Discussing All Things Matcha
Drinking matcha is a daily ritual in Japan. Traditionally whisked for a few minutes with a small bamboo whisk until blended well and frothy, it is then enjoyed slowly and mindfully. A few weeks ago, I had a powdered green truffle which I immediately loved. Upon checking what the flavour was, I found out it was matcha with a bit of vanilla. Having never been a big fan of green tea but loving the taste of the truffle, I did a bit of quick research online and came across a lot of the benefits associated with drinking matcha. I mentioned it to my sister and was surprised when she told me we already had a large amount of organic matcha powder downstairs where my mother makes her teas from large jars full of various kinds of organic ingredients.
I brought the powder upstairs and, after a quick lesson online, decided to make a matcha latte to see if I’d enjoy it. I thoroughly whisked the powder with hot (not boiling) water until the mixture was smooth and not powdery, then added the remainder of the hot water, a bit of soy milk and a teaspoon of stevia. It was delicious.
I sat down to write an article that day and felt it improve my focus and energy, but not in the same way that my usual daily coffee would. That’s when I decided I would swap out my regular 2-3 cups of coffee a day for matcha for two weeks and see what I noticed. The biggest surprise and noticeable difference actually came when I returned to coffee two weeks later, but more on that later. Below I’ll break down exactly what matcha is, along with its benefits and my experience with it.
What is matcha?
Matcha is a finely ground powder made from whole Japanese green tea leaves. It isn’t just any type of green tea; it has to come from Tencha tea leaves and undergo a strict growing process. When the leaves begin to bud, they need protection from sunlight. This process delays its physical growth development while the production of amino acids continue to increase internally. As they grow, the shade increases the amount of chlorophyll content in the leaves, which is where they get their bright green colour. The leaves are picked by hand and the stems and veins are removed, before being grounded for about an hour in the dark which protects their nutrients. When brewing regular green tea, most of its nutrients are discarded because water can only extract certain amounts of its benefits - leaving a lot of antioxidants and minerals within the leaves.
Matcha was already all around me, but I hadn’t even noticed. A ‘greens’ powder my mother had made featuring various powdered nutrient greens (including broccoli sprouts which I wrote about here) had matcha in it as well. I have been using this powder for years, especially when I was living in Sydney, for my morning greens smoothies and had never recognised. Additionally, my sisters have been using organic matcha powder in breakfast bowls and detoxifying face masques right under my nose, and I was oblivious.
When I sit down to write, I get in a headspace at my desk, use my tuning fork, play some relaxing or energising music, diffuse oils, and regularly sip at a coffee throughout the few hours I’m writing. Drinking water as well, I found that I need coffee to keep up the writing. After 2, 3 or 4 cups I start to see my adrenals giving in, and I can’t stay focused anymore even though I would’ve become jittery. Day 1 of starting on the matcha swap I already noticed a difference, although I didn’t feel the sudden boost of energy and alertness from coffee, I was able to sit to write and research calmly. I did find I was able to drink a few throughout the morning and afternoon and not become anxious like I would if I had drank the equivalent of coffee. The preparation of matcha itself is slow but also another key benefit. This ritualised process helps relaxation and mindfulness, which is extremely important in the fast pace of our daily lives.
Key benefits
Antioxidants - Antioxidants are essential because they can delay cell damage and help prevent disease. Matcha’s antioxidant properties surpass many other superfood antioxidant categories. One cup has as many as 10 cups of brewed green tea and even more than a cup of coffee, which doesn’t contain any catechins. Catechins are a family of powerful antioxidants that have been linked to slowed ageing and protecting against cancer and other chronic diseases. Matcha is particularly high in a catechin called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate).
