Japanese matcha powder has gained popularity lately, with lattes, teas, and even desserts sold everywhere from health centers to cafetaria.
Matcha and green tea come from the Camellia sinensis plant. However, it varies in the process adopted to enhance the nutrient profile.
Various studies in tha laboratories have discovered number of matcha green tea powder benefits, like it can help protect the liver, promote heart health, and even aid in safe weight loss.
Here are 9 matcha tea benefits worth noting.
- Japanese matcha green tea powder is a special form of tea that benefits anyone consuming it.
- It has very high level of antioxidants
- Helps you meditate by keeping you wakeful/mindful
- Contains permissible levels of caffeine
- Can be included as an ingredient in many recipes
- Help protect liver
- May help prevent cancer
- May help prevent heart diseases
- Helps improve brain functions
This tea comes from a similar tea plant as most different teas, however, possess much more natural healthy goodness.
The method by which matcha green tea leaves are cultivated, nurtured, harvested, and processed makes all the distinctions. Matcha tea leaves are cultivated below bamboo and rice-mat shades 2-4 weeks before harvest home. They are handpicked and gently steamed to stop oxidation, de-stemmed, air-dried and slowly ground into a super fine, silky greenish powder with the help of ancient granite grinding stones. It takes one full hour of grinding to provides one ounce of tea powder. in contrast to steeped tea, green tea powder contains the whole herb.
Naturally ground powder when mixed with steaming water, provides nutritional advantages which no alternative natural drink will match.
Japanese matcha has many benefits due to the presence of higher level of antioxidents and calming substances than typically found in green tea.
Bottom Line
The best matcha green tea is derived based on how the tea plant is cultivated, nurtured, harvested, and processed.
ORAC Values of antioxidants |
Green Tea is full of powerful nutrients. The way it makes you feel after consuming is mainly due to the presence of abundant antioxidants.
The compound L-theanine[1] could be a natural calm-inducing amino acid shown to assist in keeping you relaxed whereas really promoting a keener mental focus and cognitive ability. L-theanine is found nearly completely in tea and most copiously in high-quality green tea powder.
Another advantage is, how its L-theanine and caffeine work to spice up energy levels without the nervy after effects. Studies show green tea powder caffeine enhances the reaction of L-theanine. So, after consuming you remain awake, calm and mentally centred.To what degree depends on the individual, the standard of the matcha tea powder and the daily quantity (number of cups) you consume.
Also, among Matcha’s bountiful advantages are the tremendous antioxidants[2] that are available in plenty in high quality organic green teas. Matcha has 137 times the catechin found in other green teas [3]. If you search the website “green tea studies” you’ll discover that the most-often studied tea catechin — epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG — is related to fat loss and weight management. Calm, well-being, a heightened mental focus and a lot of energy and all the advantages of strong oxidation protection of cells are the prime reasons to drink high-quality tea daily.
Bottom Line
A quality matcha powder has 137 times the catechin (antioxidants) found in other green teas. So, after consuming you remain awake, calm and mentally centered.
Meditation means "a temporary stopping of the thought process". It describes a state of awareness when the mind is free from scattered thoughts and various patterns of disturbing thoughts. Here the meditator observes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one.
Meditation will undoubtedly facilitate us to become additionally wakeful/mindful throughout the day; it’s an excellent way to train yourself to be in this moment, and recover yourself to bring back whenever you get engrossed in an involuntarily thinking too much the past activities or the future activities. The main factor that gets you in the present state is relentless effort to master this, like everything else. The same is true with cooking; the more you keep trying cooking, the more expert and pleasurable it becomes, and — sometimes — the tastier it gets.
Therefore, the trick to reaching that wakeful/mindfulness throughout the day is to just consume a cup of matcha before the meditation session. You will enjoy it. It is difficult to imagine that a mere drink, would facilitate anyone to meditate, but the entire history of green tea centres around staying awake throughout the meditation. This fact regarding the usefulness for meditation was discovered by Zen Buddist monks who experienced a very high level of calmness and alertness during meditation.
The explanation of green tea’s role in this interesting state of mind is due to the high levels of an amino acid called L-theanine, present in matcha has been shown to reduce mental stresses. L-theanine also improves various brain functions and creates calmness and alertness whereas tea caffeine improves mood, memory power, alertness, and quick responses. L-theanine works synergistically with tea caffeine and promotes alpha wave production in the brain. Which is pretty much what meditation does. This is why we sometimes refer to matcha as “liquid meditation.” Stresses induced in the brain creates beta waves whereas matcha generates alpha waves thus relaxes the mind. A study in this regard also proves this fact.
Try a cup sometime before a session. We’re betting you’ll like it. Try it before a yoga session too — it seems to make the body relax in all the right ways.
Bottom Line
Meditation will undoubtedly facilitate us to become additionally wakeful/mindful throughout the day. Therefore, the trick to reaching that wakeful/mindfulness throughout the day is to just consume a cup of matcha green tea drink before the meditation session.
Everyone knows that too much caffeine is not good for health, but what is the levels present in matcha?
The amount of caffeine is 25 mg which is one-third the caffeine of a brewed coffee. This level is well within the permissible limits of 200 mg per day that one can consume.
Unlike caffeine in coffee, this drink will not make you jittery because of the higher doses of other useful substances. These substances slow down the release of caffeine into the blood and still keeps you calm and alert.
The natural blend of caffeine + vitamins + minerals + antioxidants + amino acids generates a sound mental ability to concentrate, think, and be active in whatever activities you are performing after the drink.
The best part is that this effect remains over an extended period of a few hours (as high as six hours). Therefore, matcha's proven quality is much liked and gives a quite fascinating, and extremely pleasant for most matcha drinkers.
