Diet: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Pescatarian, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Serves: 1
Total Time: 2 minutes

Description

Everything you need to know about matcha!

While turmeric lattes are my all-time favourite, matcha lattes come in as a close second! If you are an avid coffee drinker and need a little caffeine, these are a great alternative with a whole host of benefits!

What is matcha tea?

Matcha tea is a finely ground green powder made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, a shrub typically grown in Japan and consumed in tea ceremonies. It has been used traditionally in the Far East for centuries, so it is crazy to think how this green tea has only become well-known in the West in recent years.

Matcha vs other green tea

Matcha is much more concentrated than regular green tea because it uses the entire green tea leaves. Regular green tea simply packages the leaves in tea bags which are then steeped in water. With green tea you are therefore only drinking the infusion, however when you consume matcha you are consuming the whole ground up leaf and therefore all of its goodness.

Why is matcha so much greener than green tea?

Matcha is shade-grown. Two to three weeks prior to harvest, the plants are covered over to limit their exposure to sunlight. This boosts the plants’ chlorophyll levels, which is what gives matcha its bright green hue.

Aside from producing a desirable emerald green colour, farmers would keep the plants away from sunlight in the last few weeks before harvest because, in doing so, the tea leaves increase their production of L-theanine, which is thought to bring about an umami (savoury flavour) and less astringent taste that can be found in some other green teas (Ku, et al. 2010).

This process of denying the plant sunlight also allows for the green tea to concentrate its nutrients within the leaves.

Health benefits

Anticancer & antioxidant effects – Tea contains catechins which are natural polyphenol antioxidants, and one of the major and most abundant ones within tea is Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is the most effective cancer chemopreventive polyphenol in green tea (Du, GJ, et al. 2012). Matcha vs other green tea – studies show that the concentration of EGCG available from drinking matcha is 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available in other green teas (Weiss, et al. 2003), therefore showing the consumption of matcha to be more beneficial than other teas when it comes to our health.

Maintain cardiovascular & metabolic health – EGCG has also been shown for helping to maintain cardiovascular and metabolic health (Wolfram, 2007). Consuming matcha can also help to keep our blood pressure down as it represses angiotensin, which is what leads to high blood pressure (Chatterjee, et al. 2012).

Promotes periodontal health – it has been suggested that green tea can help with periodontal health as it reduces inflammation, preventing bone resorption and also limits the growth of certain bacteria associated with periodontal diseases (Chatterjee, et al. 2012).

Matcha’s calming affects –Who else gets a little shaky sometimes when they have coffee? With matcha you won’t get this intense side-effect. Matcha contains amino acids, with the most prevalent being L-theanine. L-theanine as well as catechins lessen the effect of its caffeine. When brewed, the caffeine and catechins combine in the water, reducing the caffeine’s activity compared with that of coffee. L-theanine also encourages the production of alpha brain waves, calming the body whilst bringing about a state of relaxed awareness (Chatterjee, et al. 2012).

Skin health – Matcha is shown to help with skin ageing, due to its antioxidant profile which protects the skin from the effects of free radical damage (Chatterjee, et al. 2012).

Studies also suggest that green tea possesses  anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic potential that can work against skin disorders (Katiyar, et al. 2000).

There is also evidence that shows tea polyphenols may be advantageous for skin health, particularly for reducing the production of sebum in the sebaceous glands and for preventing and treating acne vulgaris (Saric, et al. 2017).

Asthma – drinking green tea has been known to help with reducing the severity of asthma, this is because the theophylline in green tea relaxes muscles that support the bronchial tubes (Chatterjee, et al. 2012). Also caffeine within matcha has been shown to improve the function of airways for up to four hours in people with asthma (Bara, et al. 2010).

Parkinson’s disease – The many antioxidants found in green tea assist in preventing cell damage in the brain, and therefore could help prevent Parkinson’s. The progressive, degenerative disorder of the central nervous system known as Parkinson’s disease is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Some researchers have discussed how green tea possesses neuroprotective effects and therefore can help with the prevention of Parkinson’s, as they found that polyphenols within the tea protect dopamine neurons (Chatterjee, et al. 2012).

Why you should avoid using kettle boiled water when making matcha

Kettles generally boil water to 212 degrees Fahrenheit which can destroy some of the nutritional benefits of the matcha. The best temperature of water to use is 175 degrees Fahrenheit.

I’m not expecting you to boil water on a stove with a thermometer every time you fancy a matcha tea (that thought is enough to put anyone off from regularly drinking them). Instead, stop the kettle boiling a little while before it’s fully boiled (take an estimated guess) or mix the boiled water with a little cold water to reach a lower temperature. This way you ensure you are getting the maximum benefits above!

So enjoy your cup of green goodness!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp matcha powder
• 2 medjool dates
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1/2 cup filtered hot water. Ensure the water is not fully boiled as if its too hot it can destroy some of the nutritional benefits of the matcha.
• 1/2 cup almond milk (warm)

Method

1. Place all ingredients in the blender and blend. Pour into a mug and its ready to enjoy.

 

References:

Bara, A. Barley, E and Cates, C. (2010) ‘Caffeine for Asthma’, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 20 (1), NCBI, [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0010864/ (Accessed: 26 May 2018).

Chatterjee, A. Saluja, M. Argarwal, G. et al. (2012), ‘Green tea: A  Boon for Periodontal and General Health’, Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology, 16 (2), pp.161-167, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459493/ (Accessed: 26 May 2018).

Du, GJ. Zhang, Z. Wen, XD. et al. (2012) ‘Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is the Most Effective Cancer Chemopreventive Polyphenol in Green Tea’, Nutrients, 4 (11), pp.1679-91, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23201840 (Accessed: 26 May 2018).

Katiyar, SK. Ahmad, N and Mukhtar, H. (2000), ‘Green tea and skin’, JAMA Dermatology, 136 (8), pp.989-94, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10926734 (Accessed: 26 May 2018).

Ku, KM. Choi, JN. Kim, J. et al. (2010), ‘Metabolomics Analysis Reveals the Compositional Differences of Shade Grown Tea (Camellia Sinensis L.)’, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58 (1), pp.418-26, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19994861 (Accessed: 26 May 2018).

Saric, S. Notay, M and Sivamani, R. (2017). ‘Green Tea and Other Tea Polyphenols: Effects on Sebum Production and Acne Vulgaris’, Antioxidants, 6 (1), p. 2, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5384166/ (Accessed: 26 May 2018).

Weiss, DJ. Anderton, CR. (2003), ‘Determination of Catechins in Matcha Green Tea by Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography’, Journal of Chromatography A, 1011 (1-2), pp.173-80, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14518774 (Accessed: 26 May 2018).

Wolfram, S. (2007), ‘Effects of Green Tea and EGCG on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health’, Journal of American College of Nutrition, 26 (4), pp.372-388, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17906191) (Accessed: 26 May 2018).