I Love You So Matcha

Be healthy, choose matcha.

From matcha lattes to vibrant green hued smoothie bowls, it seems like matcha has long taken over hipster coffee shops and Instagram feeds.
It’s hard to believe that this little wonder powder has been around for centuries in China and Japan where Buddhists sipped it to prepare for zen meditations.

So why are we so obsessed with this green stuff? Let’s dive into the science first:

Matcha is derived from a plant called Camellia Sinensis, which is the same plant that green tea is sourced from. When making matcha, the tea plants are covered for 20 – 30 days before harvesting to avoid direct sunlight. This increases chlorophyll production, boosting the amino acid content of the leaves and giving the plant a darker green colour. Once the tea leaves are collected, the stems and veins are removed and the leaves are ground up into a fine powder. Matcha contains nutrients from the entire tea leaf, which means that it has more antioxidants than typically found in green tea.

So it’s really good for me? Oh hell to the yes and here’s why:

Anti-aging and antioxidant superpowers
Just one cup of matcha has 10 times the antioxidants of a cup of green or black tea. Matcha and green tea contain an special antioxidant known as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which studies have shown can reduce symptoms of arthritis and inflammation. EGCG also helps prevent memory loss caused by the plaque deposits found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

Help’s find you focus and zen
Matcha boosts your mood and the alpha waves in your brain, encouraging clear, calm thinking, thanks to an amino acid called L theanine which plays a role in our production of the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin.

It helps prevent chronic diseases
Matcha is rich in polyphenol compounds that help lower your risk of developing chronic diseases including cancer and diabetes (because it improves insulin sensitivity).

Keeps the ticker healthy
The plant polyphenols found in matcha also help prevent hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Drinking matcha or green tea daily has also been shown to lower blood pressure because it inhibits the production of ACE - an enzyme secreted by the kidneys that can cause hypertension.

It supports your immune system
Matcha contains high levels of the antioxidant known as catechins that can have an anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effect. Matcha is also rich in vitamins A and C, potassium, iron and calcium which is great to tackle flu season.

So can my skin get in on the action? As they say beauty starts from within so anything that’s good for your insides will have glow-boosting and skin-soothing benefits.

Our advice? You will feel so matcha better so drink it as much as you can! The benefits are too good to miss.