Why should you drink less coffee and more matcha?

If you are always on the gram, love going to trendy cafes or consider yourself a foodie, you’ve probably heard of matcha green tea.

A traditional Japanese drink, Matcha has become quite popular recently and is a trending superfood, having received a lot of positive publicity because of its amazing health benefits. Matcha is antioxidant rich, boosts your metabolism, helps with stress and focus, reduces the risk of heart decease, to name a few.  

One of the most appealing health benefits of matcha powder is its ability to replace coffee. Yes, that’s right. You can replace your coffee with matcha powder and get all the good stuff coffee gives you, and more. A lot more.

You might be sipping your skinny oat milk latte wondering why would you do that? And, more importantly, is that really true?

Well, to answer that question, we first need to understand why people drink coffee. Coffee is the second most popular drink in the world (water takes the top spot). Yes, that’s right! A lot of research has been done to figure out why. The most common reasons for coffee’s popularity being culture, routine, social interaction, alertness and addiction.

For many people coffee is so entrenched in their morning routine, it’s the first thing they do when they get up or when they get to the office. Going for a coffee break with a co-worker or meeting a friend for a coffee is definitely part of most Australians’ social life. The subsequent energy boost is just a lucky side-effect! But how long does that energy last? Not long (about 2-3 hours). And what happens next? You need more coffee! It becomes an addiction. 

Now that we know why people drink coffee, it’s pretty easy to understand why people (for the most part) should drink less coffee. We aren’t saying coffee is bad for you. Unless you drink heaps of the stuff. We are firm believers that everything in moderation is the key to a healthy and happy life. However, we also believe that matcha powder can give you all the same benefits of a cup of coffee, plus more.

Consider everything coffee is known for. Now think about those benefits (energy, alertness, mood) without the caffeine high, the nervousness and the jitters caused by high caffeine levels. Replace them with antioxidants, sustained focus better wellbeing.

 Let’s check out the facts:

Less caffeine, L-theanine (hold on, we will get there) and energy for longer period?

Yeah, that’s it! How is that possible?

Matcha powder is made from tea leaves which are shade-grown for up to 20 days (or more) under reed or straw screens before harvest, dried and then stone ground into a densely nutritious powder. The shading process causes the plants to produce more chlorophyll (what gives matcha that deep green colour) and dramatically increases the amount of L-theanine, the key to sustained period of energy.

But what is L-theanine? L-theanine is an amino acid found in the Camellia Synesis tea plant and it is responsible for matcha’s naturally sweet taste. Green tea has the highest amount of L-theanine amongst all teas and, within the varieties of green tea, matcha powder has the highest concentrations due to the shading process it undergoes.

But what does L-theanine do? It allows our body to absorb the caffeine in matcha very slowly, which results in a sustained period of energy (up to six hours). Studies have shown that concentrations of at least 50 mg of the amino acid L-theanine increase Alpha brain waves, associated with increased creativity, increased performance under stress, and improved learning and concentration as well as decreased anxiety.

Besides that, the high amount of L-theanine present in matcha powder antagonizes the stimulatory effects of caffeine by decreasing serotonin levels that have been artificially elevated by caffeine. This means we can sustain the feeling of alertness longer, helping with concentration and focus.

• Antioxidants! Antioxidants! Antioxidants!

  • 137x more antioxidants than a low-grade green tea

  • Up to 3x more antioxidants than other high-quality green teas

  • Far more than coffee, which doesn't contain catechins, a family of antioxidants that have been linked to improved ageing and cancer fighting.

• Enhanced immune system

  • Matcha powder is rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients that help you boost your immune system.

• Burn more calories? WOW!!!

  • A compound in matcha called EGCG [epigallocatechin gallate] has been shown to boost the metabolism.

• and last, but not least … it tastes delicious!!!

We are not being biased here. Matcha is indeed delicious. If you’ve tried matcha and thought it was bitter, it’s because you haven’t tried good quality matcha. It’s critical to buy good quality matcha powder. The leaves from the first harvest will always make better quality matcha powder and Japanese farmers have perfected the art of growing, harvesting and producing Matcha powder over several hundred years, much like the French with their champagne. Our best matcha carries zero bitterness even when used in high amounts. It carries a vibrant rich green colour and it’s almost sweet. It’s packed full of L-Theanine and due to the flavour profile, you can use more (if you want) without having to sweeten it. 

We hope we’ve given you enough motivation to start incorporating matcha to your routine. If you want to get your hands on the highest quality matcha you can find click here and if you would like some suggestions on how to incorporate matcha to your daily routine click here.

Sabs & John