The green trend drink from Japan is advertised as a superfood with numerous advertising promises. But what is it about matcha tea? We’ll show you what really happens when you drink matcha every day.
In the production of Matcha, green tea leaves are shaded four weeks before harvest to give them their strong, dark green colour. They are then steamed and dried before being ground into matcha powder. Basically, matcha is highly concentrated green tea and therefore contains particularly large amounts of health-promoting nutrients. These include antioxidant catechins and vitamins A, B, C and E, which make Matcha a superfood. But what about the good reputation and the advertising promises?
Table of Contents
This is what happens when you drink matcha tea on a daily basis
1. Matcha reduces your stress
Anyone who internalizes the saying “wait and see and drink tea” and takes the time and quiet for a cup of tea will generally go through everyday life more relaxed and stress-free. But is there also scientific evidence that matcha in particular can have a positive effect on our body’s stress parameters? In fact, there are several studies that show this not only on animals but also on humans: In a study with 39 test persons, real matcha tea was able to significantly reduce the stress level and anxiety of the participants in contrast to a green placebo . And also in the form of biscuits, 4.5 grams of Matcha per day could be used in this Japanese study significantly reduce a stress parameter in the saliva of the subjects. According to the researchers, the amino acids arginine and theanine , which are contained in particularly high concentrations in the green tea extract, are responsible for this.
2. You become more alert and more productive
The caffeine contained in Matcha is responsible for this effect. However, the green tea extract has a decisive advantage over coffee: the amino acid theanine it contains slightly reduces the stimulating effect of caffeine and thus prevents trembling hands or overstimulation. The gentler, positive effect on brain performance, blood flow in the brain and the ability to concentrate was already shown in this study in 2015 .
Important: Since the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) found high levels of aluminum in individual samples of Matcha products, you should always pay attention to high organic quality and, to be on the safe side, not consume more than two to three cups of Matcha a day.
3. You burn more fat
Of course, Matcha is not a miracle cure that simply melts the fat off your body. However, green tea extract can actually help you lose weight as it increases fat burning during physical activity . For example, in this study , British women who took a brisk 30-minute walk daily benefited from slightly increased fat oxidation during the walk compared to the placebo group. Even more impressive were the results of this Canadian study with male volunteers: those given a capsule containing green tea extract burned a whopping 180 more calories per day than those given just the placebo.
Tip: Many Matcha products such as biscuits, ice cream or drinks only contain traces of green tea extract and some have a Matcha content of less than one percent. It is therefore best to make your own tea, matcha biscuits or matcha ice cream in order to benefit from the beneficial health effects. You can get original Japanese matcha powder in organic quality here in a 100 gram pack or here in a 200 gram pack .
4. Matcha invades cancer cells
This point must be treated with extreme caution, since the anti-carcinogenic effect of green tea extract has so far only been proven in laboratory studies with cell cultures . Nevertheless, the results are promising: In this laboratory study , the polyphenol contained in matcha called EGCG was able to effectively kill prostate cancer cells . Of course, don’t expect matcha to eliminate an already existing tumor. However, the superfood can definitely play a role in a cancer-preventive diet .
5. Your cholesterol levels go down
Elevated levels of the “bad” LDL cholesterol can promote arteriosclerosis, which in turn leads to heart attacks and strokes. Matcha can counteract this. As early as 2007, a Japanese study by the Kobe University School of Medicine showed that the green tea extract was able to significantly reduce LDL levels after just two weeks of daily consumption . Due to the small number of subjects, the study was not very informative. However, the results have been repeated and confirmed in recent years. For example, by researchers at Yang Ming University in Taipei: In a clinical, placebo-controlled studyWith 73 test subjects, Matcha in pill form reduced LDL cholesterol by a full 5 percent within six weeks – a significant result.
What Nutrients Make Matcha So Healthy?
Researchers assume that the phytochemicals in the green tea extract are responsible for its health benefits. In particular, the contained catechins, theaflavin and the so-called procyanidins are said to have stimulating, vasodilating, blood circulation-promoting, anti-inflammatory and even anti-carcinogenic effects. Matcha and green tea can therefore contribute to the prevention of civilization diseases as part of a balanced and healthy diet.
