How Healthy is Matcha Compared to Green Tea?

Green tea is a renowned tea. Numerous possible health advantages exist, such as enhanced heart health and less solar damage to the skin.

Matcha, a green tea, is promoted as even more healthy than other varieties. This green tea is cultivated and processed differently from other green teas. The whole tea leaf is also eaten.

You may ask if matcha lives up to its reputation. This article addresses whether matcha is healthier than other green tea kinds.

What is Matcha Tea?

The plant Camellia sinensis, native to China, is used to produce matcha and regular green tea. Despite this, matcha tea is cultivated differently than traditional green tea. The tea plants are shielded from direct sunlight twenty to thirty days before harvest.

Because the whole leaf powder is ingested, matcha contains more compounds, including caffeine and antioxidants, than green tea. An average serving of 2-3 ounces of regular matcha, produced using 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of powder, has around 70 mg of caffeine.

This is much higher than a standard cup (237 mL) of green tea with 35 mg of caffeine.

The caffeine amount varies depending on how much powder is used. Grassy and abrasive-tasting matcha is often taken with milk or a sweetener. Popular uses for matcha powder include smoothies and baking.

Health advantages of matcha

As a kind of green tea, matcha has many of the same health advantages.

Due to matcha’s higher antioxidant content, one cup (237 mL) may be comparable to three cups (711 mL) of traditional green tea.

A previous animal study indicated that matcha might improve blood sugar, lipid, and cholesterol levels while decreasing humans’ risk of renal and liver damage.

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Rich in antioxidants

Antioxidants in food combat free radicals in the body to prevent cell and tissue degeneration. Particularly abundant in the antioxidant content of matcha are catechins. The most potent catechin in this plant is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Several EGCG-related studies have involved animals. It may help maintain healthy arteries, decrease inflammation in the body, and stimulate cell repair. Furthermore, whole-leaf teas contain more antioxidants than tea bags or ready-to-drink goods.

According to one research, matcha has up to ten times as many antioxidants as traditional green tea. It has also been shown that Matcha tea from the second and third harvests (Daily Matcha) has more beneficial components than tea from the first and second harvests.

May decrease the probability of developing heart disease

Several variables are known to influence the likelihood of acquiring cardiovascular disease. Green tea may improve total cholesterol levels, LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar.

According to studies, green tea users had a 31% decreased chance of developing heart disease. This is primarily due to the antioxidants and plant compounds found in green tea in much more significant quantities in matcha.

May facilitate weight loss

Frequently, green tea and weight reduction go hand in together. It is an element often found in weight loss medications. However, remember that green tea is just a minor portion of the weight reduction jigsaw, and not all research confirms its effectiveness.

Studies on humans indicate that drinking green tea raises your metabolic rate, increasing the overall number of calories you burn. However, the data is inconsistent. 

May enhance concentration and serenity

Green tea is rich in antioxidants and includes L-theanine, a rare amino acid. Matcha has much more L-theanine than other varieties of green tea. L-theanine may boost the brain’s alpha waves. These waves are associated with mental tranquility and may assist in disguising the symptoms of stress.

L-theanine modifies the effects of caffeine in the body, promoting alertness without the drowsiness that often accompanies coffee use. Therefore, matcha tea may provide a less intense and longer-lasting high than coffee. L-theanine may enhance mood, memory, and focus by increasing the number of feel-good molecules in the brain.

Matcha is more nutritious than conventional green tea.

Matcha is a unique and potent green tea kind. Both are produced from the same plant but farmed and processed differently.

Because the leaves are ground and digested in this way, the whole leaf is consumed. Therefore, matcha may give even more health advantages than traditional green tea.