%0 Journal Article %@ 2291-5222 %I JMIR Publications %V 12 %N %P e63078 %T Feasibility and Efficacy of a Novel Mindfulness App Used With Matcha Green Tea in Generally Healthy Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial %A Tanaka-Kanegae,Ryohei %A Yamada,Koji %A Cook,Chad M %A Blonquist,Traci M %A Taggart,Kristen D %A Hamada,Koichiro %+ Saga Nutraceuticals Research Institute, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, 5006-5 Aza Higashiyama, Omagari, Yoshinogari-cho, Kanzaki-gun, Saga, 842-0195, Japan, 81 952521522, [email protected] %K mindfulness %K guided tea meditation %K meditation %K matcha %K green tea %K mobile app %K smartphone %K stress %K mood %K mHealth %K mobile health %K well-being %K wellness %D 2024 %7 10.12.2024 %9 Original Paper %J JMIR Mhealth Uhealth %G English %X Background: 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]). Objective: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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<.001), similar to the BM group. Improvements in mood metrics were observed after a single GTM session on days 1 and 56, similar to the BM group. Moreover, increases in premeditation scores for relaxed and calm from day 1 to day 56 were significantly higher for the GTM group (P=.04 and .048, respectively). The majority of participants (≥25/49, ≥51%) assigned to GTM experienced positive changes in happiness, time management, quality of life, relationships, sleep, and work performance as they continued meditating. However, no significant between-group differences were found in these exploratory outcomes (P>.08). Conclusions: 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. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05832645; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05832645 %R 10.2196/63078 %U https://mhealth.jmir.org/2024/1/e63078 %U https://doi.org/10.2196/63078