Why it’s all about matcha
Matcha powder is everywhere: in teas and lattes, sprinkled into smoothies, and even in cakes – but far from a recent discovery, it has an impressive history. Originating from Japan back in the 8th-century, its name literally translates to ‘powdered tea’ – but what is it about this fine green powder that gives it unique health benefits?
The experts at Pukka Herbs have given us the lowdown:
1 Boost your skin’s natural beauty
Plants are naturally brimming with compounds that protect us from those nasty ‘free radicals’ that are known for ageing our skin. Green tea and the super-concentrated form of green tea, matcha, are known for fighting back the damage caused by free radicals.
2 Calm from the inside out
When we are stressed we produce more cortisol, which gives us inflamed, irritated and sensitive skin. Matcha is grown in the shade, causing it to produce more of the amino acid l-theanine, which is known for its positive effects on skin. These higher levels work nicely with the low levels of caffeine in green tea; in turn creating alertness as well as a deep sense of calm (unlike other caffeinated drinks, such as coffee and black tea).
3 Drink green, get lean
Matcha helps to burn body fat by a process called thermogenesis, so much so that you can burn fat four times faster than your usual metabolism.
4 Feel-good factor
A protective compound, levels of l-theanine are five times higher in matcha than in green tea alone. L-theanine increases serotonin and dopamine – giving you the feel-good factor and bringing you clarity.
5 Antioxidant fix
One cup of organic matcha tea has 100 times the antioxidants compared with green tea, and gram for gram, 100 times more than spinach. This amount of matcha tea has 20 times the amount of antioxidants as the same weight of blueberries (and is a lot cheaper – bonus!).
6 You can never have too much
The best time to drink matcha is before a large meal as it’s a good blood sugar regulator. However, whatever time of day you’d like to drink it will help maintain a level of beneficial compounds in the blood stream.
Try Pukka Herbs’ new matcha tea range: Ginseng Matcha Green, Clean Matcha Green and Mint Matcha Green. Check out the other teas in their collection at hollandandbarrett.com.
