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When talking about beverages that are both, good for your health and exceptionally tasty, there’s nothing that can compare to a good cup of matcha tea. In fact, the popular matcha tea is a finely ground powder of green tea leaves that are grown and processed by using long and specialized processes to get the most out of its natural properties.
And even though matcha tea is traditionally connected to the East Asian regions, it managed to make its way to many of the worldwide cultures of the 21st century. And it’s not surprising at all, considering all the health benefits you can reap by consuming a cup of matcha tea daily. This is why we made a list of the ones most worth mentioning.
Rich in Antioxidants
Beyond the savoury green taste it leaves in your mouth, one of the main reasons to start consuming matcha tea is the whole pack of nutrients it offers. Matcha green tea is actually loaded with catechins, a powerful group of plant compounds that are considered natural antioxidants. The fact that this tea has the nutrients from the entire leaf preserved additionally raises the amounts of catechins and useful antioxidants in its content.
In other words, by consuming matcha tea you’ll help your organism stabilize the levels of harmful free radicals as the most dangerous compounds responsible for causing chronic diseases in the human’s body. Except for that, antioxidants in matcha tea have also been shown to slow down your body’s ageing process. So, don’t hesitate to explore a store selling coffee shop supplies and provide yourself with some matcha tea.
Promotes Heart Health
Another good reason to hit a store offering coffee shop supplies and get yourself a package of matcha green tea is that it’s good for your heart’s well being. This is due to matcha green tea reducing the levels of “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides, which are considered the main causes of many heart diseases.
Also, research has shown that matcha green tea can also prevent the oxidation of your LDL cholesterol as one of the causes of heart diseases as well as lower the risk of strokes. Once you combine this beverage with a well-balanced diet and a healthier lifestyle, you’ll be able to reap the most out of its properties for protecting your heart.
Might Help Prevent Cancer
We already discussed that matcha tea is loaded with a bunch of catechins and antioxidants that are good for your overall well being. One of those catechins, or epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has actually been shown to have very powerful properties in preventing and treating lung, skin and liver cancer. As we already mentioned, this is due to EGCG counteracting the effects of free radicals such as those from pollution, UV rays, radiation and different chemicals which can lead to damaging your body cells and your DNA.
Another study has proven that some of the compounds of matcha tea can decrease tumour size and slow down the growth of dangerous breast cancer and help to kill off prostate cancer cells. However, these studies were made by looking at specific compounds of matcha tea, and aren’t enough to be translated to humans.
Protects Your Liver
Your liver is one of the most important organs of your body since it metabolizes everything you consume, processes the nutrients and flushes out all the toxins from your body. So, if you want to protect your liver and still don’t want to quit on your favourite coffee supplies, make sure you get green matcha tea the next time you go shopping.
In fact, a study has shown that consuming matcha tea for 16 weeks in a row can significantly prevent any damages to both, your liver and your kidneys. After 12 weeks of consumption, matcha green tea will start reducing your liver enzyme levels that are one of the main causes of liver damages.
However, this study has been performed on animals and more research is needed to look at the effects of matcha on the general population.
Helps You Focus Better
Matcha green tea has been used as first aid for meditating in the Japanese culture centuries ago. Since this tea has natural calming properties, monks actually used it to help them stay calm, yet alert during long hours of sitting and meditating.
These properties have also been confirmed by modern science. Matcha tea is loaded with L-Theanine, one of the rarest amino acids that promote the state of relaxation and calmness of your brain. In fact, L-Theanine is responsible for creating alpha waves that eliminate the beta waves of stress and therefore lead you to a state of relaxed alertness. And even though L-Theanine is contained in all types of tea, matcha tea actually contains up to five times more of this amino acid than common green and black teas.
Also, L-Theanine inhibits the side effects of consuming caffeine which boosts your memory and enhances your learning process. In other words, replacing your morning coffee with a cup of matcha tea will promote your focus and mindfulness throughout the entire day without giving you the annoying dose of anxious energy of caffeine.
Weight Loss Ally
Many experienced nutritionists and weight loss experts recommend incorporating matcha tea into your healthy diet for achieving a healthy weight. This is due to matcha tea being shown to target excess weight from the two most important aspects- boosting your metabolism and helping you burn stubborn fat.
In fact, matcha tea will help you lose weight by increasing the thermogenesis (the body’s own rate of burning calories) from normal 8%-10% to an incredible 35%-43% of daily energy expenditure. In other words, matcha tea acts as a weight-loss supplement, with the only difference being that it doesn’t put any stress on your body and doesn’t raise your blood pressure or heart rate.
Tasty and Easy to Prepare
As we already mentioned, matcha tea became one of the most popular beverages worldwide due to the health benefits it offers and the exceptional taste it leaves in your mouth. On top of that, preparing yourself a cup of matcha green tea is a piece of cake.
The traditional way of preparing matcha tea is by sifting 1-2 teaspoons of matcha powder into hot water and whisking it with a bamboo spoon. However, you don’t even need to follow this traditional recipe, since you can always make a thinner or a more concentrated version- up to your preferences.
Also, you don’t even have to limit yourself to consuming matcha tea in its original form. If you’re creative enough, you can also whip a nice matcha latte or add it into your smoothie or healthy dessert. The range of opportunities with matcha green tea powder is endless, as long as you’re willing to get out of the comfort zone and experiment.
Now that you know about all the benefits, don’t hesitate to hit your favourite café supplies shop and get yourself matcha green tea. We’re sure that you’re going to love its taste and start feeling the benefits for your well being in no time.
