If you’ve been searching for a quick, easy and affordable way to boost your energy, lose some weight and just feel generally healthier, you’re not alone. So many others have tried, failed and continue to look for options online. And guess what, this might just be it.
The increasingly popular matcha tea could be the answer everyone’s been looking for. One cup a day is all it takes to reap countless health benefits.
What, Exactly, Is Matcha?
Matcha is a type of Japanese green tea prepared from the whole green tea leaf ground into fine powder. Add some hot water, and you’ve got yourself a healthy coffee substitute.
This tea is packed with antioxidants, with a cup of matcha equalling about 10 cups of ordinary green tea. These antioxidants are all-around helpers – boosting energy, aiding in weight-loss and preventing disease.
Here are 5 reasons why you will benefit from making matcha green tea a daily habit:
Matcha Is a Natural Energy Booster
Energy fuels everything you do, even the most basic everyday activities. Matcha does not only help sustain your optimal energy level but gives you a boost for days when you know you need an extra kick.
A single cup of matcha can give you an energy boost for a good 6-8 hours, and at the same time, sharpen your focus, memory and concentration.
This is due to matcha containing just enough caffeine and the amino acid L-theanine. The two collaborate to provide alertness and enhance the Alpha waves in your brain, resulting in better concentration.
If you’re finding yourself with scattered thoughts at times, this might just do the trick for you.
Matcha May Help You Lose Weight
For many of us, keeping weight is no easy task. Not all of us find ourselves surrounded with healthy food options and supportive people, and sometimes we just wish we had an easier way to inch ourselves back to a healthier lifestyle. Baby steps, right?
Matcha could be that first small step. As we age, our bodies require us to live healthier, and we should constantly seek more natural food and drinks to consume. Matcha happens to be calorie-free, chemical-free and sugar-free – but it also helps with weight loss by increasing metabolism.
Studies have also shown that matcha can help burn fat by up to 45% more. That’s no small number. The amino acids in matcha keep the body from absorbing all the fat we consume. They also keep the hormone leptin in check, which makes you feel full, so you can easily avoid those late-night food binges.
So, if you want to get rid of that stubborn midsection fat, maybe try adding a cup of matcha to your daily routine.
Matcha Can Keep You Healthy
A single cup of matcha green tea packs half the recommended daily intake of antioxidants, making it the best source of antioxidants among natural products.
For those who don’t know, antioxidants are naturally produced by the body. They are tasked to remove harmful agents that lead to all kinds of diseases. Unfortunately, our bodies just don’t make enough of these disease-busters.
Matcha contains the particularly powerful antioxidant EGCG. It is known to help prevent cell DNA damage, which can lead to cancer forming and spreading. So, if you’re looking to tip the odds your way, picking up a matcha habit is one great way to do it.
Matcha May Boost Immunity and Reduce Inflammation
Going back to those antioxidants in matcha. They increase your body’s production of T-Cells which fight pathogens and reduce the production of inflammatory chemicals in the body.
Therefore, if you find yourself dealing with swelling, muscle pains and the like, you might be surprised how much this drink can help you.
Matcha also packs high levels of flavonoids which create a strong antibacterial defence force. These flavonoids kill bad breath, fight bacterial and viral infections and can soothe a sore throat. How’s that for a power food? Drink a daily cup of matcha and bid the common cold goodbye.
Matcha Is Your Heart’s Best Friend
Many of us know that heart disease is one of the biggest killers in the world. While this is concerning, there’s good news, too. It’s actually preventable if you start watching what you eat and drink.
Managing your cholesterol is one path to a healthy heart. Studies have shown that drinking green tea daily has a positive impact on lowering bad cholesterol.
Since a single cup of matcha green tea is the equivalent of 10 cups of ordinary green tea in terms of antioxidants, drinking just one cup of matcha a day is a shortcut to lowering cholesterol levels.
Studies have also revealed that green tea may help treat high blood pressure because it inhibits the chemical ACE being secreted from the kidneys. Remember, a healthy heart is a happy heart!
Making the Move to Matcha
We all know that health is wealth, and if you’re looking to protect your health without breaking the bank or logging in hours of exercise, then maybe making the move to matcha is the change you need.
Just remember that not all matcha green tea is the same. It is important that you opt for high quality matcha to ensure the full health benefits mentioned above. Premium quality matcha comes from Japan, has a deep, vibrant green colour and non-bitter flavour.
Have you been introduced to the benefits of matcha? What do you think about the effects? Please share your experience with green tea.