Five Reasons We Should All Be Drinking Matcha

In the past couple of years matcha has grown exponentially in popularity.  These days you can hear or read about matcha everywhere.  From the supermarket to popular wellness blogs matcha is all the rage in 2021, and there are plenty of reasons why.  Matcha comes from the same plant as green tea, camellia sinensis.  However, they are grown differently.  For the 20-30 days before harvesting farmers cover the plants to keep them out of direct sunlight.  This increases the chlorophyll production which in turn increases the amino acid content considerably.  This causes matcha to be a holy grail of wellness offering up a variety of health benefits that should make anyone consider making the switch from coffee to matcha for their daily caffeine intake.  Here are five proven health benefits of matcha:

Increases focus without adding stress

Matcha contains caffeine which is a popular stimulant used by many people in order to help keep them awake and perky.  Unfortunately, in addition to giving people energy caffeine can also increase cortisol levels which leads to an elevated heart rate and stress.  One of the best things about matcha is that while it does give you a boost of energy it doesn’t give you the added stress.  Matcha contains L-theanine which actually works to lower cortisol levels, giving you the same energy boost without any added jitters.

Loaded with Antioxidants

Because matcha is grown the way it is it is loaded with all sorts of healthy antioxidants.  Antioxidants are important because they help fight off free radicals that can damage cells and lead to chronic disease.

Great for the Immune System

In addition to being loaded with antioxidants matcha contains one very special catechin antioxidant EGCg.  EGCg helps our bodies fight against viral and bacterial infections.  This catechin binds cells to the body and inhibits the growth of many disease causing microorganisms including those responsible for influenza.

Good for your Brain

There are several health studies that have concluded that caffeine consumption leads to improved brain function.  Due to its stimulating effects drinking caffeine can help increase reaction times, improve overall memory, and lead to an increased attention span.  And as stated earlier matcha gives you all the benefits of caffeine without the unwanted anxiety that often comes with it.

Good for Oral Health

While many of the topics covered today are considered common knowledge one health benefit not as commonly associated with matcha is how good it is for our oral health, and keeping our breath fresh.  Roughly 90% of bad breath develops from bacterial cavities in our mouths.  The bacteria breaks down sulfur containing amino acids into bad smelling sulfur compounds.  Due to matcha’s antibacterial properties it can help fight the bacteria in your mouth keeping everything healthy and avoiding bad breath.