Coffee drinkers normally experience a sudden stimulation after consuming espresso or brewed coffee, but after one hour causes spikes in adrenaline glucose and insulin levels, which in turn create jitteriness, nervousness, and extreme hunger making your limbs tired. Such is not the case with matcha, because the gradual release of caffeine into the bloodstream and keeping you relaxed and alert.[4]
Bottom Line
Unlike caffeine in coffee, this high quality matcha tea will not make you jittery because of the higher doses of other useful substances. These substances slow down the release of caffeine into the blood and still keep you calm and alert.
Matcha is a favourite amongst various chefs, not as a health drink, but as an important ingredient in sweets, ice creams, and savouries. You can browse the web for best matcha recipes. Just check one of my favorite matcha recipe.
Matcha can be added as a part of the balanced breakfast,because of its color and great, refreshing taste. Its umami and rich, taste makes it the perfect many recipes.
Bottom Line
The more you cook, and bake, with matcha, the better you will understand its flavor type and how it reacts with different foods and culinary applications.
The liver is one of the key metabolic organ.Liver is involved in the synthesis and degradation of key biological molecules such as carbohydrate, protein and lipids among others.
One study revealed that when diabetic rats were orally fed with matcha for 16 weeks prevented damage of kidneys and liver.
Another study investigated the result of consumption of tea in Nonalcoholic liver disease(NAFLD) patients. A 12 week study revealed that green tea supplementation decrease liver enzymes in patients with NAFLD.
Although study results suggested that matcha green tea intake is a protective factor for liver diseases. Still, further large-scale randomized clinical trials are needed to validate these conclusions.
Bottom Line
Even though some studies organized by researchers show that matcha helps prevent liver diseases, but they so far conducted are on animals and is yet to be proved in humans.
Matcha tea contains a strong class of antioxidant known as catechins.Catechins are not found in other foods. In particular, the catechin EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) has a strong cancer-fighting properties.
EGCG found in matcha helps effectively protect cancers in skin, lungs and liver. The studies on skin, lungs and liver so far conducted gives the evidence.
Most of the studies are conducted on animals and laboratory studies.However, co-relation of these studies and further tests on humans need to be done.
Bottom Line
Prolonged use of matcha may inhibit growth of cancer cells as per some studies.
Physical inactivity, excessive use of nicotine and bad nutrition practices are leading to an increase of prevalence of coronory heart diseases in most countries. Especially, due to rapid urbanization in modern societies. As a result mortality rates worldwide amounts to one third of all the deaths amogst people older than 35 years which a study reveals.
Many studies were conducted and concluded that the best prevention to all the heart diseases is by drinking green tea.
The studies showed that the administration of green tea beverages or extracts resulted in a significant reduction in Total and LDL(bad)-cholesterol levels, but no effect on HDL cholesterol was observed.
Bottom Line
Matcha consumption reduces cholesterol and hence minimizing occurrences of coronary diseases.
Matcha tea is among the popular foods for the health concious people throughout the world and is always referred to as a mood-and-brain enhancers.
Many research works has proved that main three constituents L-theanine, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and caffeine, affect mood and cognitive performance.
The following studies throw more light on this.
The study conducted with 23 participants showed clearly that matcha drinkers out performed in cognitive tasks as compared to the placebo.
Also, consuming small amounts of green tea powdered helped elderely people reduce the progression of cognitive dysfunction.A sample study reveals the same.
Bottom Line
Daily consumption of matcha in moderate quantities helped improve cognitive performance.
From the informations that I have gathered about matcha, this is not shared with the objective to avoid this type of tea. Actually, the levels are very low.
The so-called organically grown green teas considered to be cultivated using natural fertilizers and pesticides have been shown contaminated with lead.
Lead gets absorbed by the plant leaves from the environment (air, water, and soil), particularly tea grown in China. Whereas the tea grown in Japan is far superior and safe to consume as the lead content is much lesser (0.739mcg ±0.074 lead / 1g Matcha) than the permissible values of 2mcg/gm standards. One of the reasons for this is due to the phase-out of leaded gasoline which has brought down the lead concentration in the Japanese environment very low.So, you can rely on the best matcha powder from Japan.Japan is the only country in the world to produce high quality match.
There are some tips to be followed to buy the best matcha green tea powder. Refer this article.
In the traditional green tea that is steeped, the whole lead content is lost in the leaf, which is discarded. Therefore in the case of matcha, since the whole leaf is consumed, you will ingest more lead. It is recommended to consume no more than one cup per day.
Although matcha is generally considered safe because it is a natural product but can develop side effects when consumed in higher doses. Side effects like headache, insomnia, irritability, diarrhea, and heartburn are the possible side effects when consumed in excess.
Excessive matcha can cause digestive disorders like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which is very painful and discomforting.
Consuming more than two cups a day can lead to changes in heart rhythm i.e. cardiac arrhythmia.
Higher doses of polyphenols (present matcha abundantly) in the body leads to nausea and vomiting.
Finding a quality matcha tea is vital as not all matcha tea powders are produced equally. Some matcha powders are mixed with sweeteners and powdered milk and you will want to skip those because these drinks are not going to be of any benefit to your health than the purer varieties of matcha tea.
By now you would have understood the power of matcha tea you'll be able to see why this kind of tea is been considered such a precious commodity for many years. Matcha is mainly a delicious medicine. Whether you brew it, add in your sweets or dessert recipes, or sip it while enjoying a smoothie, your body and your taste buds will certainly be thanking you for it.
Right now, I wanted you to do one thing:
Specifically, I want you to leave a comment describing your opinion after tasting your brand of matcha.
For example:
Next up - The nutritional facts matcha tea powder.Go to the topic
Refer to our other nutrition guides.
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