From time-to-time, I like to splurge on labels. So, you can bet I did the same when I discovered a new a magical powder that can help me loose weight, slow aging and reduce my risk for cancer. These benefits have catapulted matcha to be my new morning go-to drink.
I am still crazy for kale and coo-coo for coconuts. But I've recently stumbled upon a new superfood: matcha. Matcha is green tea, but processed and consumed in a different form. Matcha is the result of a process that involves grinding green tea leaves to a fine powder. And this is what you receive when you purchase it: an expensive can of green powder.
There are also some distinctions in the harvesting and growth process which leads to selection of higher quality leaves, but the real difference you will notice is in tea preparation. To do so, you simply mix the powder directly into hot water, as opposed to the traditional tea-preparation method. Traditionally, green tea preparation requires the discarding of the tea leaves before consumption once some of their essence has been infused into hot water. With matcha, you are quite literally ingesting the tea leaves themselves.
I might be a bit late to the game with my finding on this one. Matcha has been quickly gaining steam as the new "it" superfood for at least a year. These days you can find this powder mixed into everything from smoothies to baked-goods. Apparently, this magical green powder was the talk of last year's New York Fashion Week. (I'll be sure to tell you about what they are talking about this year in my 2017 blog post :)) And, to give credit where it is due, matcha has long been consumed in Asia from where the tradition originated around 1000 years ago.
So, what are the pros of consuming matcha over traditional, steeped green tea? Aside from the obvious observation that you are consuming a higher concentration nutrients from higher quality green tea leaves, some research has suggested that the antioxidants found in matcha can protect against heart disease and slow the growth of cancer cells. Moreover, these same antioxidants have been found to increase metabolism and act as an anti-aging agent.
Still, I recommend consuming only one cup a day. As we all know, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. With matcha, I can give you two good reasons this is true. Firstly, matcha contains a lot of caffein. We all know there is caffein in green tea. When you drink concentrated green tea powder, you will obviously consume more of it. The caffeine found in a single serving of matcha can contain around the same amount as that of brewed black coffee.
But, more importantly, at least one study by ConsumerLab has shown that matcha can contain high amounts of heavy metals, such as lead. When green tea is grown in lead contaminated soil, it is then absorbed by the plant. By consuming matcha, and ingesting a larger amount of the plant itself, you risk consuming a higher amount of lead. For plants grown in contaminated soil, it has been shown that tea produced from matcha can contain almost double the amount of lead as that of traditional, steeped tea.
One way to avoid the potential for consuming high amounts of lead is to be mindful of the source of your matcha. High concentrations of heavy metals in matcha have been found in tea imported from China. But, less so from Japan. For example, the brand Teavana was found to contain no detectable led in the aforementioned study by ConsumerLab. Alternatively, many producer commit to heavy metals testing which can provide some consumer confidence. So, be mindful of the source of your matcha. Of course, this can lead to increased costs as the pricier brands from Japan are better quality products. So, if you are looking to try matcha for the first time, you might want to spend a little more.
Personally, I love my new morning beverage and I hope you do too. Live healthy and be creative; life is more interesting when you add variety.
If your interest in magical Matcha is piqued, it's always best to do your own research and consult a medical professional before altering your diet. Below you will find a few articles that I found useful in conducting my research.
Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD. "7 Things You Should Know About Matcha." Health. March 27, 2015.
Daily Health News. "Matcha Tea Can Be Super Healthy - If You Head This Warning." BottomLineInc. August 17, 2015.
ConsumerLab. "What's Really In Green Tea Supplements, Brewable Teas, and Bottled Drinks?" Originally posted: December, 21 2012; Updated on: August, 25 2015.
Laura Johannes. "Does Matcha Beat Green Tea in Health Benefits?" Wall Street Journal. December 14, 2015.
