Matcha has skyrocketed in popularity lately with matcha lattes, teas and desserts popping out everywhere from celebrities Instagram feeds to health stores and hipster cafes.

Known for its umami flavour and deep green colour, matcha has become quite popular among health and fitness enthusiasts for its ability to enhance weight loss.  

Take a look at any weight loss supplement and “green tea extract” will very likely be one of the ingredients - the ultimate ingredient for fat-loss as described by many manufacturers.

Matcha is a green tea that has been shade-grown, de-veined, de-stemmed and ground into a very fine powder. The leaves are the same as the regular green tea leaves you are familiar with, but the preparation and method of consumption is different. Whereas with regular green tea we brew the leaves in hot water and then consume only the water, with matcha we dissolve the whole leaf in water thereby consuming more of its amazing benefits.  

Looking from this perspective, it makes sense to believe matcha will help you lose body fat. It’s logical, right? If matcha is a more powerful green tea and green tea is widely known for its ability to help with weight loss, matcha must be the secret for weight loss.

Well, not really. As much as we would like to say what a bunch of other matcha companies say “drink matcha and you will shed that unwanted belly fat and get that waistline you have always wanted”, it’s not so simple.

Some matcha companies promise weight loss benefits, but at Shoshin Matcha we always stick to scientific evidence to educate our clients about the benefits of our favourite drink!

There are, in fact, a few studies that show that green tea, in particular matcha, may help speed up metabolism to increase energy expenditure and boost fat burning.

One small study showed that taking green tea extract during moderate exercise increased fat burning by 17%. Another study found that taking a green tea extract supplement significantly boosted 24-hour energy expenditure, compared to a placebo and a more recent review of 11 studies also showed that green tea reduced body weight and helped maintain weight.

We could quote another dozen of studies that suggest EGCG, the major antioxidant in green tea, is linked to potential weight loss benefits and that Matcha has more EGCG than regular green tea. The EGCG concentration from drinking matcha is three times higher than that of regular high-quality green tea and 137 times higher than low quality green tea. Studies also show that the EGCG in matcha may boost your metabolism during moderate-intensity exercise, which can enhance weight loss and help burn fat.

It’s safe to say that drinking high quality matcha can definitely help with fat burn and weight loss. However, matcha is not a super hero (or super food as matcha companies love to label it). Matcha is only one part of a well-rounded regimen. It needs to be paired with a healthy and balanced diet and regular exercise.

Can you have a matcha doughnut or a matcha ice-cream and lose weight? Not really, unless you are in a calorie deficit still after eating it! What about matcha cupcakes? Same as above. But how about a matcha latte from my local café? Well, if it’s made with high quality matcha, at the right temperature, with low fat / low calorie form of milk, yes, as part of a balanced diet with exercise. But those matcha lattes made with cheap low quality matcha mixed with sugar? Probably not!

It’s common sense guys. Kale, broccoli and cauliflower are good for you, but if you deep fry them and cover them with cheese, we are sure most doctors would say you are better off not having them at all.

At Shoshin, we love and drink matcha every day because it’s good for you and because we love the umami taste of matcha.

Most of the time we will consume matcha in the simplest ways, as tea or as matcha latte with no sugar. These preparations are actually very healthy for you and can assist you with your weight loss. However, sometimes we will have a matcha cookie, a matcha cupcake or even a matcha cocktail. And that’s fine too.

We believe life is all about balance, we can enjoy all the health benefits of matcha (weight loss and fat burning being one of them) and also indulge ourselves with a matcha lava cake when we feel like. 

If we look at the Japanese, known for longevity and low incidence of obesity and cardio vascular diseases and where a lot of matcha is consumed, drinking matcha is just a small part in a big jigsaw. Their lifestyle contributes to that!

If you are enjoying matcha for the health benefits, it’s important to consider the preparation. Have it as a tea (matcha + water), as a matcha latte (matcha + water + milk of your choice) without any sugar or honey or oils (even the healthy ones!), as sparkling matcha (matcha + sparkling water + lime) or even as a healthy smoothie or juice!

Embrace the Shoshin philosophy and be open to try different and creative healthy preparations. To help you with that, in the next couple of weeks we will come up with a series of healthy matcha recipes! Feel free to send yours to info@shoshinmatcha.com so we can share it with our community!

Sabs & John

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