Matcha is one of the hottest growing trends among health-oriented people. You can see it in so many different types of drinks, snacks, baked goods, and other delicious food products. Matcha is a special type of green tea that is made by grinding young tea leaves into a colorful and light green powder. Matcha drinks and foods not only look great, but they can also have some really positive effects on your health. Similar to other types of green tea, but matcha also contains many useful antioxidants, including the highly beneficial catechin.
Catechin (also known as “epigallocatechin gallate” or “EGCG”) is believed to have numerous health benefits, including anti-cancer properties and improved protection from disease. With some people still skeptical about the advantages of matcha, it is important to know exactly how it can help you.
Here are three surprising benefits of matcha tea that you might not know much about.
Matcha Contains More Caffeine than Regular Green Tea
Regular brewed green tea and matcha tea both contain less caffeine than black tea or coffee. However, matcha has significantly more caffeine than regular brewed green tea due to how it is made. For example, a regular cup of brewed green tea is typically brewed in hot water then removed while a cup of matcha tea involves grinding tea leaves and mixing them with hot water. By taking out the leaves after brewing, regularly brewed green tea has less caffeine than matcha tea. The most economical way to purchase matcha is from a wholesale supplier as then you can buy it in bulk very cheaply. This will enable you to brew matcha tea every morning instead of your morning coffee.
In contrast to coffee, matcha’s caffeine rush is not bad for your health. Matcha doesn’t cause your insulin levels or your adrenaline glucose to rise and does not promote the release of cortisol (the chemical which causes stress and anxiety). Matcha is an amazing source of sustainable energy to your body as matcha green tea can steadily release streams of energy through your veins to help you focus and concentrate better on your daily tasks, in contrast to the rush of caffeine that comes with coffee.
Matcha Can Help Fight Against Some Cancers
Matcha green tea as a natural and popular product is currently used in the food and as a dietary supplement, and both have positive health benefits and anti-cancer properties. Matcha green tea is filled with many antioxidants that can be used to prevent diseases. Due to research that was carried out in the U.K., some scientists are starting to believe that the high levels of antioxidants in matcha green tea can combat cancer stem cells. Specifically, the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (also known as “ORAC”) value in matcha green tea is 1348 units per gram. To put that number into perspective, matcha green tea has an antioxidant value 13 times higher than pomegranates and 15 times higher than blueberries.
These remarkable levels of antioxidants can actually prevent cells from being damaged by free radicals. This means that matcha green tea can protect us from many types of cancers, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon, and rectal cancer.
Matcha Can Help People With Weight Loss
If you are looking for a new way to effectively manage your weight, matcha may be the perfect solution. According to a 2005 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers have found a strong link between weight management progress and the antioxidant EGCG in matcha green tea. Participants in the study, who consumed green tea that contained high levels of catechin, showed significantly lower percentages of body fat mass, body weight, and BMI when compared to participants on the same diet and exercise program who did not consume green tea. It is known that matcha contains even higher levels of antioxidants than regular brewed green tea due to the fact that every part of the green tea leaf is ground during the matcha making progress. Therefore, consider using matcha if you are currently trying to lose weight.
As can be seen, matcha green tea can provide many health benefits, including increased cancer-fighting abilities, weight control, and many others. Matcha can be added into various types of food, as well as being brewed as a tea. However, it is important to be mindful of what types of food or drink you add matcha to as a matcha cake or dessert may not provide the same benefits as a cup of tea. It is really important that you consume matcha in the right way because otherwise, you may end up negating the health benefits with a sugary matcha cake or ice cream.