What is Matcha?
With the growing popularity of the east taking over the world, Matcha tea is something people seem to be enjoying a lot in recent times. The bright green tea powder is brimming with anti-oxidants and here is why you should consider including it in your diet.
Matcha is a type of green tea made by grinding young tea leaves into a bright green powder. After that, the powder is whisked with hot water. This differs from regular green tea, in which the leaves are infused in water before being removed. Matcha leaves are grown on shady green tea bushes. The amount of chlorophyll in the leaves rises in the darkness, which is what makes them bright green and nutrient-dense. The stems and veins are removed from the leaves, which are then hand-picked for grinding.
What makes matcha so great?
Catechins are a type of antioxidant found in matcha and other green teas. Matcha contains a catechin called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is thought to have anti-cancer properties. Green tea has been linked to several health benefits, including the prevention of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, as well as weight loss. It's worth noting, though, that much of this information isn't based on clinical trials that indicate green tea has healing properties.
It is a distinct tea variety with unique properties. Its infusions and extracts may have potential applications in the prevention of lifestyle diseases caused by free radicals and inflammation, as well as in the prevention of premature aging processes. Because of its powdered form, matcha tea is an easy-to-use food additive.
Matcha also aids to calm your mind, which in turn helps you focus better. Matcha is high in L-Theanine, a rare amino acid that helps to enhance relaxation and well-being by influencing brain function. While stress can cause beta waves, which are excited and agitated, L-Theanine causes alpha waves, which are calm and alert. While L-Theanine is found in all types of tea, matcha has up to five times the amount of this amino acid as regular black and green teas.
As a bonus, L-Theanine may aid memory, learning, and ability while also reducing the negative effects of caffeine, a natural component of green tea. As a result, a bowl of matcha increases attention and mental clarity without the anxious nervous energy associated with coffee.
Matcha, which is practically calorie-free, is an excellent complement to a weight-loss regimen since it addresses both sides of the problem. It speeds up your metabolism and helps you lose weight. Matcha may even help you burn calories four times faster, according to a new study. Matcha, on the other hand, does not exert any strain on the body. It doesn't impact blood pressure or heart rate, making it a safe alternative to potentially hazardous quick cures or medicines.
Thermogenesis (the body's rate of burning calories) can be increased from a usual 8% -10% of daily energy expenditure to between 35% and 43% of daily energy expenditure by drinking matcha green tea, a recent study showed.
How is Matcha made?
Matcha powder is usually mixed with hot water into a frothy drink meant to be sipped as a traditional Japanese drink. It's also common to combine it with steamed milk for an everyday matcha latte, which may be enjoyed like a cup of coffee in the morning.
The end product is a rich earthy tea with grassy vegetal aromas, sweet nuttiness, and nice bitter undertones. The flavor is more vegetal in its purest ceremonial form, whisked up with hot water, but it can be dressed up with honey and milk for a sweeter morning drink.
In conclusion, Matcha, a Japanese powdered green tea, contains a high concentration of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. It has promising potential health benefits, owing to its high catechin concentration. It may help the body's efforts to maintain health and prevent disease if consumed on a regular basis. Research into the effects of matcha consumption and its individual components in specific disease entities is still valid and required. The current state of knowledge only covers a subset of this tea's health-promoting properties. To validate the validity of implementing recommendations for increased consumption of tea beverages made from matcha, deeper and broader analyses of its effects on the human body will be required.
