Can you believe that with just one drink you can improve your metabolism and skin condition, prevent chronic diseases, and get a boost of energy without any stress to your body? Macha, the finely ground green tea powder, can work miracles for your health and become your new favorite healthy habit. Doctors and celebrities speak about the benefits of this superfood. Here is why everyone is sipping matcha.
1. Provides natural boost of energy
While coffee gives you a spike of energy which lasts 1-3 hours and then hits you with a sudden crush, matcha supplies you with long-lasting and stable energy levels the duration of which is usually 4-6 hours. That happens with the help of flavonoids, which are also called "antioxidants of the mind".
2. Full of fiber and vitamins
Matcha has some vitamins which coffee doesn't: vitamin A, C, amino acids like L-theanine, which increases serotonin, dopamine, and GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) which has a calming effect. “L-theanine blocks the binding of L-glutamic acid to glutamate receptors in the brain, which makes the brain less excited,” says famous author and nutritionist Cynthia Sass. She is known for her books "Flat Belly Diet" and "Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast".
3. Improves your health
There is a belief that your DNA dictates only 10% of your health while your daily habits 90%. Both, mental and physiological routines like your daily food and drinks intake, the way you handle stress and how often you exercise, are important. Matcha doesn't give you jitters (the ones that too much caffeine may trigger), which means you will sleep better, have more mental clarity, and keep your mood under control.
4. Works wonders for your skin
According to a research done by Weiss DJ for MEDLINE, matcha green tea has 3x the antioxidants than regular green tea and, as you know, they make your skin glow and healthy-looking. It also helps you fight acne and rosacea, prevent premature aging and under-eye puffiness. Moreover, containing epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), matcha protects you from skin cancer by preventing skin tumors growth and also reduces UV damage.
5. Fights bad breath
Matcha contains natural fluorides which prevent plaque-forming microbes from attaching to the teeth. In just 2 weeks of consuming matcha, the formation of these bacteria may reduce by 37%.
6. Helps with weight loss
Tea polyphenols and caffeine in matcha boost fat oxidation (by an average of 16% over 24 hours) and energy expenditure. The results of some researches done in December 2013 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition prove that the increase in caloric expenditure is equal to about 100 calories over a 24-hour period. Also, some study subjects were following their diet and consuming matcha at the same time so they lost an average of 2.9 pounds within 12 weeks. Moreover, drinking matcha helps your body digest all nutrients from food fully.
7. Fights hair loss
Zinc, selenium, chromium, and manganese found in matcha, improves the blood flow which helps with hair growth. One study was done on mice which lacked hair on their head and neck. There were 2 groups: one was given 50% fraction of polyphenol extract from dehydrated green tea and the other one - water. The research lasted 6 months and 33% of mice in the first group have regrown their hair significantly while the animals from the second group had no hair growth at all.