The Delicious Health Benefits of Matcha

I've partnered with Matcha Kari, founded by Dr. Andrew Weil and André Fasciola, to share some of the delectable health benefits of drinking matcha.

On your path seeking better health, energy, and vitality, you have likely come across someone holding a frothy, vibrant, jade green drink and encouraging you to partake in the benefits of matcha. It's becoming a popular choice among nutrition practitioners, and for good reason! Research shows that drinking one cup of matcha is nutritionally equivalent to ten cups of green tea.[1] Once you become aware of the many health benefits, you may be inspired to explore how delicious matcha can be.

What is matcha?

Matcha is a preparation of green tea that involves grinding up the entire leaf into a powder and dissolving it in hot water. While green tea originated in China in the 7th to 10th century, an 11th-century Zen priest, Eisai, is credited for developing matcha in Japan.[2] It has since become Japan's most treasured green tea - the only tea used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, Sadō, meaning, "the way of tea", popularized within the Samurai society and royalty. Zen monks further developed this matcha ceremony in the 15th century on four guiding principles: harmony, purity, tranquility, and respect.

How is traditional matcha grown to enhance nutrients?

Matcha is grown in Japan during the springtime using traditional farming methods. Due to the limited quantity of matcha produced, with only one percent of Japan's matcha exported, the price of matcha reflects its availability and careful harvesting methods.

During the last few weeks of spring, green tea plants, known as Camellia Sinensis, are covered with bamboo and rice mats, decreasing the plants' exposure to sunlight. This process increases the amino acid, L-theanine, and chlorophyll content to produce matcha powder's vibrant spring green color. The outermost young tea leaves are picked by hand for the best quality matcha, full of concentrated nutrients. Within 24 hours of harvest, the tea leaves are lightly steamed with filtered water to prevent fermentation and protect the antioxidants from oxidation. They are dried gently to ensure the nutrients remain intact and de-veined and de-stemmed to produce Tencha tea leaves, the precursor to matcha. They are then ground between two stones producing ceremonial matcha, a vibrant green powder overflowing with nutrients.

What are the health benefits of matcha?

1. Calm, Focused Energy & Mental Clarity

Zen monks celebrated matcha for its ability to induce calm, focus, and clarity during meditation. This is in part due to matcha's L-theanine content. While matcha contains about half the caffeine of espresso at about 25-35mg per ½ teaspoon, the amino acid, L-theanine, slows the release of caffeine and has a relaxing mood effect. The net result is to provide a longer-lasting boost in energy and focus without the typical jitters, anxiety, and crashes that coffee can provide. Cortisol spikes common with coffee intake are significantly reduced with matcha, supporting adrenal health.[3] L-theanine and arginine in matcha also have a stress-reducing effect. Daily consumption of green tea has been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive decline by more than 74%.[4] It is a beautiful way to create a mindful morning ritual.

2. Antioxidant Superstar

Perhaps matcha is most nutritionally famous for its' incredibly high antioxidant content. Matcha has 1384mg of antioxidants compared to green tea's 10mg – that's 138x the antioxidants of green tea! Matcha is the highest-rated food on the ORAC scale of antioxidants – just one cup of matcha provides five times the antioxidants as any other food. Matcha's primary antioxidant is EGCG, epigallocatechin gallate, a phenolic with greater capacity for scavenging free radicals than vitamin C and an ability to increase the detoxification activity of glutathione, your body's master antioxidant.[5]

Why do we need antioxidants for cellular health?

Antioxidants are critical for cellular vitality. They protect cells from free radicals in the body, linked to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, aging, and degenerative diseases. Free radicals, or pro-oxidants, come from environmental sources such as air pollution, cigarette smoke, food sources such as trans-fats and sugar, and normal oxygen requiring reactions in the body, infections, and stress. Free radicals cause damage by stealing electrons from DNA, proteins, carbohydrates, or unsaturated fatty acids. It harms the structure, function, and replication of healthy molecules.

Antioxidants can protect cells from damage by donating an electron to oxidized cells, neutralizing reactive molecules, and reducing oxidative damage. Consuming natural antioxidants from a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet helps prevent the effects of these free radicals by reducing oxidative stress. Vitamins C, E, A, and minerals are dietary antioxidants, along with the powerhouse antioxidants found in matcha!

3. Improves Metabolic Health & Weight Loss

Matcha can support healthy weight loss and improved metabolic health. Research on matcha demonstrates that insulin spikes are lower with consumption and insulin sensitivity is increased, reducing insulin resistance and improving blood sugar regulation. Matcha can also enhance metabolism and fat burning thanks to its high catechin content, helping weight loss. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that green tea extract, rich in catechins, increased thermogenesis (the rate at which the body burns calories) in brown adipose tissue from 8-10% of daily expenditure to 35-43%![6] Exercising immediately after enjoying a cup of matcha increased fat burning during exercise by 25%. What a delicious lifestyle hack!

