making it a multi-faceted cure.
In the best-selling nutrition book, "How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease By Michael Greger M.D.'', Dr. Michael also recommends Benifuuki for allergies in the section about beverages.
What is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAD)?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAD) is an incurable disease that is often difficult to diagnose. Symptoms and causes of the disease can vary greatly.
MCAD is caused by inappropriate mast cell activation, causing a wide variety of negative symptoms. MCAD can result in a number of dermatological problems, including hives, itching, easy bruising, and a change in complexion.
Cardiovascular effects of MCAS may include vertigo and an increased resting heart rate. MCAD may also cover gastrointestinal problems, vision issues, and respiratory conditions including congestion, wheezing, and sleep apnea.
A few of the psychiatric effects of MCAD include debilitating headaches, fogginess leading to memory dysfunction and recall, as well as anxiety, depression, mood swings, and more.
Triggers
The symptoms of MCAD are so varying, they can be difficult to attribute to MCAD. What’s more, MCAD triggers vary greatly as well, with stressors ranging from foods, fragrances, stress, exercise, various chemicals, and more.
In fact, because the triggers for MCAD can seem mundane, those with MCAS may find themselves discovering additional triggers after years of living with the disease.
As this disease is varied in triggers and symptoms, difficult to diagnose and impossible to cure, those with MCAD find themselves with a difficult road ahead of them. MCAD sufferers’ only recourse is to find solace in temporary solutions that they can only hope will slightly ease their symptoms.
The results of MCAD vary greatly person to person. But increased amounts of lipids and histamines are culprits of some of the more serious repercussions of the disease. Traditional treatments of MCAD rely heavily on blocking mast cell responses which are dysfunctional in those living with MCAD.
Mast cell dysfunction presents itself in the less serious form of allergies.
MCAD works similarly to allergies in that it is caused by varying triggers and is not always present. It is, however, always dormant within the sufferer. This means that unlike those suffering from, say, pollen-based allergies, they will likely not find any seasonal relief from their symptoms.
Major Symptoms
Symptoms of MCADs tend to wax and wane and gradually get worse over time. They involve most systems throughout the body.Some of the major symptoms include:
- Hives
- Itching
- Dizziness and fainting
- Irregular heartbeat
- Diarrhea and/or constipation
- Difficulty swallowing
- Burning sensations in the bladder
- Headaches
- Memory dysfunction and cognitive difficulties
- Psychiatric and behavioral symptoms
- Coughing and wheezing
- Fatigue
Why Benifuuki Tea Works With MCAD
The methylated catechins which permeate Benifuuki tea are popular with allergy sufferers because they help to block mast cell response. The effects of Benifuuki on mast cells are beneficial to those suffering from MCAD and may provide some of the only preventative relief to those suffering from the disease.
Moreover, these same methylated catechins can help those suffering from MCAD to properly process excess lipids and histamines which their disease prevents them from being able to do on their own.
Improper mast cell activation, coupled with excess lipids and histamines, can lead to a wide variety of serious consequences from digestive issues to mental fog and depression.
Therefore, any relief from these misfirings that can be provided by methylated catechins present in Benifuuki tea cannot be understated. Even nominal relief from excess lipids can make a world of difference for indigestion, for example.
Benifuuki Strongly Inhibits Mast Cell Activation
Mast cells play an important part in normal bodily regulatory processes. In healthy persons, mast cells function to heal wounds and work within the immune system to fix pathogens.
In those suffering from allergies, mast cell inhibition can help provide relief for their symptoms. For those living with MCAD, the mast cell inhibiting properties of Benifuuki tea can potentially be life-changing.
While the methylated catechins present in Benifuuki cannot cure MCAD, they can help alleviate symptoms. Benifuuki contains more methylated catechins than any other strain of tea, meaning those looking for any sort of relief, homeopathic or otherwise, would do well to try Benifuuki’s effects for themselves.
