MATCHA TEA BENEFITS – an antioxidant powerhouse

1. MATCHA TEA BENEFITS – an antioxidant powerhouse Matcha has an incredible list of nutritional and health benefits, one of which being it’s CRAZY levels of antioxidants! We will be diving deeper into the benefits of matcha green tea, at the antioxidant level in this article –you’ll be drinking it by the litre after reading it (maybe don’t though because you might not sleep for years, ha!) What are antioxidants? Antioxidants are compounds that found that fall under the vitamins and minerals group that works to fight against free radicals. Free radicals can be generated by high exposures to chemicals, life-stress, bad diets diets, alcohol, pesticides, smoking and even a sedentary lifestyle. They essentially are unstable molecules in the body that are notorious for wreaking havoc in our systems by damaging cells and tissues (1). Antioxidants on the other hand exist solely to fight against these free radicals and remove them from the body- woohoo! Where are they found? In addition to being found in ample amounts in matcha and green tea, they can be found in a tonne of other plant sources such as vegetables, fruits, leaves, spices, cereal crops and even oilseeds. Foods with bright and vibrant colours generally have high amounts of antioxidants (like matcha!) Why are the antioxidants in matcha so good for you? A study that looked into the best harvest season for optimal antioxidant activity showed that green tea that is harvest between late spring and early summer are the best at getting rid of free-radicals in the body! Tea leaves for matcha are picked at exactly this time so you get the optimal antioxidant/free-radical fighting properties from matcha! (2) Matcha has also been found to have 137x the concentration of normal green tea (3)- that’s 137x the antioxidant benefits that matcha tea has over green tea! The benefits of antioxidants in matcha and green tea Cancer fighter: For centuries, people have been consuming green tea in all it’s forms and during al it’s different harvest times (you may have seen the different types of green tea such as Sencha, tencha, hojicha as well as matcha). Studies have shown that in Shizuoka, Japan, where green tea drinking and producing is huge, there is a very low rate of death from cancer. (2) Reducing bad cholesterol: The antioxidants in found in green tea and thus matcha has also been found to play a role in reducing LDL cholesterol (the bad one). Reduces blood sugar and blood pressure: Additionally the green tea catechins (this is the type of antioxidant in matcha) also can help with regulating blood pressure and blood sugar- this is especially important for people with diabetes (YAY). The findings surround matcha tea benefits are incredible, and this is just ONE of the compounds in it that contributes to optimal health.

2. 1.Olivo, L. (2018). Consumers seek added nutritional boost from antioxidants: Market growth expected as supplement users look to support general health and wellness. Nutraceuticals World, 21(2), 40. 2.Narasimhan, R., Osawa, T., Ochi, H., Kawakishi, S. (1995). The Contribution of plant food antioxidants to human health. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 6(3), 75- 82. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-2244(00)88967-0 3.Weiss, D.J., Anderton, C.R. (2003). Determination of catechins in matcha green tea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Journal of Chromatography A, 1011(1-2), 173-80.