The health and fitness world is continuously getting attention due to recent discoveries in both food and exercises that provide benefits to a lot of people. Health advocates are successful in promoting a healthy lifestyle to others by introducing foods that provide massive benefits to an individual compared to its density, which they call superfoods.

One superfood that’s catching a lot of attention is matcha tea. What makes it different from the regular brewed green tea is that young tea leaves are pulverized to create matcha tea. There’s a lot more benefits in matcha than regular brewed green tea because the plants where matcha tea comes from are covered for a few weeks. This usually results in the distinct dark green color of matcha, which means that there’s more chlorophyll present in the leaves.

Drinking matcha tea on a regular basis will give you a wide range of health benefits as seen in this article and at this source.

1.    It cleanses your body.

As mentioned earlier, there’s more chlorophyll expressed in matcha tea compared to regular green tea. Chlorophyll can detoxify the body. Daily intake of matcha tea eliminates toxins and harmful chemicals in the body. It can also wash away heavy metals that can pose health risks in a person.

2.    It’s an excellent source of antioxidants

Matcha tea ranks the highest among all other superfoods regarding the level of antioxidants present per serving. It beats the infamous superfoods like pomegranate, blueberries, and spinach in the list.

Comparing matcha tea with its relatives, it still has the highest antioxidants among all other green teas in the market.

Antioxidants are essential compounds in our body that prevents free radicals from damaging the cells, which results in premature aging, cell degeneration and even developing the risk of getting cancer and other diseases.

3.    It has catechins that may prevent cancer

What makes matcha green tea unique is that it contains catechin which is a type of antioxidant that is very potent in fighting off cancer-related symptoms. The specific compound that inhibits the formation of cancer is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Some research showed that matcha green tea showed some effectiveness in decreasing tumor size associated with breast cancer, as well as cancer cells in the prostate glands.

4.    It improves cognitive function

Regular intake of matcha tea is also beneficial for brain health. One study found out that matcha tea can improve brain performance, regarding attention, concentration, and memory.

This can be attributed to the presence of caffeine in the drink which is proven to boost mental alertness. Another compound responsible that makes it good for the brain is the amino acid L- theanine which also enhances cognitive function.

5.    It reduces stress levels in the body.

Another great function of L-theanine that’s highly present in matcha tea is that it increases the concentration of alpha waves in the brain. The alpha waves bridge our conscious and subconscious mind. When these waves are present in the brain, it makes our body calm and relaxed.

6.    It provides an energy boost

Like coffee, matcha can also give you a boost in energy. The good thing when you choose matcha over coffee is that you won’t be experiencing side effects like jitters and shakiness. This is because of L-theanine which regulates the release of energy, thus resulting in a stable and prolonged energy boost.

7.    It increases your muscular endurance

Athletes who regularly drink matcha tea have better training performance than those who are non-drinkers. This is because of the caffeine present in the drink which aids proper distribution of energy in the muscles, enabling to perform strenuous workouts without getting tired after a short period. The effects of matcha tea can last up to six hours, so athletes that are competing in triathlons can include matcha tea as one of their staples in their training program so they can perform longer.

8.    It promotes healthy skin

If you want to have healthy, glowing skin, adding matcha tea in your regular diet will promote a healthy complexion. The antioxidants in matcha tea reduce blemishes and inflammation in your skin. It also regulates oil production, so it prevents acne.

9.    It aids in weight loss

You might notice that most weight loss supplements contain green tea extract as one of their potent ingredients. This compound can be found naturally in matcha tea. It aids in weight loss by increasing the rate of digestion and metabolism, thus making energy transformation in the body more efficient. Not only it help in weight loss, but it also functions well in maintaining a healthy body weight.

10.    It lowers blood pressure and prevents the risk of heart disease

Regular intake of matcha tea is proven to lower the levels of bad cholesterol which prevents the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and hypertension. Matcha tea, if included with a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition will maximize a person’s cardiovascular health.

11.    It boosts your immune system

Antioxidants found in matcha tea is essential to a strong immune system. This is because these compounds have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. People who drink matcha tea on a regular basis have a lower risk of developing illnesses. It also contains essential minerals like potassium, vitamin A and C that also help to boost a person’s immune system.

12.    It may reduce depression and symptoms associated with it

Aside from the ability of the amino acids present in matcha tea to relax the mind and body, it’s also involved in the production of serotonin and dopamine that can prevent depression and makes a person happy.

People who are suffering from depression experience lack of sleep. Some doctors would recommend intake of matcha tea to their patients with mental health problems to prevent difficulty in sleeping and therefore promote a faster recovery.

13.    It may prevent arthritis

Some studies have shown that drinking matcha tea may lessen the muscle pain experienced by patients with arthritis. This is because of the presence of polyphenols in tea that has anti-inflammatory properties. Matcha tea promotes healthy bone and cartilage as well. EGCG also functions as a molecule blocker of compounds that damage the joints.

Final thoughts:

Matcha tea is a superfood with a lot of health benefits in your body. A serving of matcha tea, together with proper nutrition and exercise will help you achieve a healthy lifestyle.