Discover the Power of Matcha – 5 Health Boosting Benefits That Will Blow Your Mind!

Matcha has skyrocketed in popularity lately, with matcha shots, lattes, teas and even desserts appearing everywhere from health stores to coffee shops.

Matcha contains the nutrients from the entire tea leaf, which results in a greater amount of caffeine and antioxidants than are typically found in green tea.

Here are our top 5 health boosting benefits of incorporating Matcha into your nutrition…

1. High In Antioxidants

Matcha is rich in catechins, a class of plant compounds in tea that act as natural antioxidants.

Antioxidants help stabilize harmful free radicals, which are compounds that can damage cells and cause chronic disease.

When you add matcha powder to hot water to make tea, the tea contains all the nutrients from the entire leaf. It will tend to have more catechins and antioxidants than simply steeping green tea leaves in water.

By one estimate, the number of certain catechins in matcha is up to 137 times greater than in other types of green tea (link).

2. Protects the Liver

The liver is vital to health and plays a central role in flushing out toxins, metabolizing drugs and processing nutrients.

One study gave 80 people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease either a placebo or 500 mg of green tea extract daily for 90 days.After 12 weeks, green tea extract significantly reduced liver enzyme levels. Elevated levels of these enzymes are a marker of liver damage (link).

3. Boosts Brain Function

Some research shows that several of the components in matcha could help enhance brain function.

One study in 23 people looked at how people performed on a series of tasks designed to measure brain performance. Some participants consumed either matcha tea or a bar containing 4 grams of matcha, while the control group consumed a placebo tea or bar.

The researchers found that matcha caused improvements in attention, reaction time and memory, compared to the placebo (link).

4. Protects Your Heart

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for an estimated one-third of all deaths in people over the age of 35.

Some studies have shown that drinking green tea, which has a similar nutrient profile to matcha, may help protect against heart disease.

Green tea has been shown to reduce levels of total and “bad” LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides (link, link).

Observational studies have also shown that drinking green tea is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke (link).

When combined with a well-rounded diet and healthy lifestyle, drinking matcha may help keep your heart healthy and protect against disease.

5. Helps You Lose Weight

Take a look at any weight loss supplement, and there's a good chance you'll see "green tea extract" listed in the ingredients.

Green tea is well known for its ability to enhance weight loss. In fact, studies show that it may help speed up metabolism to increase energy expenditure and boost fat burning.

One small study showed that taking green tea extract during moderate exercise increased fat burning by 17% (link).

The Bottom Line

Matcha comes from the same plant as green tea, but since it is made from the entire leaf, it packs in a more concentrated amount of antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds.

Studies have revealed a variety of health benefits associated with matcha and its components, ranging from enhancing weight loss to decreasing the risk of heart disease.

Best of all, the tea is simple to prepare, so you can incorporate it effortlessly into your diet and give your day a burst of extra flavor.