Matcha has skyrocketed in popularity lately, with matcha lattes, teas, and even moisturizers appearing everywhere from health stores, coffee shops, and on social media. Like green tea, matcha comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. However, it is grown differently and has a unique nutrient profile.
Farmers grow matcha by covering their tea plants 20–30 days before harvest to avoid direct sunlight. This increases chlorophyll production, boosts the amino acid content, and gives the plant a darker green hue. Once the tea leaves harvest, the stems and veins are removed, and the leaves are ground up into a fine powder known as matcha.
Matcha contains the nutrients from the entire tea leaf and produces the superfood’s magical powers. Studies of matcha and its components have unearthed a variety of benefits, showing that it can help protect the liver, promote heart health, and even aid in weight loss. Matcha also results in a more significant amount of caffeine and antioxidants than are typically found in green tea.
Here are the benefits of being cha-cha about matcha:
1. Increase in energy throughout the day- minus the crash
While coffee gives you that sudden caffeine “high” because of its quick absorption into your bloodstream, matcha has a slow-release! Matcha provides a slow release into the body, which creates more substantial energy that lasts throughout the day.
2. Boost in mood and happiness:
Matcha will literally make you happier while boosting your energy! Who doesn’t love to be a ball of sunshine in the morning? Count me in! Those who are religious connoisseurs of matcha find that it makes them feel so much more clear-headed. Some found that after drinking matcha, they felt like their best self, which naturally put them into a better and more positive mood. Although this feeling may be subject to each person, this is the tea… literally. Matcha contains a high level of an amino acid called L-theanine which is significant in cognitive performance, mental focus and stress reduction. So, even if you aren’t facing a grueling workout, matcha can help you through the everyday marathon, whether it’s that project due the next day or getting the kids from school to soccer practice.
3. Good for the skin
Matcha can improve inflamed skin and double as an exfoliant that protects the skin from free radical damage. Matcha also helps rejuvenate skin that lacks oxygen, as a result of sleepless nights, smoking, and toxicities in the air she says. Oh, and apparently, all it takes to improve your skin in as little as one cup a day!
4. No such thing as an antioxidant overdose:
Redbook said that “you may have thought goji berries, dark chocolate, and blueberries had lots of antioxidants? As If! The amount of antioxidants found in matcha powder is a lot bigger than most other talked-about superfoods—about 143 percent more—and can help protect you against tissue damage, inflammatory issues, and visible aging. As if that wasn’t good enough already, nutritionists believe matcha’s antioxidants—including the ultra-potent EGCG—also aid in improving your metabolism speed, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. In short, drinking this dust can help keep your immune system in check, improve weight loss efforts and help you look younger. Score.”
5. Support Weight loss:
Already nearly calorie free, matcha is an excellent addition to a weight loss program by tackling the problem from both sides. It boosts metabolism and burns fat. One recent study even suggested that matcha may help burn calories by four times. At the same time, matcha does not put any stress on the body. It doesn’t raise blood pressure or heart rate, making it a safe alternative to questionable quick fixes or pharmaceuticals ridden with side effects. A study featured in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming matcha green tea can increase thermogenesis (the body’s rate of burning calories) from an average of 8-10% of daily energy expenditure to between 35% and 43% of daily energy expenditure.
There are so many benefits of incorporating matcha in your daily life. We hope you take this information and try something new this week!
