Feasibility and Efficacy of a Novel Mindfulness App Used With Matcha Green Tea in Generally Healthy Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Ryohei Tanaka-Kanegae, Koji Yamada, Chad M Cook, Traci M Blonquist, Kristen D Taggart, Koichiro Hamada
JMIR mHealth and uHealth December 10, 2024 DOI: 10.2196/63078 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Healthy American volunteers |
| Intervention | Breathing meditation |
| Dose | 10 minutes daily |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Green tea Guided tea meditation Mhealth Matcha Mobile app Mobile health Mood Smartphone Stress Well-being Wellness |
| Citations | 1 |
| Registration | NCT05832645 |
| Key findings | Guided tea meditation showed good feasibility, reduced stress, and improved mood similarly to traditional breathing meditation, with no significant between-group differences in meditation time or frequency. |
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.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 14
- Regular, brief mindfulness meditation practice improves electrophysiological markers of attentional control Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- App-Based Mindfulness for Attenuation of Subjective and Physiological Stress Reactivity in a Population With Elevated Stress: Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR mHealth and uHealth August 8, 2023
- The Real-World Impact of App-Based Mindfulness on Headspace Members With Moderate and Severe Perceived Stress: Observational Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth March 4, 2024
- Training-related improvements in mental well-being through reduction in negative interpretation bias: A randomized trial of online socio-emotional dyadic and mindfulness interventions. Journal of Affective Disorders June 1, 2024
- Examining How Headspace Impacts Mindfulness Mechanisms Over an 8-Week App-Based Mindfulness Intervention Mindfulness September 1, 2023
and 9 more in the library