Benifuuki Green Tea Has Lipid-Lowering Effects
Another benefit of the methylated catechins present in Benifuuki is its effect on lipids. Those with MCAD can find themselves having difficulty breaking down fats. Because of this, the process of converting food into energy is disrupted, resulting in dangerously low blood sugar.Those with MCAD have difficulty processing and breaking down fats and lipids, resulting in dangerous excess. When this happens, digestive issues and lethargy abound. Those undiagnosed or newly diagnosed with MCAD may not even recognize these as part of their disease, an example of the discreetly destructive nature of the disease.
Luckily, Benifuuki green tea can greatly lower lipids in the body. Casual drinkers look to this strain of green tea for weight loss benefits. But those suffering from MCAD can also experience great relief through drinking Benifuuki.
The methylated catechins strongly present in Benifuuki provide these effects. Scientists do warn that those unaccustomed to drinking tea with such high levels of catechins may find it difficult to stomach high amounts of the tea.
To fully feel the full effects of the catechins and their relation to lipids, drinkers should be sure to drink Benifuuki regularly, yet sparingly.
Drinkers looking to regulate their lipid levels should work their way up to drinking high amounts of Benifuuki over time. Start with nominal amounts and work your way up to becoming a seasonal Benifuuki drinker to feel the tea’s full effects.
Benifuuki Tea Reduces Histamine Levels
Histamines are indispensable chemicals for the human brain. Histamines facilitate communication with the brain and overall digestion.Dysfunctional histamine processing can lead to a variety of medical problems.
These include:
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Cramping
- High blood pressure
- Anxiety
Histamine Intolerance
Many of these symptoms match up with symptoms of MCAD. This is because what many physicians may originally believe to be histamine intolerance is actually a form of MCAD. Histamine intolerance is just one of many conditions MCAD can be easily conflated with thanks to the similarity of their symptoms and causation.
MCAD can lead to histamine intolerance, although histamine intolerance itself can exist outside of MCAD. Symptoms of histamine intolerance are aggravated by foods high in histamines. Those with the condition find their mast cells to be overactive and do not allow them to process histamines correctly.
The previously mentioned core component of Benifuuki strain green tea methylated catechins helps to reduce histamine levels within the body. Because those with MCAD find themselves unable to process histamines correctly, Benifuuki catechins once again prove to be invaluable to treating the condition.
Methylated catechins cannot help the body to relearn how to process histamines correctly, just as they cannot provide lasting effects in regards to lipids or mast cells, but they can aid the body in ridding itself of excess.
This sort of removal is the closest MCAD suffers can come to any sort of restoration of these proper bodily functions.
Benifuuki Is Good For Liver
Another beneficial characteristic of Benifuuki is its effect on the liver.
The liver is the primary organ in the body that processes fats and lipids. If dietary cholesterol is insufficient, the liver synthesizes cholesterol and releases it into the bloodstream. The liver also breaks down fats and converts them into glucose, which is released into the bloodstream for use as immediate energy to fuel the body's activities.
In a normal, healthy body, the liver tightly regulates levels of serum lipids and breaks down excess fat into glucose.
But in response to chronic inflammation induced either by an unhealthy diet or other causes, the liver starts to malfunction. It becomes unable to tightly regulate serum lipid levels. Ultimately, elevations in LDL and triglycerides may occur while HDL levels plummet.
Instead of the liver breaking down excess dietary fat, it is stored at various places in the body (such as the abdomen) and fat is also stored in the liver, creating a fatty liver, which further perturbs liver function.
Reducing Global Inflammation
Benifuuki green tea's ability to reduce global inflammation in the body also seems to have a beneficial effect on liver function, prompting the liver to reverse course and start to process lipids in a more normal way. For starters, this can be beneficial for weight loss because it helps the metabolism clear excess fat out of the body. At the same time, it can also restore the serum lipid levels to a healthier profile.
At the same time, the processes that lead to the formation of a fatty liver may begin to reverse in response to Benifuuki, further improving liver function.
An interesting side effect of the high levels of methylated catechins in Benifuuki is that this tea plant is naturally resistant to most plant diseases.