Energy - A cup of matcha contains 34mg of caffeine, which is the same amount as a brewed coffee and half as much as an espresso. The difference between coffee and matcha is that matcha’s caffeine effects are more energising and longer-lasting. This is partly because of an amino acid called l-theanine, which slows the release of caffeine, maintains it and also relaxes the body and mind at the same time. L-theanine is also said to be a mood enhancer and helps to improve concentration. This results in calm alertness, without a crash, unlike coffee. Coffee possesses the ability to keep our senses awake and increase our energy levels; however, once these effects begin to wear off, the body becomes more tired than before. The body will then crave more caffeine to maintain its productivity rate; otherwise it crashes. These sorts of sudden bursts of energy have been shown in studies to create psychological chaos, and often people begin to experience anxiousness, nervousness or become jittery.
Weight loss - A study featured in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that matcha increased thermogenesis (the body’s rate of burning calories) in the body from the standard 8-10% of daily energy expenditure to between 35%-43%. Another study also showed that exercising immediately after drinking matcha resulted in 25% more fat burning during exercise, and matcha’s superior catechin content lowers cholesterol.
Oral hygiene - Matcha’s catechin content also acts as a sterilising agent, removing bad breath. At the same time, its antibacterial properties provide vital protection to teeth, preventing plaque build-up and improving general oral hygiene. This is almost the opposite to coffee which usually gives bad breath and stains the teeth.
Mood - Matcha increases secretions of serotonin and dopamine in the body, inducing a positive mood and helping concentration. Both elements are vital neurotransmitters in the body to prevent depression and stabilise mood.
Nutrients - Matcha is packed with nutrients. Iron, calcium, protein, potassium, vitamins A and C are a powerful combination to boost the body’s immune system and ensure its proper functions. The high chlorophyll content of matcha also acts as a detoxifier to aid the removal of impurities, toxins and heavy metals from the body.
Throughout the two weeks I was drinking matcha instead of coffee I didn’t get the usual no-coffee-induced migraines I would get if I didn’t have a daily cup. I also found that my energy levels increased after drinking the matcha. I didn’t get the sudden spike in alertness that coffee gave me, which was something I craved and missed. I was a bit excited to drink coffee again as I thought I would have so much more energy than what the matcha was providing - I was very wrong.
Returning to coffee, I found almost no extra energy than what I was provided with the matcha, and I found myself becoming jittery and anxious - something I hadn’t experienced for the two weeks prior. In the afternoons after drinking coffee again, I was crashing and becoming extremely tired. By the evening I could feel that my adrenals were so depleted and I was extremely grumpy. I found it hard to sit down and write articles for longer than 3 hours as I would either become jittery or my body would give way to fatigue, and I would become irritable and would lose motivation.
An important thing I remembered was the week of Valentine’s Day I had written two articles, created two mixes, and written a newsletter for Welluvia - and this was the second week of my matcha trial. While the following week after returning to coffee I hadn’t written an article, and the next week’s article on Naturopathy took so long to write due to not being able to sit, research and write without becoming jittery. You’re probably wondering why I didn’t immediately go back to matcha after noticing this shift; I would have but had consumed all of the matcha we had in the house during the 2-week trial (conveniently finishing it on the last day of the two weeks). Desperate to cut out the coffee due to how anxious it was making me I tried various supermarkets looking for the powder, but all of the options were filled with preservatives, flavours, and sugar. Sugar is another thing I can’t consume due to what it does to my body, so I always opt for natural sweeteners such as xylitol and stevia. Even the coffee shop near my work that sells matcha lattes (the only coffee shop I could find that offered it), couldn’t tell me if their powder was free from the extra rubbish, and upon drinking a latte from there, I noticed it was extremely sweet and wasn’t the matcha I had grown to love.
There we have it, some information on that green drink that seems to be becoming more and more popular in the mainstream. It was an excellent experiment for me to test and ultimately found matcha is my new alternative to coffee, which at this point I have no desire returning to. Matcha can be enjoyed hot or cold, with or without milk, or added to breakfast bowls, protein shakes and green smoothies for an additional antioxidant-rich energy boost. I hope everyone gives it a go and sees the immediate benefits that I found.
With wellness,
Aleksandar
Photography by Aleksandar Zarić for Welluvia
