I bet you have heard about the advantages of Green Tea…right? But have you heard of Matcha Tea?
Matcha is a powdered green tea produced by grinding top quality green tea leaves with a stone mill. It is harvested differently than regular tea, which produces a healthier higher quality leaf. Its origins are part of Japanese tea ceremonies.
Benefits of Matcha
Matcha has been researched in recent years and has shown to have powerful benefits on fat loss, recovery, as well as lipid, antioxidant, and glucose levels.
- Cholesterol: In a study, mice were fed different diets for 4 weeks: a normal diet control (NC), a high-fat diet (HF), a high-fat diet with 0.025% Matcha (MLD), a high-fat diet with 0.050% Matcha (MMD), and a high-fat diet with 0.075% Matcha (MHD). It was found that the serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels of the mice on the high-fat diet with the highest matcha levels decreased significantly compared to those of the HF diet. At the same time, this same group showed elevated levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and suppressed levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), balancing the good and bad cholesterol in their body.
- Blood Sugar: Other studies on Matcha have shown that it helps to significantly lower blood glucose levels.
- Oxidative Stress: Matcha helps improve SOD activity (superoxide dismutase, an amazing enzyme that reduces oxidative stress, which is a contributor to cell degeneration and disease).
- Detoxifies: Chlorophyll, the element that gives green tea and other plants their vibrant green color, is a powerful detoxifier, helping to clean up and alkalize the blood.
- Fat Loss: Several studies have shown that taking 690 mg of matcha over 12 weeks can significantly decrease body fat, body weight, and waist circumference.
- Recovery: Matcha has shown to speed up recovery and reverse cellular damage caused by oxidative-nitrosative stress. This translates into an asset for people exercising and training hard at the gym.
- Antiaging: Being so high in antioxidants, matcha helps prevent oxidation, DNA mutation, and aging.
- Energizer: Matcha gives you an energy lift without any jiggers or crashing later on.
Matcha vs. Green Tea?
A study compared regular green teas with matcha tea. A chromatographic technique (micellar electrokinetic chromatography) was used to quantify matcha’s catechin levels. Catechins are natural antioxidants belonging to the flavonoid family – These flavonoids have been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiallergenic, and even anti-cancerous properties.
The results showed that matcha has a greater catechin concentration (epigallocatechin gallate -EGCG) than other green teas. The amount of EGCG available is at least three times to 137 times greater in matcha tea!
As you can see, matcha is wonderful. It not only helps to boost your metabolism and reduce body fat level but it also helps to normalize cholesterol levels and reduce blood glucose accumulation. Additionally, matcha heightens antioxidant activities, which help to fight free radicals, boost the immune system, aiding to prevent and fight disease.
Great Matcha Teas to Try
It is always important to choose organic to get the best quality product. I tried a few matcha teas and these brands are great:
Akira Organic Matcha Authentic Japanese Matcha; Sourced directly from Uji, Kyoto. There is no “middle-man”, which is the reason we are able to provide excellent quality Matcha at better pricing than our competitors. The tea leaves were shade grown for at least three weeks, first harvest and stone ground. 100% Organic Premium Ceremonial Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder – First Harvest, Radiation Free, No Additives, Zero Sugar.
Encha Culinary Grade Organic Matcha
Miracle of Matcha
This matcha is the premium second-harvest pure organic matcha powder from farms in the Uji mountains of Kyoto, Japan. Culinary-grade Encha is harvested in late June before the summer heat hits the tea plants. It has a greener color, best for baking, ice cream, smoothies. USDA certified organic. The organic certificate, free of any radioactivity.
Now that you know all the benefits of matcha, drink more of it. Matcha tea not only has amazing effects on your metabolism and body composition but it’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiallergenic properties are wonderful for your immune system and overall health.
To a Fitter Healthier You,
The Fitness Wellness Mentor