4. Detoxification

Matcha is an excellent source of chlorophyll, with five times the amount of chlorophyll in green tea. Chlorophyll helps prevent the absorption of toxins in the colon wall and flushes them out of the body. It naturally removes heavy metals and harmful chemicals, such as pesticides and pollutants. Nutrients in green tea also support phase II liver detoxification, particularly glucuronidation and glutathione conjugation, where the liver transforms toxins into a non-toxic, water-soluble form and prepares them for excretion.[7] The bottom line is that matcha is an excellent nutritional addition to a healthy lifestyle.

5. Cardiovascular Health

The catechins in matcha, such as EGCG, help naturally lower cholesterol levels.[8]

Matcha also contains a potent flavonoid, rutin, that helps seal blood vessels and has anti-inflammatory effects. Rutin works synergistically with vitamin C in matcha to support the immune system by slowing the rate of oxidation of vitamin C.[9] Together, these antioxidants may help prevent atherosclerosis and increase the elasticity of arteries.

6. Immune Support

Matcha contains several nutrient superstars, including catechins, phenolic acids, rutin, quercetin, Vitamins A & C, potassium, calcium, chlorophyll, and theanine. These nutrients act together to bring balance to the immune system. In addition, ECGC catechins in matcha have proven effective at fighting various bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Research shows that ECGC binds to lipid cell membranes, inhibiting the growth of pathogens. Tea polyphenols have also been shown to inhibit tumor cell development and induce apoptosis (cancer cell death) in laboratory studies.[10]

A Word About Iron

Green tea can inhibit iron absorption, so if anemic or taking iron supplements, it is important to avoid consuming green tea with iron-containing foods or supplements.

Which health conditions may be benefited from consuming matcha?

Green teas are used in Integrative Medicine to support the body's nutritional balance with health issues including acne, Alzheimer's, breast cancer, colitis, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, prostate cancer, rosacea, fibroids, to support weight loss, detoxification, and more.[11] This is for informational purposes only. As always, speak with your doctor to discuss any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment before undertaking a new health care regimen.

How do I prepare matcha to maximize its benefits – and taste?

The antioxidants in matcha are extracted at their highest potential in a water temperature of 90C or 194F, just under boiling temperature for less than ten minutes.[12]

Traditionally, matcha is made by sifting matcha powder into a tea bowl, adding hot water, and whisking with a hand-carved bamboo tea whisk, a chasen. There are many ways to enjoy matcha – let creativity be your guide.

Are you ready to explore the delicious health benefits of matcha for yourself?

This Mocha Matcha Latte is one of my favorite healthy indulgences!

Wishing you peace and good health, always!

xx Laura

[1] CR;, W. D. J. A. (n.d.). Determination of catechins in matcha green tea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Journal of chromatography. A. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14518774/

[2] Snyder, M, Clum, L, and Zulaica, A. (2015). The Matcha Miracle: Boost Energy, Focus and Health with Green Tea Powder. Ulysses Press.

[3] Snyder, M, Clum, L, and Zulaica, A. (2015). The Matcha Miracle: Boost Energy, Focus and Health with Green Tea Powder. Ulysses Press.

[4] Crinnion, W. & Pizzorno, J. (2019). Clinical Environmental Medicine. Elsevier, Inc.

[5] Kochman, J., Jakubczyk, K., Antoniewicz, J., Mruk, H., & Janda, K. (2020). Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010085

[6] The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 70, Issue 6, December 1999, Pages 1040–1045, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/70.6.1040

[7] Crinnion, W. & Pizzorno, J. (2019). Clinical Environmental Medicine. Elsevier, Inc.

[8] Kochman, J., Jakubczyk, K., Antoniewicz, J., Mruk, H., & Janda, K. (2020). Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(1), 85.

[9] Jakubczyk, K., Kochman, J., Kwiatkowska, A., Kałduńska, J., Dec, K., Kawczuga, D., & Janda, K. (2020). Antioxidant Properties and Nutritional Composition of Matcha Green Tea. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 9(4), 483. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9040483

[10] Snyder, M, Clum, L, and Zulaica, A. (2015). The Matcha Miracle: Boost Energy, Focus and Health with Green Tea Powder. Ulysses Press.

[11] Rakel, D. (2017). Integrative medicine, 4th ed. New York: Saunders.

[12] Jakubczyk, K., Kochman, J., Kwiatkowska, A., Kałduńska, J., Dec, K., Kawczuga, D., & Janda, K. (2020). Antioxidant Properties and Nutritional Composition of Matcha Green Tea. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 9(4), 483. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9040483