Most tea plants require the use of chemical pesticides and fungicides during production. This means the resulting tea is probably contaminated with residual chemicals from these products.
But not Benifuuki! It can be grown without the need for any chemical applications, which is good for both the environment AND the consumer.
What Are The Side Effects Of Benifuuki Tea?
As a natural green tea, Benifuuki has never been observed to have any side effects when consumed properly.
It's a refreshing beverage that can be enjoyed several times a day, aiding in hydration as well as in reducing inflammation and providing the many health benefits of regular green tea consumption.
Due to its high levels of methylated catechins, Benifuuki has a more bitter taste than most other green teas, but many consumers enjoy its bitterness.
Interestingly, when Benifuuki was first developed, it was practically inedible due to its extreme level of bitterness. But cultivation methods have reduced its bitter flavor to a level that's enjoyable without affecting its medicinal qualities. These include those that involve growth in soil from sugar canes and mulching with vegetation from natural grasslands.
Casual drinkers of Benifuuki enjoy it for the allergy-numbing effects it provides, as well as the metabolic regulation. Drinkers will enjoy clearer skin, better digestion, and increased energy by incorporating Benifuuki into their diets regularly.
Benifuuki has many beneficial effects in terms of health. But as with all powerful medical solutions, drinkers should be sure to take a few precautions.
Precautions
As briefly mentioned earlier, waiting too long to drink Benifuuki after it's brewed can be dangerous. This is because chlorophyll can build up over time. This raises the tea’s toxicity to potentially dangerous levels if it sits out too long or the tea’s leaves have remained within the tea after it has been prepared.
An important aspect of Benifuuki is that it's brewed with both the leaves and flowers. But brewers can't forget to remove the toxic leaves before consuming it!
Additional Benifuuki-related nausea is easily circumvented by drinking the tea right after it's brewed.
So, in summary, ensure you're not drinking Benifuuki on an empty stomach and follow it up with large amounts of water to minimize any potential liver damage from the powerful catechins.
Conclusion
Benifuuki Japanese green tea is a delightful, refreshing, bitter tea made from the tea cultivar Benifuuki.
This tea cultivar has a very high concentration of methylated catechins, in particular one called ECGC. ECGC blocks mast cell activation by allergens and the many stimuli that activate mast cells in individuals with MCADs.
Activated mast cells normally release large amounts of histamines that trigger the symptoms familiar to allergy sufferers worldwide.
For people with MCADs, their mast cells abnormally release histamines throughout their bodies, causing a wide range of unpleasant symptoms. Consuming Benifuuki on a regular basis blocks mast cells from releasing histamines. This naturally relieves the symptoms of allergies and MCADs without any side effects you might get from drugs.
Besides its effects on mast cells, Benifuuki can help relieve other conditions caused by chronic inflammation.
Its high levels of methylated catechins can reverse dysfunction of the liver. This can restore the liver's ability to process lipids and fats.
Once restored to a more normal function, the liver can reduce levels of unhealthy blood lipids. Then, it can metabolize fats. This promotes weight loss, alleviates cardiovascular risk factors, reduces the effects of metabolic syndrome, and reverses the processes causing fatty liver.
In brief, Benifuuki is a healthful addition to any person's day whether they suffer from allergies/MCADs or not!
Are you ready to explore what Benifuuki tea can do for you? Click here to shop our selection of allergy relief Japanese green tea!
What is Benifuki Tea? Explained in One Minute
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- Kei and Team at Dream of Japan
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About the author
Kei Nishida
Author, CEO Dream of Japan
Certification: PMP, BS in Computer Science
Education: Western Washington University
Kei Nishida is a Japanese green tea enthusiast, a writer, and the founder and CEO of Japanese Green Tea Co., a Dream of Japan Company. His passion for introducing America to the tea of his homeland was the catalyst for creating the only company that brings high-quality tea from Arahataen Green Tea Farms to the rest of the world. Learn more about Kei