Matcha: The 1,500 Year Old Secret To Energy, Mental Clarity, and Longevity

Rich in antioxidants and full of overall health benefits, Matcha Green Tea is also delicious and gives your energy levels a boost. Initially grown and taken from shade-grown plants, the tea leaves are prepared to keep the prominent level of beneficial nutrients.

By drinking a cup of this tea every day provides a variety of benefits including an increase in your endurance and energy, a boost to your immune system, enhanced concentration, and a calm demeanor.

What is Matcha Green Tea?

Matcha Green Tea has been popular in Far East cultures for centuries and is now becoming well known as one of the best superfoods around today. Derived from nutrient-rich young leaves from tips of the Camellia sinensis plants, the leaves are steamed and de-vined.

They are then ground into a fine powder and stored out of the way of the light and oxygen. This process preserves the bright green color of the tea and helps it to retain its rich antioxidant properties.

Benefits of Matcha Green Tea

Rich in Antioxidants

Antioxidants are an important part of a healthy diet that is found naturally in raw fruits, raw vegetables, and dark chocolate. These essential enzymes and nutrients that make up antioxidants that fight against UV radiation and other life-threatening conditions.

Matcha Green Tea contains a particular set of compounds that are known as catechins. As far as antioxidants go, the catechins are the most beneficial and the most powerful. One catechin that is particularly strong in this tea is the EGCg, which is known for its cancer-fighting properties.

Aids in Calmness (L-theanine)

Matcha Green Tea has been consumed by Daoist’s and Buddhist monks for centuries as an aid in their meditations, as well as to help them relax. Contained in the leaves that make the Matcha tea is the amino acid L-Theanine. L-Theanine promotes alpha waves in the brain that contributes to bringing about a feeling of tranquility without any drowsiness.

The L-Theanine levels are higher in the Matcha Green Tea than in other types of green tea. Studies have shown that increased levels of L-Theanine in the body allow the individual to stay in a relaxed, calm state, but remain alerted, focused and maintain a higher level of energy.

Enhances Memory and Concentration

L-Theanine isn’t just known for bringing about a feeling of calm; it can also be found as a side-effect in the production of dopamine and serotonin. These two chemicals are mood enhancers, can improve memory retention, and help promote elevated concentration and focus.

One of the causes of dementia-related conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s is the neurodegenerative deterioration of the brain. A key component of this tea, the catechins, have been reported to work in lowering the risk of these conditions.

Increased Energy Levels and Endurance

All green teas on the market naturally contain some amount of caffeine. Matcha Green Tea can provide a boost of energy due to its unique combination of nutrients. Again, thanks to the L-Theanine presence, a bowl of this green tea can provide an energy boost of up to 6 hours without any of the common energy-boosting side effects like hypertension and nervousness.

Helps Fortify the Immune System

One bowl of Matcha Green Tea has enough quantities of essential vitamins and minerals that include calcium, protein, potassium, iron and vitamins A and C that the body needs to keep your immune system strong and healthy.

This tea can help better control allergic reactions, and the catechins and L-Theanine are present to have an anti-viral effect on the flu virus. Supplements containing matcha green tea catechins are effective against some viral infections.

Detoxifies the Body

Part of the process of maintaining overall health and wellness is to detoxify your body of a variety of environment and everyday toxins. Because of the course of making the powered tea, the leaves retain elevated levels of chlorophyll.

These higher levels of chlorophyll not only give the powder its bright green color, but it helps make it a powerful detoxifier. As it passes through your system, it naturally removes chemical toxins and any extra heavy metals from the body.

Delicious and Healthy

At times, the idea of drinking something healthy may not be a pleasurable idea because of the poor taste it tends to leave. With Matcha Green Tea, that’s not the case. Using this tea, you can reap the many incredible benefits, and still enjoy a delicious tasting drink.

No need to add honey, milk, sugar or lemon, Matcha Green Tea is delicious on its own and offers a wide variety of other health benefits. Some of these include building a stronger bone structure, maintains a healthy liver, helps fight aging, prevents tooth decay and aids in weight loss management.

Is Matcha Green Tea Different from Other Green Teas?

Matcha Green Tea works differently from other green teas, even though they are both derived from the same type of plant. Their differences start with the pre-harvest period. The Matcha tea bushes are covered for the last 30 days before the harvest to keep them out of the light.

Keeping the leaves in the shade elevates the chlorophyll levels. This process allows for the production of the vital amino acid, L-Theanine. Once the leaves are harvested, they went through a process of being deveined and destemmed before being grounded by stone into a fine powder.

When you consume Matcha Green Tea, you are only consuming the ground leaves and water it’s blended with, resulting in a higher rate of antioxidants and caffeine.

What are the Side Effects of Matcha Green Tea?

The recommended amount of Matcha Green Tea is two cups a day. Of course, everyone is different, but it not recommended to drink any more than two cups a day. Also, because everyone is affected in a variety of ways, the accompanying side effects will vary depending on your personal threshold for added antioxidants.

Some studies have shown that drinking more than six cups of green tea every day for months could result in liver toxicity. Other noted possible side effects include nausea and diarrhea.

How do I Take Matcha Green Tea?

There are a few different ways to prepare Matcha Green Tea. Two of the more common forms include Usucha and Koicha. The Usucha, or thin tea method, calls for half a teaspoon of the tea mixed with three-to-four ounces of hot water. The Koicha, or thick tea method, is more complicated but also more potent. To prepare tea with this approach, add hot water to the bowl and whisk the tea with a bamboo whisk until it is smooth with froth on top.