Feasibility and Efficacy of a Novel Mindfulness App Used With Matcha Green Tea in Generally Healthy Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Summary

Mindful tea meditation (GTM) shows promise in reducing stress and enhancing mood, with over 57% of participants finding the mobile app prototype acceptable. In an 8-week study involving 100 healthy volunteers, GTM practitioners logged more than 50 minutes of meditation weekly, practicing an average of four days. Notably, significant stress reductions were observed at weeks 4 and 8. This innovative approach combines matcha green tea with guided meditation, highlighting the potential of mobile health tools for improving well-being through mindfulness practices.

Abstract

Mindfulness practices, such as breathing meditation (BM), reduce stress and enhance mood. One such practice is mindful eating, where a practitioner focuses on the five senses while eating or drinking. A novel set of prototypes has been developed, incorporating principles of mindful eating. These prototypes include matcha green tea and a mobile app that provides audio guidance for meditation during the preparation and consumption of the beverage (hereafter referred to as guided tea meditation [GTM]). This study assessed the feasibility and efficacy of GTM, evaluating meditation time, frequency, and prototype acceptability over 8 weeks, alongside changes in stress and mood. Additionally, other benefits of GTM were explored. A comparator group was established in which participants performed traditional BM without an app or audio guide (active control). This unblinded randomized controlled trial involved 100 healthy American volunteers (n=49 GTM, n=51 BM). During the 8-week study period, participants were encouraged to perform either GTM or BM for 10 minutes daily. The meditation activity was self-reported the following day. Only the GTM group assessed the prototype acceptability. The Perceived Stress Scale-10 was used to measure stress levels, while the Two-Dimensional Mood Scale was used to evaluate mood changes. Other meditation benefits were explored using a questionnaire. All questionnaires were presented and completed via an app. An intention-to-treat analysis was performed. No significant between-group differences were found in total meditation time (P=.15) or frequency (P=.36). However, the weekly time and frequency of the GTM group remained above 50 minutes per week and 4 days per week, respectively. Over half of the GTM participants (≥28/49, ≥57%) accepted the prototype. The GTM group exhibited significant stress reductions at weeks 4 and 8 (both P.08). We believe that GTM exhibits good feasibility. Meanwhile, GTM reduced stress, improved mood, and let the practitioners feel other benefits, similar to BM. Long-term practitioners of GTM may even feel more relaxed and calmer in the state of premeditation than those who practice BM. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05832645; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05832645.

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