Matcha is doing the rounds at the moment and it has many fans in the health and wellness world. So what is all the hype about and what does it do?
In a Nutshell
The two second version is that matcha powder comes from Japan and is packed with antioxidants. It puts goji berries, acai berries and broccoli to shame. In fact one cup of matcha tea has as much nutritional value as 10 cups of green tea. It's great for your metabolism (hooray), stress, energy, immunity and more.
The longer version....
What is Matcha?
Matcha is 100% pure green tea leaves ground into a powder. Sourced from Japan Matcha Maiden Green Tea is sourced from the beautiful, rolling hills of Kyoto. I lived in Japan for a while 13 years ago and Kyoto really is the cultural heart of Japan. Traditionally Matcha is used in tea ceremonies but now it is available as a powder to us. Matcha Maiden Green Tea is Japanese Certified Organic.
How is Matcha different to green tea?
Normally when we drink green tea we brew the leaves, drink the water, then throw the leaves away. With Matcha you drink, or eat, the whole leaf and therefore consume all those antioxidants we throw away. Matcha tea bushes are also grown under cover which increases the chlorophyll and amino acid levels in the leaves even further. Matcha has a rich source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.
Matcha has the nutritional value of up to 10 cups of regular green tea and up to 137 times the antioxidants of regular green tea.
What benefits does Matcha have?
Antioxidants help the body defend against illness and disease and matcha is stocked full of them. Matcha has 20 times more antioxidants than blueberries or pomegranates so it really is a super hero food. It has plenty of real benefits including:
- Boosting your immunity
- Increasing your energy
- Enhancing your metabolism. A study featured in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming matcha green tea can increase thermogenesis (the body’s own rate of burning calories) from a normal 8%-10% of daily energy expenditure, to between 35% and 43% of daily energy expediture.
- Reducing stress and calming you.
- Helping concentration and clarity with the abundance of amino acids
How do I take Matcha
You can take matcha as a tea or in food. It is so concentrated you don't need a lot and many people take half a teaspoon with hot water and drink as a tea. It's also added to smoothies, juice, salads as a sprinkle and plenty of other recipes including chocolate, ice cream and more. Get inventive! You can find Matcha Maiden Tea here.
