Matcha Tea| Properties and Benefits

What is Té Matcha?

Té matcha is a powdered green tea, meaning it is ground into a fine powder, which has recently gained popularity thanks to its frequent use by celebrities. It is renowned for its numerous health benefits and is considered by many as the miraculous best friend of diets and healthy living.

However, not all powdered teas are Té Matcha. Unlike other teas, which use leaves and stem fragments that are often discarded, Té Matcha retains the product mixed with water, making its properties purer and more effective. Additionally, Té Matcha comes from a special harvest where the tea bushes are covered with semi-transparent cloths to develop better flavour and texture. When hand-picked, they neither oxidize nor lose their green colour.

What is Té Matcha used for?

In Japan, it is used for relaxation and to facilitate meditation without inducing sleep. This is because Té Matcha creates a state of alertness yet calmness due to its stimulant: theine. This green tea will provide energy for up to six hours without causing the crash associated with coffee.

Origin of Té Matcha

Despite its close association with Japanese culture, Té Matcha originates from China, where it began to be consumed during the Song Dynasty (960–1279). However, it wasn't until 1191 that the Buddhist monk Eisai brought tea from China to Japan. Frequent migrations between the two countries occurred due to the rise of Chan Buddhism (known today as Zen Buddhism), which attracted Japanese learners to China.

In Japan, its popularity grew, leading to various methods of preparation and consumption, eventually making Chinese Té Matcha a part of the Japanese tea ceremony, Chanoyu.

Health Benefits of Té Matcha

Buddhists discovered that tea aids meditation as it relaxes the body and mind due to the chemical compounds found in the leaves. Specifically, green Té Matcha is a powerful antioxidant.

Shen Nung, also known as the Emperor Yan, is a key figure in Chinese mythology, credited with identifying hundreds of medicinal and poisonous plants, crucial for the development of Chinese medicine and agriculture. He is said to have discovered tea, a plant that can reportedly serve as an antidote to around seventy different poisonous plants.

For Shen Nung, tea clears the mind and combats fatigue: "Tea quenches thirst, reduces the desire to sleep, cheers, and invigorates the heart."

Shen Nung, Emperor Yan

In recent years, numerous studies have investigated and confirmed the benefits of Té Matcha, concluding that some of them include:

• Strengthens the immune system and helps reduce stress
• Stimulates the mind and relaxes the body
• Its antioxidant power combats premature aging and protects against free radicals, while its high chlorophyll content promotes detoxification. One cup of Té Matcha contains as many antioxidants as 10 cups of green tea infusion.
• Rich in a healthy form of caffeine called theophylline, which helps maintain high energy levels.
• Helps prevent cancer, infections, and cavities
• Contains 137 times more polyphenols than regular green tea, protecting the body from oxidative stress and inflammation
• Helps maintain healthy arteries and control hypertension
• Lowers blood sugar levels
• Its high antioxidant content, especially catechins, strengthens the immune system and is much more potent than vitamins C and E in stopping oxidative stress in cells.
• Helps control diabetes and prevent liver fibrosis
• Prevents signs of Alzheimer's
• Helps eliminate free radicals due to its high antioxidant content
• Improves the appearance of skin and nails
• Aids in fat burning and weight loss
• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and may prevent prostate, bladder, breast, and colorectal cancers.
• Promotes heart health by lowering cholesterol, triglycerides, and high blood pressure.
• Naturally curbs hunger and quenches thirst

The Antioxidant Power of Matcha

Despite its many properties, Té Matcha’s standout feature is its incredible antioxidant power. Antioxidants are compounds capable of reducing or preventing the oxidation of other substances, combating the agents responsible for aging and cell degradation. They also improve skin and nail appearance, maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and lower blood sugar, preventing diabetes and obesity.

Benefits of Té Matcha

This tea primarily strengthens the immune system and reduces stress. It also stimulates the mind while relaxing the body, making it ideal for meditation. Moreover, it helps prevent diseases such as cancer, infections, and cavities.

Why is Té Matcha so expensive?

The high price of Té Matcha is due to several factors. First, its production process is lengthy and labour-intensive to ensure a high-quality product. Second, it is an imported product from a distant country, and lastly, its growing popularity has contributed to higher prices. Matcha is genuinely expensive.

Each cup requires 1 to 2 grams of Té Matcha, and its price for 100 grams ranges from €7 to €64. However, quality teas can still be found at better prices.

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Is Té Matcha as healthy as they say?

While there is scientific evidence of its richness in antioxidants, there is also evidence of its lead content. This is due to the same reason: when you consume matcha, you consume the entire tea leaf, which stores both antioxidants and heavy metals. However, the amount of tea in an infusion, smoothie, or ice cream is minimal.

Contraindications of Té Matcha

For some people, Té Matcha may cause mild to severe side effects, depending on their body’s response.

• One of the most commonly attributed contraindications is that its caffeine content may cause insomnia, increased heart rate, irritability, headaches, among other issues. Likewise, caffeine may interfere with blood pressure medications.

• It’s best to consume organic or ecological Té Matcha, as its quality depends on the type of cultivation and may contain chemical residues from fertilizers.

• Té Matcha may also cause constipation and abdominal pain, as green tea can reduce the absorption of iron from food.

Who should avoid Té Matcha?

• People with heart conditions, stomach ulcers, or kidney disease.
• Those undergoing treatment for high blood pressure, as the caffeine in Té Matcha may interfere with the medication’s effects.
• Individuals with anemia, as the caffeine hinders iron absorption from food. It is advisable to wait two hours after meals before consuming tea.

How to Prepare Té Matcha

Traditional Style

This is practiced in the Japanese tea ceremony, a meticulous and lengthy process. The powder is placed in a large bowl called chawan, hot water is added, and it is whisked with a bamboo whisk called chasen until the mixture becomes homogeneous and forms a layer of foam on the surface.

Modern Style

It is vigorously mixed with water or blended into a smoothie or mixed with water or juices in a shaker.

Drinking Té Matcha for Weight Loss

1. Drinking hot Matcha is much more effective than drinking it cold.
2. Drink Matcha 30 minutes before exercising.
3. Have 2–3 cups of Matcha a day.
4. If you like it with milk, avoid adding sugar.
5. Ensure the Matcha is organic.