Matcha Vs Green Tea

Matcha is a concentrated form of green tea.

The leaves are ground into a powder, allowing you to ingest the entire leaf, which may provide more health benefits than regular tea. However, drink it in moderation.

Green tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world.

It offers various potential health benefits, such as improved heart health and reduced skin damage from the sun.

Matcha, a particular variety of green tea, is marketed as even healthier than other types.

It is grown and prepared differently than other green teas. What’s more, the whole tea leaf is consumed.

Matcha and regular green tea both come from the Camellia sinensis plant.

However, matcha is grown differently than regular green tea. The tea bushes are shielded from sunlight for a month before harvest.

The shade triggers an increase in chlorophyll levels, which turns the leaves 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, matcha contains more of some substances, such as caffeine and antioxidants than green tea.

One typical 80 to 100 ml serving of standard matcha, made from half to one teaspoon of powder, generally packs about 70 mg of caffeine.

This is significantly higher than a cup of regular green tea, which provides 35 mg of caffeine.

Caffeine content also varies based on how much powder you add.

Matcha, which can have a grassy and bitter taste, is often served with a sweetener or milk. Matcha powder is also popular in smoothies and baking.

Matcha is a type of powdered, high quality green tea. Grown and prepared differently than regular green tea, it has higher amounts of caffeine and antioxidants.

How is it prepared?

While regular tea is made from soaked leaves, matcha is made from ground whole leaves.

It’s usually prepared in the traditional Japanese way. The tea is measured with a bamboo spoon, or 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 60 mL of hot water.

Usucha (thin). This thinner version uses about half teaspoon of matcha mixed with three to four ounces 100 mL of hot water.

Koicha (thick). Sometimes used in Japanese tea ceremonies, this thick version uses 2 teaspoons of matcha per 30 mL of hot water.

To prepare matcha tea, mix 1 teaspoon of powder with 60 mL of hot but 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, because matcha is more concentrated in antioxidants, a single cup may be equivalent to about 3 cups of regular green tea.

It may reduce the risk of kidney and liver damage while lowering blood sugar, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels.

Here are the main health benefits associated with drinking matcha green tea.

Packed with antioxidants.

Dietary antioxidants counteract free radicals in your body, protecting cells and tissues from damage.

Matcha is very high in antioxidants, especially catechins. Its most powerful catechin is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

EGCG has been studied extensively in animals. It may reduce inflammation in your body, help maintain healthy arteries, and promote cell repair.

What’s more, whole leaf teas contain more antioxidants than tea bags or ready-to-drink products.

Matcha contains up to 10 times more antioxidants than regular green tea.

The proportion of beneficial compounds in matcha tea has also been shown to increase in tea collected during the second and third harvest (Daily Matcha) as opposed to the first and second harvest (Traditional Matcha).

May reduce your risk of heart disease.

Heart disease is the biggest cause of death worldwide. Many factors are known to increase heart disease risk.

Drinking green tea may help improve several of these risk factors, including total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood sugar levels.

Who drink green tea have up to a 31% lower risk of heart disease than those who don’t.

This is mainly attributed to the antioxidants and plant compounds in green tea, which are found in even higher amounts in matcha.

May aid weight loss. Green tea has often been associated with weight loss. In fact, it’s a common ingredient in weight loss supplements.

Green tea increases your total calories burned by boosting your metabolic rate, though the evidence has not been consistent.

May boost relaxation and alertness. In addition to being a great source of antioxidants, green tea contains a unique amino acid called L-theanine.

In fact, matcha boasts much higher levels of L-theanine than other types of green tea.

L-theanine may increase alpha waves in your brain. These waves are linked to mental relaxation and may help counteract stress signals.

L-theanine also modifies the effects of caffeine in your body, increasing alertness without causing the drowsiness that often follows coffee consumption.

Thus, matcha tea may provide a milder and longer lasting buzz than coffee.

L-theanine can also increase the number of feel-good chemicals in your brain, leading to improved mood, memory, and concentration.

L-theanine has also been shown to increase glutathione, an antioxidant that counteracts free radicals and protects neurons and other cells.

Powdered green tea may improve brain function and reduce age-related mental decline in older adults.

Matcha is loaded with antioxidants and offers numerous health benefits, potentially reducing heart disease risk while aiding weight loss, relaxation, and alertness.

Safety and side effects. Some side effects and risks are associated with matcha consumption.

Because matcha is highly concentrated with both beneficial and harmful substances, drinking more than 2 cups per day is generally not recommended.

Contaminants. By consuming matcha powder, you are really ingesting the whole tea leaf along with everything it contains.

Matcha leaves may harbour contaminants including heavy metals, pesticides, and fluoride from the soil in which the plant grows.

Using organic matcha may reduce your risk of exposure to pesticides, but even organic leaves may still contain substances from the soil that are harmful when ingested in large amounts.

Liver and kidney toxicity. Matcha contains about three times more antioxidants than high quality regular green tea.

As such, 2 cups of matcha may provide the same amounts of plant compounds as 20 cups of other green teas.

While individual tolerance varies, consuming high levels of the plant compounds found in matcha may cause nausea and symptoms of liver or kidney toxicity.

Though some studies show symptoms of toxicity, others demonstrate potential protective effects. Some research also suggests that EGCG from green tea might protect against kidney toxicity.

It is not recommended to drink more than 2 cups of matcha per day. Matcha packs extremely large amounts of many plant compounds and may harbour contaminants from the soil or environment.

Matcha is healthier than regular green tea. Matcha is a special, powerful form of green tea. It comes from the same plant but is grown and prepared very differently.

Since the leaves are ground into powder, you end up consuming the whole leaf.

For this reason, matcha may have even more benefits than regular green tea. Just make sure not to consume more than one to two cups per day.

This Blog is a summarise version of details as available in digital formats.