3 Surprising Health Benefits of Hojicha

(Spoiler: it’s not just the cozy toasted taste—there’s legit research behind the hype.)

1. Roasting unlocks resilient antioxidants

A 2025 study in Foods simulated digestion and found that over half of Hojicha’s polyphenols and ~31 % of its antioxidant capacity survived the gut gauntlet—even after high-heat roasting ¹. In plain English: those free-radical-fighting compounds make it past your stomach and into the intestines where your body can actually use them. Translation? Sipping Hojicha still means antioxidant support, minus the grassy bite of unroasted green tea.

2. Ultra-low caffeine = calm focus, even at night

When researchers compared equal servings of regular green tea and roasted green tea, they measured just 26 mg of caffeine in Hojicha versus 28 mg in sencha—and roasting had already cut the bitterness and stimulant load ². For context, drip coffee hovers around 95 mg. That means you get gentle alertness (plus L-theanine’s “zen” effect) without the jitters or a 2 a.m. staring contest with your ceiling.

3. Polyphenols your microbiome loves

Tea catechins don’t just fight oxidation—they’re pre-biotic fuel for beneficial bugs like Bifidobacterium. A 2023 four-season observational study showed that higher green-tea polyphenol intake shifted the gut toward friendlier species and better blood-sugar control, partly through microbiome mediation ³. Because Hojicha’s roasting softens harsh tannins while leaving a rich polyphenol core (see Reason 1), it’s an easy-to-drink way to nurture a balanced gut.

Peer-Reviewed Sources

1. Wei Qin et al. (2025) “Exploring the Bioaccessibility of Roasted Japanese Green Tea: Impact of Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion.”  Foods, 14(2):311.  https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14020311
2. Chie Kurosaka et al. (2024) “Effects of Green Tea and Roasted Green Tea on Human Responses.”  Scientific Reports, 14:8588.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-59383-y
3. Aoi Ito et al. (2023) “Gut Microbiota-Mediated Associations of Green Tea and Catechin Intakes with Glucose Metabolism.”  Archives of Microbiology, 205(5):191.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-023-03522-y

Friendly disclaimer: Research is evolving, and individual responses vary—always check with a healthcare professional if you have specific concerns.