Does matcha tea have any health benefits?
Matcha has been talked about at times as a miracle cure, at times as a mere pleasure substance. Which one is true? We found out what the scientific studies on this tea have proved. At the end of the article, we have listed and linked all the sources used, so you can search for additional information directly from the sources.
Although the health effects are an important and interesting point, anyone can enjoy tea just for the taste and atmosphere.
GOOD MATCH INGREDIENTS: EGCG
All green teas contain an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG for short. It is a strong antioxidant that helps our body defend itself against diseases, among other things.
In 2003, researchers Weiss and Anderton (1) studied the EGCG content of matcha tea. They compared the concentration with that of other types of tea. According to research, matcha contains about three times the amount of EGCG flavonoids compared to other types of green tea. Other colored teas lag even further behind.
Matcha therefore contains a relatively large amount of antioxidants typical of tea. EGCG is a big reason why the health effects of matcha are considered important and studied.
EFFECT ON HEALTH RESEARCHED
The health effects of matcha have been studied a lot over the next few years. Research has focused on matcha's effects on general aspects of health, such as stress, fat burning and performance. Due to the small size of the research groups, the results often cannot be generalized. However, they give an indication of matcha's potential.
Stress . Matcha's effect on stress has been studied by K. Unno and others in 2018 (2) . The study was carried out on mice with the help of two research groups: some of the mice received matcha and others received a placebo. The study concluded that matcha alleviated the symptoms of stress.
Fat burning . Researchers Willems and others found in their 2018 study (3) that drinking matcha promoted fat burning in young women. Thirteen young women participated in the study. They consumed 3 servings of matcha the day before and another serving 2 hours before the test. In the test, they walked for about half an hour, and the researchers found that matcha increased fat burning during the performance.
Performance . Matcha's effect on performance that requires thinking has also been studied. In 2017, Dietz and others (4) found out how consuming matcha affects various tasks that require brain work. The researchers state that matcha helped to perform in psychomotor tasks and in tasks that required attention.
SHOULD YOU DRINK OR EAT MATCHA?
The powdery texture of matcha tea makes it easy to add it to various dishes and pastries. In addition to its great taste, matcha brings its colorful green hue to dishes.
Matcha tea is traditionally enjoyed as a drink. It is mixed with hot water and consumed as is. Various mixed drinks, such as matcha latte, have also been popular in recent years.
In 2017, it was investigated (4) whether matcha is more beneficial to the body when eaten or drunk. The results showed that the body made better use of matcha consumed as a drink.
So if you want to make the most of matcha's benefits, you should do it by drinking it.
MATCH EFFECTS
Matcha can therefore have positive effects on health. However, it's nice to set the mood with tea anyway. A cup of hot, frothy matcha offers an enjoyable moment that is perfected when shared among friends. Light a few more candles and breathe deeply - and the relaxation effect starts to be clearly noticeable.
SOURCES
1 Weiss, DJ & Anderton, CR 2003 : Determination of catechins in matcha green tea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Journal of Chromatography A: Volume 1011, Issues 1-2, p. 173-180. Published on September 5, 2003
2 Unno K. and others 2018 : Stress-reducing function of matcha green tea in animal experiments and clinical trials. Nutrients. 2018 October, 10: 1468. Published online 10/10/2018.
3 Willems et al. 2018 : Matcha green tea drinks enhance fat oxidation during brisk walking in females. International journal of sport Nutrition and exercise metabolism 28(5):1-21. In January 2018.
4 Dietz, C. et al. 2017 : An intervention study on the effect of matcha tea, in drink and snack bar formats, on mood and cognitive performance. Food Rest Int. September 2017. 99(Pt 1): 72-83.
