The Health Benefits of Matcha
Cha Cha Matcha, 137 Broome Street, NYC
Photo taken by author
Hopefully, you got the chance to try a sip of the earthy, vibrantly green-colored beverage before COVID-19 yanked the shutters over your favorite coffee shop. Whether you love matcha or not, learning about the health benefits and it’s obscure, ancient history is sure to make even the most skeptical of consumers willing to give it another go.
Matcha tea was invented in Japan around the 12th century when Zen Monk Eisai introduced the tea seeds he had gathered from a trip to China. The seeds had been popularized before in Japan, but only for food (mainly cakes). Only with Eisai’s ingenuity would it be introduced to the masses in the form it takes on in Western culture today: tea. The powdered form of the tea was often used at Chinese Chan (a type of Buddhism) monasteries and was revered for its vitalizing and healing benefits. Eisai later wrote a book called “Drinking Tea For Health” which helped the tea (in powdered form) spread throughout the country; matcha was so high in demand that it was usually reserved as a decadent beverage for the military elite. Nowadays, matcha can be found in virtually every café in New York and has even inspired companies to specialize in the drink: most notably Cha Cha Matcha. It’s popular not only for its unique taste but also for its health benefits that trump every other beverage on the menu.
Matcha’s principal health benefit is attributed to the type of antioxidant that it is full of; catechins are a type of plant compound that acts as a natural antioxidant, which helps stabilize harmful free radicals, protecting cells and preventing chronic diseases. This is why it is more beneficial for your health to make matcha tea by placing the powder in hot water instead of using a tea bag: the powder contains all the nutrients from the entire leaf. For some perspective, the number of certain catechins in matcha is estimated to be an astounding 137 times greater than any other type of green tea! Since green tea has a similar nutrient profile to matcha, I will be referencing some studies performed using green tea extract in place of matcha.
Another important health benefit that is being explored with matcha is the wonders it may be able to perform for your liver. A study was executed in 2016 where 80 people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (characterized by elevated liver enzymes) were given either a placebo or 500 mg of green tea extract for 90 days. After 12 weeks, the extract has significantly reduced liver enzyme levels. Given these studies have produced remarkable results and since they have only been completed with green tea extract, more research needs to be completed looking specifically at the effects of matcha on the liver for the general public.
In looking at the effects matcha has on brain function, however, telling studies have already been performed using matcha specifically. In 2017, scientists administered either a matcha tea or a matcha bar (each containing 4 grams of matcha) or a placebo tea or bar to 23 people before a series of tasks designed to measure brain performance. The study found that those who consumed the matcha saw increased improvements in attention, reaction time, and memory when compared to the placebo. These results are largely attributed to the fact that matcha contains a more concentrated amount of caffeine than green tea (35 mg per half teaspoon) as well as L-theanine. In tandem, L-theanine will alter the effect of caffeine in that it promotes alertness without the “crash” effect afterwards. Additionally, L-theanine has been shown to increase alpha wave activity in the brain which may help promote relaxation.
Recent studies have suggested that matcha may also hold promise in cancer-prevention. After rats with cancer had been given green tea extract, their tumors decreased in size and slowed the spread of the cancer. Green tea extract contains a type of catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which matcha is especially high in and has been shown to have powerful anti-cancer properties.
Finally, matcha is a promoter of heart health. Green tea has been shown to decrease levels of bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in mice as well as prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Since heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide for people of the age of 35, most might benefit from including matcha in a well-rounded diet.
Matcha is a drink that has leapt across borders and into the hearts of many New Yorkers. It is a beverage that has ancient roots that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Whether you love the drink or have never tried it before, it’s just one more thing to look forward to after quarantine.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-benefits-of-matcha-tea#5.-May-promote-heart-health
