Matcha is a finely ground, bright emerald-green tea powder. It is a natural, organic green tea that has been the heart of the famous Japanese tea ceremony for over 900 years. The Buddhist monks honoured matcha tea as the ‘health elixir’ for its potential to heighten the concentration and enhance the metabolism.

Today, we know that the tea’s health benefits exceed those of regular green tea because when you drink matcha, you ingest the entire leaf, not just the brewed water. One cup is equal to 10 cups of green tea in both nutritional value and antioxidant content.

Here are 7 of our favourite reasons why matcha tea is ‘the bomb’:

1. Is High in Antioxidants

The magical nutrients and enzymes responsible for fighting against the negative effects of UV radiation, giving us younger-looking skin, and preventing certain diseases, antioxidants abound in matcha. Just one cup provides over 5 times as many antioxidants as any other food.

2. Increases Energy Levels and Endurance

Matcha drinkers get a boost of energy through the day; some even experience an improvement in physical endurance. Even if you aren’t facing a grueling workout, matcha can help you through the everyday marathon, whether it’s a project that’s due tomorrow, you need to get the kids from school to soccer practice or you just want to have time to do a few things for yourself.

3. Boosts Memory and Concentration

Matcha contains a significant amount of the amino acid L-Theanine, a side effect of which is the production of dopamine and serotonin. These two chemicals enhance mood, improve memory, and promote better concentration. A cup of matcha will promote concentration without the nervous energy achieved from drinking coffee.

4. Reduces Feelings of Stress

L-theanine acts as a buffer by suppressing the sympathetic nervous system and to increase the alpha wave activity in the brain and increase production of two mood-enhancing chemicals- dopamine and serotonin. In addition to promoting relaxation and relieving stress,

5. Burns Calories

Matcha boosts your metabolism and burns fat. One recent study even suggested that matcha may help burn calories by four times, without raising your blood pressure or heart rate.

6. Detoxifies

Because of it’s high amount of chlorophyll, matcha is a powerful detoxifier, helping to eliminate both chemicals and heavy metals from the body. And because matcha is carefully shade-grown, it is substantially richer in chlorophyll than other green teas, making it a superior daily detox.

7. Fortifies the Immune System

The exceedingly high levels of antioxidants in matcha mainly take the form of polyphenols, catechins, and flavonoids, each of which aids the body’s defense in its daily struggles against free radicals that come from the pollution in your air, water and foods.

How to Use Matcha Every Day:

• Sweet: Add 2 tablespoons of Matcha green tea powder to cookie or cake recipes.
• Savory: Slowly bring freshly brewed matcha green tea to a boil in a pot on the stove. Thicken with cornstarch or flour. Flavor with a little bit of honey and serve over chicken.
• Snack: Stir matcha green tea powder into cream cheese before spreading onto a bagel or toast.

PRO TIP: Do not add matcha green tea powder to boiling water; it will taste better if you boil the water and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding the tea.

Well.ca

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