Matcha is a delicious and nutritious tea beverage with roughly a thousand years of history behind it. In recent years, the scientific community has conducted a wide range of studies on green tea and its unique nutritional benefits. With a rich store of powerful antioxidants and catechin compounds, matcha’s health benefits have taken center stage in many of these studies leading to a rich collection of scientific literature detailing matcha tea’s benefits in weight loss, anti-oxidation, cell damage prevention, and detoxification.
Powerful Antioxidants
Ceremonial grade matcha’s antioxidants are the key to matcha’s variety of health benefits. Matcha tea’s benefits stem from the fact that each green tea leaf is packed with catechins, or strong antioxidant compounds closely linked to cell damage prevention. The catechins in matcha help neutralize free radicals in the body, battle oxidation, and potentially help to improve the immune system.
Matcha also includes a high concentration of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), one of the most powerful catechins found in food. On average, one serving of matcha tea contains 17.5mg/g of EGCG as compared to the 0.05mg/g of EGCG found in other green tea varieties.
This high dose of EGCG leads to one of matcha tea’s greatest benefits: cancer prevention. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), EGCG can protect cells from DNA damage, activate detoxification enzymes that inhibit tumor growth, and promote cancer cell destruction. The detoxification process caused by matcha’s unique abundance of antioxidants also helps prevent heart disease, strokes, arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions.
Matcha’s tea’s benefits, however, go far beyond its powerful cache of antioxidants. Since matcha leaves are shaded before harvest, they contain a higher concentrated amount of chlorophyll. Lauded as a natural detox, chlorophyll helps remove heavy metals and harmful toxins from the body which, in turn, promotes cleaner and healthier skin, helps prevent wrinkles, and has even been linked to successful acne treatments.
Matcha tea’s benefits don’t end there! One serving of matcha green tea contains 306mg of protein, 272mg total amino acids, and 50mg of nourishing fatty lipids. Matcha’s health benefits also stem from the tea’s nutritional collection of essential vitamins and minerals such as potassium (27mg), magnesium (2.3 mg) calcium (4.2mg), zinc (.062mg), phosphorus (3.5mg) and iron (.17mg) -- one serving of matcha, alone, holds 50% of the suggested daily intake of vitamin A carotene.
These numbers are outstanding considering the FAO’s (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) recent recommendations which indicate that any food whose nutrients provide 20% or more of the recommended daily intake provides a “high nutritional value” to the consumer. It’s no wonder matcha’s health benefits have helped it rise to superfood status!
Matcha and Weight Loss
Matcha tea’s benefits go far beyond just its uniquely enriching nutritional content.
The catechins found in matcha are also linked to successful weight loss and body fat reduction. By boosting metabolism and increasing the amount of fat and calories burned during exercise, matcha nutritional supplements could be used not only as a helpful boost in dieting, but it could also be utilized as an important post-workout supplement to help speed up recovery after high-intensity workouts.
Calm, Sustained Energy
Matcha’s health benefits also extend to its effects on energy and mood. Alongside it’s catechins and EGCG antioxidants, matcha contains the amino acid, L-theanine, which is linked to mental alertness, improved cognition, stress reduction, and relaxation. When matched with caffeine, L-theanine often lessens the dramatic crash or “jitters” associated with increased caffeine consumption creating a more comfortable effect of improved mental alertness and focus.
L-theanine also improves the production of dopamine and serotonin, the neurotransmitters that help us feel good. This should come as little surprise considering Zen Buddhist monks have utilized the benefits of matcha tea for centuries to enter deeper states of meditation.
Additional Research into the Benefits of Matcha Tea
Ikeda Tea World produces high-quality, authentic Japanese matcha for a variety of wholesale clients and uses worldwide. Our wholesale bulk matcha comes in three main grades -- ceremonial, culinary, and industrial. Prepared by our 10th-level Chashi (“tea master”), Kenta Ikeda, we also strive to supply our clientele with custom tea mixes and private label matcha, including retail packaging and other special touches that help make each client’s product unique. Contact Ikeda Tea World today to discuss your needs and experience the benefits of matcha tea today.
