Green tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world.
One variety of green tea, matcha, is claimed to be even healthier than the other types.
It is grown and prepared differently than other green teas, and the whole tea leaf is consumed.
But does matcha really live up to the hype?
This article takes a detailed look at matcha green tea and its health effects.
What is Matcha?
Matcha and regular green tea both come from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is native to China.
However, matcha is grown differently than regular green tea. The tea bushes are covered for about 20–30 days before harvest, to prevent direct sunlight.
The shade stimulates an increase in chlorophyll levels, which turns the leaves into a darker shade of green and increases the production of amino acids.
After harvesting, the stems and veins are removed from the leaves. They are then stone-ground into a fine, bright green powder, known as matcha.
Because the whole leaf powder is ingested, instead of just water infused through the tea leaves, matcha is even higher in some substances than green tea. This includes caffeine and antioxidants.
One cup of matcha, made from half a teaspoon of powder, generally contains about 35 mg of caffeine. This is slightly more than a cup of regular green tea.
Matcha can have a grassy and bitter taste, and is often served with a sweetener ormilk. Matcha powder is also popular in smoothies and baking.
Bottom Line: Matcha is a type of powdered, high-quality green tea. It is grown and prepared differently than regular green tea, and has higher amounts of caffeine and antioxidants.
How Is Matcha Tea Prepared?
Matcha tea is prepared differently than regular green tea. Regular tea is made from soaked leaves, while matcha is made from ground, whole leaves.
It is usually prepared the traditional Japanese way. The tea is measured with a bamboo spoon, called a shashaku, into a heated tea bowl, known as a chawan.
Hot water (about 70°C) is then added to the bowl. The tea is whisked with a special bamboo whisk, called a chasen, until it becomes smooth with froth on top.
Matcha can be prepared in several consistencies:
- Standard: Most people mix 1 teaspoon of matcha powder with 2 ounces of hot water.
- Usucha (thin): This thinner version uses about half a teaspoon of matcha, mixed with about 3–4 ounces of hot water.
- Koicha (thick): This thick version is sometimes part of Japanese tea ceremonies. 2 teaspoons of matcha are mixed with about 1 ounce of hot water. There is no foam, and a higher grade of matcha is required.
Watch this video to see a quick 1-minute demonstration of how to make matcha:
If you want to try this out, then you can buy both matcha powder and the bamboo tools for making it on Amazon.
However, keep in mind that you don’t actually need all this fancy stuff to make a good cup of matcha. A cup, teaspoon and small whisk will do just fine.
Bottom Line: To prepare matcha tea, mix 1 tsp of powder with hot (not boiling) water. Use a whisk to make a smooth drink with froth on top.
Health Benefits of Matcha
Since matcha is simply a variety of green tea, it has most of the same health benefits.
However, since matcha is more concentrated in antioxidants, a single cup of matcha may be equivalent to about 3 cups of regular green tea.
There haven’t been many human studies on matcha specifically, but animal studies suggest that it may reduce the risk of kidney and liver damage while lowering blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol levels (6).
Matcha also seems to be more effective than regular green tea at fighting bacteria, viruses and fungi (7).
Here are the main health benefits associated with drinking matcha green tea.
Matcha is Packed with Antioxidants
Dietary antioxidants prevent free radicals from forming in your body, which protects cells and tissues from damage.
Matcha is very high in antioxidants, especially catechins. The most powerful catechin in it is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
EGCG has been studied extensively. It may fight inflammation in the body, help maintain healthy arteries, promote cell repair and more (8).
What’s more, whole-leaf teas contain more antioxidants than tea bags or ready-to-drink products (9).
One study found that matcha contains up to 137 times more antioxidants than a low-grade variety of green tea, and up to 3 times more antioxidants than other high-quality teas (10).
[Read More...]Bottom Line: Matcha contains about 3 times more antioxidants than other types of high-quality green tea.
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