Matcha green tea, which has its roots in Japan dating back hundreds of years, is currently sweeping the globe. Matcha is created by pulverising entire green tea leaves into a fine powder using the same leaves as green and black tea. As a result, matcha powder retains more flavour and nutrients, making it both tasty and extremely healthful.
What flavour does it have?
You can make a bright drink with strong yet well-balanced, earthy flavour by brewing the green powder. Most matcha has a rich, green flavour with a nuttiness to it. It’s frequently described as umami, which entices you to take another sip at every opportunity.
Does matcha include caffeine in it?
Although it’s less than most cups of coffee, matcha does contain some caffeine. Compared to a cup of coffee, which has between 100 and 140 mg of caffeine, a cup of matcha typically has just approximately 70 mg.
However, matcha can actually keep you feeling alert for a lot longer than coffee does, as you’ll soon discover. Matcha’s caffeine concentration might change depending on the kind of leaves used, how much powder is used, and the length of brewing.
Matcha typically has 19–44 mg of caffeine per gramme. Matcha typically contains 2-4 grammes (1/2–1 teaspoon) per serving, which translates to 38–176 mg of caffeine. The amount of caffeine in coffee beans ranges from 10 to 12 mg per gramme.
Caffeine content in an 8-ounce (240 mL) cup with 10 grammes of coffee is about 100 mg. Therefore, a serving of matcha tea could have more or less caffeine than a serving of coffee, based on how concentrated it is.
Are matcha and coffee healthier for me?
Matcha is better for you overall and has less potential negative effects than coffee, despite the fact that both beverages have their unique health advantages. It benefits you in a variety of ways and is easier on the body. Matcha is the best option if you want all the caffeine without any of the negative effects of coffee.
- Matcha has several antioxidants
Matcha is a rich source of potent antioxidants (polyphenols), just like its cousin green tea. Matcha powder also retains even more of the beneficial ingredients thanks to the method of production, which involves grinding up the whole leaf. In fact, one of the foods with the highest antioxidant content is matcha.
Antioxidants have a variety of advantages. They can aid in the prevention of some types of cancer as well as the treatment of certain illnesses and infections. Matcha contains around ten times more antioxidants per cup than green tea, but coffee is devoid of them.
- Matcha controls your energy
Ever have jitters after consuming coffee? Or did you feel like you crashed a few hours later? That is due to the manner in which coffee delivers its caffeine. It takes place instantly and swiftly. As a result, you can feel jittery and hungry.
In addition, coffee can affect your levels of glucose and insulin. However, matcha provides a much “cleaner” caffeine high. Because the caffeine is released gradually, you get a longer, smoother energy boost.
The amino acid L-Theanine, which slows down the body’s absorption of caffeine, is to blame for this. Despite having less caffeine than a cup of coffee, matcha may help you stay alert for up to three hours longer. And none of this comes with a chance of being jittery.
As a result, those who wish to enjoy an energy boost but are particularly sensitive to caffeine may find matcha to be an excellent substitute.
- Matcha is not habit-forming
You may have experienced some negative affects if you’ve ever tried to kick your coffee habit. Some of the symptoms of coffee withdrawal include headaches, lethargy, nausea, and muscle discomfort.
The energy increase from coffee leads to withdrawal symptoms. Your body desires more coffee to duplicate the spike it just experienced since it comes so quickly.
You can really tell the difference when you don’t. Fortunately, matcha won’t cause you to experience the same issue. If you go a few days without a cup, you’ll still feel fine because your body won’t become as dependent on it.
- Matcha is better for your teeth
Matcha won’t discolour your teeth like coffee does. Even better, it might even make your oral health better. Matcha’s potent antioxidants battle oral germs that destroy teeth by growing there and multiplying.
Matcha can also lessen gum disease symptoms and minimise plaque accumulation. Matcha will eliminate coffee breath and improve your oral hygiene in general.
Conclusion
The amount of caffeine in matcha is higher than in conventional green tea. Caffeine content in one cup (240 mL) of green tea is thought to be around 30 mg. The amount of caffeine in 2-4 grammes (1/2–1 teaspoon) of matcha powder, or one serving, can range from 38–176 mg. However, research indicates that the kind, freshness, and brewing time of green tea all affect its caffeine concentration. According to one study, green tea has anywhere between 20 and 90 mg of caffeine per cup or 10 to 23 mg of caffeine per gramme of tea leaves. Matcha has 19–44 mg of caffeine per gramme, which is more than the majority of normal green teas.