It’s an anti-aging, antioxidant powerhouse. There are exponentially more antioxidants in matcha than other “superfoods”
It can help with weight loss
It can improve your concentration and energy
It’s a powerful detoxifier
It prevents heart disease
It protects the liver
It boosts brain function
It helps prevent cancer
It’s an anti-aging, antioxidant powerhouse. There are exponentially more antioxidants in matcha than other “superfoods.”
It has 6 times more antioxidants than goji berries, 17 times more antioxidants than blueberries and 60 times more antioxidants than spinach. Antioxidants are chemical compounds that help to prevent aging, chronic disease and infection – and in this regard, matcha is unsurpassed. Matcha also contains vitamin C, selenium, chromium, magnesium, and zinc.
It can help with weight loss
Studies have found that the concentration of ECGC (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) in matcha is 137 times greater than that in a standard cup of green tea. Why is this important? Research has shown that ECGC in high doses may help elevate metabolic functioning and helps control appetite by increasing cholecystokinin (CCK) levels.
It can improve your concentration and energy
Many drink coffee for the jolt of caffeine. But what if you could have a similar boost without the jitters or post-caffeine drowsiness? Matcha is rich in L-Theanine, an amino acid that promotes a state of relaxation and increased memory, while preventing the nasty side effects of caffeine. A boost in clarity without the jitters or crash? Win win.
It’s a powerful detoxifier
You may know that green foods are natural detoxifiers in the body. This is purportedly due to the chlorophyll levels, which purge the body of harmful elements, chemicals and heavy metals. Because matcha is shade grown and the entire tea leaf is used, it contains significantly more chlorophyll than other green teas. In fact, one cup of matcha contains as many nutrients as ten cups of ordinary green tea.
It prevents heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for an estimated one-third of all deaths in people over the age of 35 (19Trusted Source).
Some studies have shown that drinking green tea, which has a similar nutrient profile to matcha, may help protect against heart disease.
Green tea has been shown to reduce levels of total and “bad” LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides (20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source).
It may also help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, another factor that may protect against heart disease (22Trusted Source).
Observational studies have also shown that drinking green tea is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).
When combined with a well-rounded diet and healthy lifestyle, drinking matcha may help keep your heart healthy and protect against disease.
Protects the liver
The liver is vital to health and plays a central role in flushing out toxins, metabolizing drugs and processing nutrients.
Some studies have found that matcha may help protect the health of your liver.
A study gave 80 people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease either a placebo or 500 mg of green tea extract daily for 90 days.
After 12 weeks, green tea extract significantly reduced liver enzyme levels. Elevated levels of these enzymes are a marker of liver damage (5Trusted Source).
Furthermore, an analysis of 15 studies found that drinking green tea was associated with a decreased risk of liver disease (6Trusted Source).
Boosts Brain Function
Some research shows that several of the components in matcha could help enhance brain function.
One study in 23 people looked at how people performed on a series of tasks designed to measure brain performance. Some participants consumed either matcha tea or a bar containing 4 grams of matcha, while the control group consumed a placebo tea or bar.
The researchers found that matcha caused improvements in attention, reaction time and memory, compared to the placebo (7Trusted Source).
Another small study showed that consuming 2 grams of green tea powder daily for two months helped improve brain function in elderly people (8Trusted Source).
Additionally, matcha contains a more concentrated amount of caffeine than green tea, packing in 35 mg of caffeine per half teaspoon (about 1 gram) of matcha powder.
Multiple studies have linked caffeine consumption to improvements in brain function, citing faster reaction times, increased attention and enhanced memory (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
Matcha also contains a compound called L-theanine, which alters the effects of caffeine, promoting alertness and helping avoid the crash in energy levels that can follow caffeine consumption (12Trusted Source).
L-theanine has also been shown to increase alpha wave activity in the brain, which may help induce relaxation and decrease stress levels (13Trusted Source).
Helps Prevent Cancer
Matcha is jam-packed with health-promoting compounds, including some that have been linked to cancer prevention in test-tube and animal studies.
In one study, green tea extract decreased tumor size and slowed the growth of breast cancer cells in rats (14Trusted Source).
Matcha is especially high in epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a type of catechin that has been shown to have powerful anti-cancer properties.
One test-tube study found that the EGCG in matcha helped kill off prostate cancer cells (15Trusted Source).
Other test-tube studies have shown that EGCG is effective against skin, lung and liver cancer (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
