Within the last few years, matcha became a popular beverage that you will see at most coffee shops around the country. Matcha is known for its wellness properties—which means it is time to get acquainted with precisely what matcha powder is and the advantages of drinking it.
Matcha is actually a high concentration powder made from green tea leaves. Here are some benefits of consuming matcha on a daily basis.
Antioxidants
Matcha contains an antioxidant called catechin, as well as another group called polyphenols. Matcha offers a large dose of these powerful antioxidants, which help reduce cell damage and prevent chronic disease.
More Energy
With 3 times the amount of caffeine than most teas, Matcha powder has a little less than a cup of coffee with no jitters.
Takes away the Brain Fog
According to a study done in 2017 published in Food Research International, people who drank matcha tea regularly had an increase in attention and faster thought processing due to L-theanine.
Cancer Fighting
Green tea has been studied for years and found the antioxidant EGCG aides in cancer prevention by killing cells.
Lower Cholesterol Levels
Studies found drinking Matcha tea can result in a large reduction in bad cholesterol, “LDL” This type of cholesterol leads to an increase in fatty acids in the arteries which may lead to heart attack or stroke.
Bone Strength
Bone strength is important to your fitness and mobility. Matcha tea may lower your risk of developing osteoporosis by increasing bone mineral density.
It can be more satisfying than a cup of coffee or brewed tea.
Matcha powder has a strong, earthy taste, so it’s most often whisked and served with milk or a non-dairy alternative, like almond or oat milk. Because of this, the drink tends to be as satiating as your average espresso-based latte. But note that “some coffee shops and restaurants might use a mix that has sugar and/or powdered milk to balance out the earthy flavor, which makes it less healthy than straight-up matcha powder,” says Gorham. Ask your barista if they use actual matcha powder or a pre-made mix, and if the latter, what’s in it. “Non-dairy milks might be sweetened too, so just be conscious of how much sugar you’re consuming, as that can overpower its benefits,” Gorham adds.
It works really well as a natural food dye.
There’s some research suggesting that artificial food dyes may be carcinogenic (linked to cancer) or cause “hypersensitivity reactions.” Which is why when there’s an opportunity to color food using natural sources, you should take advantage.
Quality matcha powder is grown in the shade versus instead of under the sun in order to force the leaves to overproduce chlorophyll.
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