With the launch of our ‘Magic Matcha’ right around the corner, it begs the question why in fact we chose to use matcha in one of our blends. As NOT COFFEE is obviously a caffeine alternative, why would we make a different blend that has a substantial amount of caffeine in it? Today I am going to answer these questions and more in this blog post and hopefully by the end of it, we can all fully understand the benefits matcha has to offer.

What about caffeine?

Matcha, like coffee, does in fact contain caffeine. In comparison to a regular cup of coffee, matcha has about half as much caffeine, making it an amazing stepping stone between actual coffee and our NOT COFFEE. Not everyone is ready and or wants to just go cold turkey off caffeine. Not only can the withdrawals be uncomfortable, but it can destroy your productivity for a week or two. Using Matcha will not only hold back the majority of your caffeine withdrawals, but it is also packed with benefits! On top of this, phytonutrients such as L-theanine are present in matcha which allows the caffeine to be absorbed much more slowly in comparison to coffee. This leads to no crash, and longer more sustainable energy levels.

Antioxidants

Catechins are a type of plant chemical found in tea that acts as a natural antioxidant. Matcha contains a lot of them. Antioxidants aid in the stabilization of dangerous free radicals, which can damage cells and lead to chronic disease. Matcha can help you get more antioxidants in your diet, which can help prevent cell damage and even lessen your chance of developing various chronic diseases.

Boosted Brain Function

Several of the components in matcha have been shown in studies to assist and improve brain function. The results of a study involving 23 people looked at how they fared on a series of tasks designed to assess brain performance. The matcha tea was consumed by certain participants, whereas the placebo tea was consumed by the control group. In comparison to the placebo, matcha improved attention, reaction time, and memory, according to the study. Matcha also includes L-theanine, a molecule that modifies the effects of caffeine, enhancing alertness and preventing the energy drop that can occur after caffeine ingestion. In addition, L-theanine has been demonstrated to boost alpha wave activity in the brain, which may aid in relaxing and stress reduction.

Preventative Health

Matcha is chock-full of health-promoting elements, including several that have been related to cancer prevention in laboratory and animal studies. Green tea extract reduced tumor size and inhibited breast cancer cell development in mice in one study. Matcha is also particularly abundant in epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a catechin with anti-cancer effects. On top of this, studies show that green tea and matcha can decrease several heart disease risk factors.

The Bottom Line

As you can see matcha is so much more than just another caffeinated drink. It is something that, while containing a bit of caffeine, has so many different compounds that can benefit our lives. At the end of the day, if you are someone who doesn’t have a problem with caffeine or want that extra little kick, matcha is a healthier alternative to coffee in not only the nutritional benefits, but also the way in which the caffeine itself is metabolized.

Sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28784536/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11500915/