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Matcha

What is matcha?

Matcha is a high-quality, finely ground green tea that is known for its characteristic strong green color. Matcha is consumed as a beverage and added to food and beverages as a natural coloring and flavoring agent. Green tea has become a very popular drink and supplement due to its significant health-promoting properties and a growing number of people are beginning to recognize the specific benefits of matcha.

Where does matcha come from?

Matcha originates from Japan, where this tea plays an important role in traditional tea ceremonies. Although it may sound surprising, the majority of the different teas we enjoy are derived from the same plant with the Latin name Camellia sinensis. The main difference is how the leaves grow and how they are picked and processed. Matcha is a variant of green tea that differs from other green teas in that it grows away from sunlight. As a result, the plant grows slowly and more chlorophyll and amino acids - especially L-theanine - accumulate in the leaves. This process is responsible for the vibrant color and additional health benefits of matcha. After plucking, the leaves are heated to stop the oxidation process that produces black tea. The leaves are then dried and ground into powder.

Benefits of matcha

There are few people who are not familiar with the benefits of green tea. Matcha is highly prized as it is believed to be an even richer source of the nutrients that make green tea a superfood. Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is often referred to as the primary active ingredient in green tea. Scientific research has shown that this powerful antioxidant is present in matcha in a concentration 137 times higher than in regular, commercially available green tea. Other studies show that the amount contained in matcha is at least three times the concentration mentioned in another scientific source on green tea (Weiss & Anderton 2003). EGCG is of great interest to the scientific community and its effectiveness in treating a wide range of diseases including cancer, HIV, diabetes and heart disease has been studied extensively (Al-Dukalli et al 2009). ECGC has also been associated with weight loss support and has been the subject of thousands of scientific studies. There is evidence that regular consumption of green tea can reduce body fat by increasing thermogenesis, or the burning of energy to produce heat (Rains et al 2011), with increases of almost 20% observed when large amounts of green tea extract are consumed (Venables et al 2008). As a highly concentrated source of EGCG, matcha is an even more efficient way than conventional green tea to consume this fat-burning antioxidant. Matcha is also rich in theanine, a polyphenol related to caffeine that is believed to reduce stress (Kimura et al 2007), and improve mood and cognitive function (Park et al 2011). Chlorophyll is what gives matcha its vibrant color and this tea is a rich source of this plant pigment. Many people believe that chlorophyll has detoxifying effects. Matcha also contains vitamin A, vitamins of the vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E and a selection of essential minerals.

Benefits for bodybuilders

Matcha is something that has benefits for many people, but it is of particular interest to people like bodybuilders who put their bodies under a lot of stress. Stress caused by intense physical training causes oxidative damage. Antioxidant-rich matcha tea can prevent this damage by neutralizing free radicals.

For people who want to lose and define fat, there is nothing better than this tea. The EGCG contained in matcha stimulates the metabolism to accelerate fat burning, while theanine has the potential to keep the user calm and energized, giving them a mental edge.

Side effects, safety and disadvantages

There are few side effects associated with matcha and other varieties of green tea, with stomach upset being the most common side effect when consumed in large quantities. People who are very sensitive to caffeine should bear in mind that green tea also contains this stimulant, albeit in smaller quantities than black or coffee. There is also the possibility that EGCG may interact with some prescription drugs, including some anti-cancer drugs (Chow et al 2003). The detoxifying effects of chlorophyll are often cited as a benefit of matcha - but in reality there is no scientific evidence that chlorophyll has any benefits in the human body. Many of the other health benefits attributed to matcha have been studied and confirmed. However, if you look at the overall data, the results are encouraging but inconclusive. However, in the absence of disease or other circumstances that prohibit its consumption, no doctor is likely to advise against the consumption of moderate amounts of matcha unless the patient is relying on any healing effects of this tea.

Recommended intake and timing of intake

Most scientific studies that have looked at tea catechins such as EGCG have used high concentrations of this extract or large quantities of tea. Matcha is a very concentrated version of green tea, which in theory at least means that you need to consume less of it. One cup per day (1 gram or half a teaspoon of dry powder) is the amount generally recommended for maintaining good health. The stimulating effects of matcha last for about six hours.

Matcha supplements

Green tea extract has long been one of the basic ingredients in fat burners and there are also numerous green tea extracts on the market as a mono-preparation. Matcha is the natural way to enjoy concentrated green tea and is added to numerous greens products, antioxidants and superfood supplements in its natural form.

Combinations of matcha with other supplements

Matcha combines well with other ingredients such as L-carnitine and caffeine, which stimulate metabolism and cognitive function. It is best to consume matcha at a distance from protein, as there is research suggesting that protein may inhibit the absorption of EGCG (Egert et al 2013).

References

  1. Al-Dukaili et al (2009), Effects of green tea consumption on blood pressure, total cholesterol, body weight and fat in healthy volunteers. Endocrine Abstracts, 20: 470
  2. Chow et al (2003), Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Green Tea Polyphenols after Multiple-Dose Administration of Epigallocatechin Gallate and Polyphenon E in Healthy Individuals. Clin Cancer Res, 9: 3312-3319
  3. Egert S, Tereszczuk J, Wein S, Müller MJ, Frank J, Rimbach G, Wolffram S. Simultaneous ingestion of dietary proteins reduces the bioavailability of galloylated catechins from green tea in humans. Eur J Nutr. 2013 Feb;52(1):281-8.
  4. Kimura, Kenta; Ozeki, Makoto; Juneja, Lekh Raj; Ohira, Hideki (2007). "L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses". Biological Psychology 74 (1): 39-45.
  5. Park, Sang-Ki; Jung, In-Chul; Lee, Won Kyung; Lee, Young Sun; Park, Hyoung Kook; Go, Hyo Jin; Kim, Kiseong; Lim, Nam Kyoo et al. (2011). "A Combination of Green Tea Extract andl-Theanine Improves Memory and Attention in Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study". Journal of Medicinal Food 14 (4): 334-43.
  6. Rains TM, Agarwal S, Maki KC. Antiobesity effects of green tea catechins: a mechanistic review. J Nutr Biochem. 2011 Jan;22(1):1-7
  7. Venables et al (2008), Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans. Am J Clinc Nutr. 87: 778-784
  8. Weiss DJ, Anderton CR. Determination of catechins in matcha green tea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. J Chromatogr A. 2003 Sep 5;1011(1-2):173-80.