What is Matcha Tea?
Matcha or maccha is a finely ground, bright emerald-green tea powder. It is a natural, organic green tea which has been the heart of the famous Japanese tea ceremony for over 900 years. The Buddhist monks honored matcha tea as the ‘health elixir’ for its potential to heighten the concentration and enhance the metabolism. Originating in China in 9th century, matcha was used as drug for curing various ailments. Matcha is prepared from a high-quality shade-grown leaf known as tencha. The tea bushes are sheltered to avoid the exposure of direct sunlight which reduces the pace of photosynthesis and slows down the growth of the plants. This provides the leaves with a darker shade of green and stimulates the production of chlorophyll and amino acids.
Nutritional Value of Matcha
Matcha is an organic green tea, which is high in vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, vitamin C, Vitamin E, vitamin K and trace minerals. Matcha is rich in components with super antioxidant activity including polyphenols, catechins and chlorophyll. Presence of amino acids such as L-theanine and theophylline in the matcha tea makes it a multi nutrient-packed drink.
Health Benefits of Matcha Tea:
- Natural Boost – Matchacontains a healthy form of caffeine not to be mistaken with the one present in the regular coffee. This unique form caffeine known as theophylline sustains the energy levels without any adverse effects.
- Detoxification – Chlorophyll present inmatcha tea accentuates its effectiveness in cleansing process of the body. Chlorophyll is an excellent detoxifier which helps in cleansing the blood. It aids in maintaining the alkalinity of blood and tissues. Chlorophyll also helps in preventing the association of harmful toxins with colon walls and flushes them out of the body.
- Cancer Prevention – Matcha assists in the prevention of cancer attributing to the presence ofepigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which has chemopreventive properties. Multiple studies have shown that polyphenols present in matcha tea prevents the proliferation of malignant cancerous cells, promotes induction of apoptosis and assists in the reducing the risk of developing various cancers including bladder cancer and colorectal cancer.
- Burn More Calories – Drinking Matcha Green Tea has also been shown to increase metabolism and help the body burn fat about four times faster than average. Again, unlike many diet aides currently on the market, Matcha causes no negative side-effects such as increased heart rate and high blood pressure.
- High in Antioxidants – Antioxidants are the magical nutrients and enzymes responsible for fighting against the negative effects of UV radiation, giving us younger-looking skin, and preventing a number of life-threatening maladies. Antioxidants are something that all health-conscious individuals seek from such foods as raw fruits, green veggies, and dark chocolate. One bowl of Matcha Green Tea provides over 5 times more antioxidants than any other food.