Matcha Tea Is Everywhere—but Is It Actually Good For You?
Thinking about jumping on the matcha bandwagon? Here's how it stacks up next to traditional green tea
Unless you’ve taken a break from the Internet for the last year, you’re probably familiar with matcha. The bright green tea has taken Instagram by storm. The trend started in the form of lattes—but people aren't just sipping the stuff anymore. They’re adding matcha to their smoothies and desserts, too.
Matcha is a type of green tea, and the benefits of traditional green tea are already well-documented on their own. So it follows that matcha’s health halo spans from weight loss to cancer prevention. That sounds great, but is it legit?
First, a little background on what matcha actually is. Matcha comes from the same plant that all green, black, and oolong teas come from—Camellia sinensis. But it's a little different from the basic brew you know and love to sip.
“When you order traditional green tea, you’re steeping the tea leaves in hot water until the leaves are totally infused and then you discard them,” explains Cynthia Sass, M.P.H., R.D., an NYC-based sports nutritionist. “With matcha, you’re drinking the actual leaves, which have been finely powdered and made into a solution, traditionally by mixing about a teaspoon of matcha powder with a third cup of hot water.” Because you’re ingesting the entire leaf of the tea plant, you’ll get a more potent mix of nutrients and antioxidants than with traditionally prepared green tea.
Matcha is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, says Sass, which have anti-inflammatory effects and may work to protect your body against serious health issues like high blood pressure and heart disease. One powerful polyphenol found in green tea, called EGCG (also known as catechin), has been associated with boosting your metabolism to slow or halt the growth of cancer cells. According to a study published in the Journal of Chromatography, matcha contains up to 137 times the amount of ECCG found in traditional Chinese green tea.
The 5 Best Foods To Fight Heart Disease:
Another perk: Matcha can help boost your energy, making it a great alternative to your daily cup of joe. While it doesn’t contain nearly as much caffeine as coffee does—one 8-ounce cup of matcha contains about 70 milligrams (mg) while the same amount of coffee has closer to 170 mg—matcha contains a natural substance called l-theanine, which triggers a sense of alertness, says Sass.
“Compared to the caffeine buzz from coffee, matcha drinkers experience an ‘alert calm,’ that produces feelings of relaxation rather than drowsiness,” she explains.
While matcha doesn’t have to be sweetened, those who are accustomed to using sweeteners and creams with their coffee may choose to add flavoring, says Sass.
That said, other foods containing matcha aren't inherently healthy options. Matcha chocolate is just chocolate, and matcha cupcakes probably still pack lots of sugary frosting. For this reason, experts agree that matcha tea itself can be a low-calorie alternative to sugary drinks, but they warn against believing claims that matcha will do more for you than offer a slight nutritional boost.
Claims that matcha has the ability to detox your entire body, for example, are not true. “No food can ‘detox’ your body, nor does your body need anything external to serve as a detox,” explains Abbey Sharp, R.D., founder of Abbey’s Kitchen. “Your liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin do this for us every day, all day.”
Additionally, while research suggests that matcha has the potential to boost your metabolism due to its EGCG, that doesn't really make it a weight-loss solution. The caveat: You'd need to drink a lot of it. “Most studies that show positive associations between matcha and weight loss are actually using a green tea extract in larger doses than what most people consume,” says Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., R.D.N., author and nutrition consultant at Shaw Simple Swaps.
Instead, sustainable weight loss should stem from more significant lifestyle changes, like exercising regularly and eating a whole foods-based diet, she says, which matcha can certainly be a part of. So while its nutritional profile is promising, matcha tea—or any tea, really—isn’t going to transform your health on its own. If you truly want to benefit from it, matcha should serve to supplement a healthy diet full of a variety of nutrient-dense foods.
Want to give it a go yourself? Check out the directions below to find out how to make matcha tea.
