I drink matcha tea a lot and lets be honest it is predominantly for the health benefits. I am not going to lie and say it is the best tasting drink out there, because let’s face it is not BUT if your looking for a drink that is going to deliver endless health benefits then there is no faulting it’s the drink for you. One serving of matcha tea is the nutritional equivalent of 10 cups of regularly brewed green tea and contains 137 times more antioxidants. MEANING when you drink matcha you ingest 100% of the nutrients in the leaf.
Matcha tea is an easy, simple way to add powerful health benefits to your everyday diet. Want to start drinking more matcha but need some more convincing? Here’s why you should start sipping the metabolism-enhancing, stress-reducing, immune-boosting and cholesterol-lowering matcha tea:
10 REASONS TO LOVE MATCHA
1) B O O S T S M E T A B O L I S M
Your metabolism is not set in stone, many factors can cause our metabolic rate to fluctuate including ageing, muscle mass, hormones and diet. One group of nutrients proven to increase metabolism are polyphenol catechins, known as antioxidants that are found in abundance in matcha.
2) D E T O X I F I E S
Green is truly the colour of health. Matcha teas helps detox the body naturally and effectively of harmful elements. Chlorophyll, that gives green tea and other plants its signature verde colour and is a powerful detoxifer to eliminate chemicals from the body.
3) F I B E R R I C H
There is 314mg of fiber in matcha vs. 10mg of fiber in regular green tea. The benefits of a good amount of fiber in your body include lowering your risk of diabetes, maintaining a healthy weight whilst maintaining bowel health and providing relief for IBS.
4) S T R E S S R E D U C E R
Matcha tea has been used for thousand of years as an aid to meditation practice for monks who would drink it to remain alert yet calm. Matcha is rich in L-Theanine, a rare amino acid that actually promotes a state of relaxation and well-being by acting on the brains functioning. Whilst stress can induce beta-waves, L-Theanine creates alpha waves, which lead to a state of relaxed alertness. Whilst this is common in all tea, matcha may contain up to 5x of this amino acid than common black and green teas.
5) A I D S C O N C E N T R A T I O N
A further benefit of L-Theanine is the ability to help memory and learning whilst inhibiting any possible side-effects from caffeine, a natural component of green tea. A bowl of matcha promotes concentration and clarity of mind without any of the nervous energy that you can get from coffee.
6) O F F E R S C A N C E R P R O T E C T I O N
Matcha tea contains a unique class of anti-oxidant known as catechins, which aren’t found in other foods. Specifically, the catechin EGCG is recognized for its potent cancer-fighting properties. They have been found to offer beneficial protection against some type of cancer growth, including breast cancer. Furthermore EGCG and other catechins counteract the effects of free radicals from pollution, UV rays, radiation, and chemicals, which can lead to cell and DNA damage. A daily matcha can help restore and preserve your body’s wellbeing and balance.
7) L O W E R S C H O L E S T O R O L
Drinking matcha tea has a positive effect on cholesterol, studies show regular drinkers have lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol whilst at the same time displaying higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Matcha is rich in vitamin c, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium. The catechins have been shown to have anti-biotic properties which promote overall health.
8) A N T I - O X I D A N T P O W E R H O U S E
Antioxidants are naturally occurring chemical compounds that prevent ageing and chronic diseases. Studies show matcha possesses 20x more antioxidants than blueberries or pomegranates. Why is this such a big deal? Antioxidants are the body’s defence agents. The more you have, the better equipped your body is to fight against infections and diseases. Making you as healthy as possible.
9) W E I G H T L O S S
Whilst boosting metabolism matcha burns fat whilst containing little calories (not that its all about calories). How does it do this? Catechins work with caffeine to inhibit fat cells from forming in your body. The nutrients in matcha block the ability of your body to break down to fats, which then pass through your body thus being eliminated instead of stored. Recent studies have found matcha may help burn calories by four times whilst not putting any stress on the body. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming matcha green tea can increase thermogenesis (the body’s own rate of burning calories) from the standard 8%-10% of daily energy expenditure, to between 35% - 43% of daily energy expenditure.
10) E N E R G Y B O O S T E R
Looking for that boost of energy, try switching your afternoon coffee for a matcha tea. Many drinkers experience a boost of energy due to the l-theanine that helps the body process caffeine and matcha’s natural properties differently to regular caffeine. Matcha provides a more sustained energy boost lasting 4 – 6 hours giving you more energy to get active. A recent study also reported matcha can even improve physical endurance by 24%.
Lisa x