Matcha green tea is the highest quality powdered green tea available. Made from the nutrient-rich young leaves picked from the tips of shade-grown Camellia sinensis plants, Matcha is steamed, stemmed, and de-vined before being stone-ground into very fine powder. The powder is then stored away from light and oxygen in order to preserve its brilliant green color and antioxidant properties. This miracle elixir has been consumed for over a millennium in the Far East, and is now considered to be one of the most powerful super foods on the market today. Below is a list of the many benefits Matcha tea can provide to your health.
1. A Source of Natural Caffeine
One cup of matcha provides 32g of caffeine which is 3x as much as a regular cup of green tea and 1/2 of a small cup of coffee. This means that matcha might be what you need to wake up in the mornings and start your day feeling alert but not jittery.
2. Boosts Mood, Memory, and Concentration
Matcha green tea benefits include a generous dose of L-Theanine thats responsible for producing dopamine and serotonin. These 2 chemicals naturally improve your mood, enhance your memory, and even make it easier to concentrate on essential tasks. It also stimulates alpha brain waves which are known for slowing down your brain functioning in ways that increase your focus and concentration.
3. Energy + Calm
Unlike a cup of coffee that can leave you feeling jittery, matcha tea is renowned for promoting an ‘alert calm’ in drinkers, thanks to the amino acid l-theanine. This causes the tea’s caffeine content to be absorbed slower than other kinds of caffeine, giving you the benefits for hours without risk of overdoing it. These characteristics made matcha tea an invaluable drink in medieval Japan for all-afternoon meditation sessions that required participants to be both calm and alert.
4. Filled with Catechins
Antioxidants are not all created equal. Matcha is filled to the brim with catechinsw hich are the most beneficial and most potent antioxidants available. One type of catechin, called the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), comprises 60% of the catechins found in matcha green tea and is renowned for its cancer-fighting properties. In fact, matcha has more than 100 times the EGCG level of other tea varieties. Matcha green tea benefits your body by providing ten times the amount of antioxidants in a cup of regular green tea. This jade green drink beats almost every superfood in regards to antioxidants, containing eight times more per serving than goji berries, 16 times more than blueberries, and 130 times more than spinach.
5. More Efficient Weight Loss
High concentrations of EGCG in matcha mean that this unassuming tea can increase the rate at which fat is burned as well as decrease the formation of new fat cells. Matcha helps boost your metabolism burning more calories each day. This means starting your day with matcha might make your workouts more effective.
6. Healthy Heart
Drinking matcha green tea is proven to be healthy for your heart. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that catechins in green tea can lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol, and it can also decrease your risk of suffering a stroke.
7. Chlorophyll Source
Matcha tea leaves spend their last few weeks growing under shade cloth creating an increased amount of chlorophyll. Research is still being conducted but some doctors believe it can help the body eliminate heavy metals and other toxic buildups.
8. Boosts Your Physical Endurance
Samurai soldiers once relied on a cup of matcha before they entered battle in Medieval Japan to calm their nerves. All green tea contains caffeine but matcha caffeine is released in your body in a slower, more stable way, allowing you to experience an increase in alertness and physical stamina for up to six hours after you drink it.
9. Skin Health
Matcha green tea has tons of antioxidants that help support your skin health. It reduces inflammation and prevents the development of damaging free radicals that lead to aging skin. Many use Matcha products such as Green Tea Facial Scrub & Detox Mask.
10. Fortifies the Immune System
Th catechins found in Matcha tea have robust antibiotic properties which actively promote overall health and strengthen the immune system. A single bowl of matcha can fill you with ample amounts of potassium, vitamins C and A, iron, and calcium.
Yes, matcha green tea does contain caffeine. However, it will not make you jittery like coffee but a feeling of alert and calmness at the same time. Remember, a moderate amount of caffeine won’t hurt you and plus there are endless health benefits with this superdrink. So, don’t forget to switch out your morning cup of coffee for Matcha which will give you sustained energy and improved focus throughout the day without those jitters or a caffeine crash.