How to Prepare Matcha Tea
- Boil 4 oz of water. Whisk 2 teaspoons of organic matcha concentrate (like this one from Taste of Kyoto) with 4 teaspoons of room-temperature water until you form a smooth paste.
- Stir in the hot water. Matcha on its own has a grassy sweetness to it.
7 Health Benefits of Matcha You Should Know About Before Brewing a Cup
It's like green tea's cooler, more sophisticated cousin.
Matcha is everywhere lately, but it's not (quite) the same as green tea. The trendy ingredient undergoes a different farming process and comes in a powder instead of loose leaves, making it more concentrated.
Plain matcha provides plenty of health benefits (more on those below), but steer clear of dietary supplements that claim to contain matcha or "green tea extract." Since the FDA doesn't evaluate these products for safety and efficacy, other ingredients in them can interact with medications you're taking. Even worse: High doses of antioxidant compounds can actually lead to pro-oxidative stress, a state that' s linked to promoting chronic disease instead of fighting it!
Stick to simple matcha and harness these benefits:
1. It'll help you stay awake.
Since matcha is more concentrated than tea, it contains up to three times the amount of caffeine. That's almost as much as a cup of coffee, so look for types that are clearly labeled "caffeine free" if you plan on drinking it before bed. However, the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans does suggest having 300 to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day to slow cognitive decline, boost memory and improve energy. So for those who aren't as sensitive, drink up.
2. It may help boost metabolism…
…but not by much — and not for very long! A few small studies have linked drinking about four cups of caffeinated green tea a day with a higher metabolic rate. Research suggests that both the caffeine and antioxidant compounds called catechins may give you a slight boost. That said, you may not see much of a benefit unless you're guzzling only matcha all day, every day. Plus, genetics play a pretty big role in how effective matcha "works" on your metabolic rate. The only tried-and-true way drinking green tea will boost your metabolism? By helping you wake up and get to the gym.
3. Matcha can help with weight loss.
Here's the deal: If you're regularly drink soda, juice and sugary beverages, making the switch to unsweetened matcha will absolutely help! That's because the number one source of added sugar (and therefore added calories) in the American diet is sugar-sweetened beverages, so opting for a calorie-free alternative is always best. But if you're already sipping on sparkling water, unsweetened coffee and tea and the occasional diet drink, you'll have to do more than switch up your hydration habits to lose weight.
4. It's good for your blood sugar.
As long as you're sipping unsweetened versions, matcha is certainly a smart choice. But be warned: Matcha also appears in sugary juices, frozen yogurt, ice cream, pasta sauces, salad dressings and "tonics" and "elixirs." These can contain loads of added sugar (among other saturated fat-filled ingredients!), leading to blood sugar spikes and subsequent crashes. Always read the ingredients list and check labels for sneaky sweeteners if you're unsure.
5. It can help reduce your risk of cancer.
The antioxidant compounds found in matcha and other plants have certainly gotten attention for their cancer-fighting properties, but chugging matcha by the gallon can't reverse the effects of less healthy eating habits! Adding matcha to a produce-filled diet(one that focuses on veggies, fruit, whole grains, nuts and legumes) will more effectively lower your chances.
6. Matcha may lower your risk of heart disease.
Research shows people who frequently drink unsweetened tea of any kind are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease later in life. As an alternative to sugary beverages, it can also help fight other types of chronic diseases, including obesity, so keep on chugging!
7. It's anti-aging.
Besides boosting your metabolism, catechins scavenge for free radicals in your cells, preventing tissue damage in your skin. But just as no single food can prevent chronic disease, no single food can Benjamin Button your forehead. Practicing safe sun habitsis your best bet for immediate skin protection.
The Bottom Line
Choose unsweetened matcha over sweetened drinks any day of the week. It may have some powerful health benefits that, when combined with a plant-based diet, can help with weight management and reduce risk of chronic disease. But if you don't love the taste, it's certainly not a must. Coffee and other types of teas have similar benefits.
মন্তব্যসমূহ
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন