Highlights Of The Article
Matcha Tea – History And Processing How Matcha Tea Aids Weight Loss How To Prepare Matcha Tea At Home For Weight Loss How Many Cups Of Matcha Should You Drink? Where To Buy Organic Matcha Tea Matcha Tea Vs. Green Tea Health Benefits Of Drinking Matcha Tea Matcha Tea Side Effects Who Should Avoid Drinking Matcha Tea? Weight Loss Tips
Matcha Tea – History And Processing
This powdered green tea was discovered in China during the reign of the Tang Dynasty. But it was the Buddhist monks who brought matcha tea to Japan. It helped them meditate better, and as time passed, it became popular. Over the past 1000 years, matcha has become an integral part of the Japanese culture. It is used in the Chado ceremony, where two grades of matcha are used – Koicha (thick) and Usucha (thin). In this ceremony, the host prepares matcha tea using the traditional method of whisking the tea with a bamboo whisk. The processing of matcha is what makes it so special. The best quality of matcha tea plant is grown in the Uji region of Japan. The tea plants are covered with bamboo shades, allowing only 20% of sun rays to reach the plants. This process helps increase the chlorophyll levels of the leaves. Then, the leaf buds are plucked, steamed, dried, and stone ground to produce matcha tea. How does this tea aid weight loss? Find out next.
How Matcha Tea Aids Weight Loss
Low In Calories
Matcha tea is low in calories – 1 g contains about 3 calories (1). So, even if you have more than 2 g of the tea, you will not consume too many calories. And as you know, fewer the calories you consume, lesser the chances of those calories not getting used up and being stored as fat.
Rich In Antioxidants
Matcha tea is obtained from the same plant as green tea, Camellia sinensis. And, like green tea, matcha tea also contains the most abundant and proactive antioxidant, Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG). Scientists at the University of Colorado found that the EGCG content in matcha is 137 times more than Chinese green tea (2). And that’s because when you drink the tea, you consume the whole leaves, unlike most teas where you discard the leaves after steeping them in hot water for a few minutes. The antioxidants help flush out toxins, boost immunity, and reduce inflammation, which helps prevent weight gain and accelerates weight loss.
Boosts Metabolism
If you are trying to lose weight, you should pay attention to your metabolic rate. If your metabolic rate is slow, you will not be able to shed the fat, no matter how less you eat. Matcha green tea has been found to boost or speed up your slacking metabolism. The catechins present in the tea help improve the metabolic rate during and after exercise (3).
May Burn Fat
Fat burning is a biochemical process of breaking down large fat molecules into smaller triglycerides, and these triglycerides must be used up or excreted. Matcha tea is rich in catechins that increase the body’s thermogenesis from 8-10% to 35-43%. Moreover, drinking this tea can improve your exercise endurance and help you burn or mobilize fat (4).
Balances Blood Glucose
A constant spike in blood glucose or blood sugar levels can put you at the risk of being insulin resistant and diabetic. Matcha tea helps reduce and regulate the blood sugar levels as it contains a good amount of dietary fiber, which keeps you full for a long duration and prevents you from overeating (5). And when you don’t overeat, your glucose levels will not spike. This, in turn, will also prevent you from being prone to type 2 diabetes (6).
Lowers Stress
Stress triggers the secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone. When the cortisol levels are constantly high, your body goes into a state of inflammation. You start feeling fatigued, tired, restless, all at once. And the worst side effect of being stressed out is weight gain, especially in the belly region. Matcha tea is loaded with antioxidants that help scavenge the harmful oxygen radicals, lower inflammation, and prevent weight gain (7).
Provides Energy
Matcha tea also helps boost the energy levels, increases alertness, and makes you more proactive (8). The more active you feel, the more active you will be. This prevents you from being lazy, increases your stamina and endurance levels, and helps in weight loss.
Reduces Cholesterol
Matcha tea is the richest source of EGCG, an antioxidant that is found in most teas. Scientists found that EGCG helped reduce bad cholesterol levels in laboratory rats when they were fed high cholesterol food for 30 days (9). The underlying mechanism may be because EGCG inhibits bad cholesterol absorption (10).
Helps In Detoxification
Bad eating and lifestyle habits can lead to toxic build-up in your body. And toxic build-up is one of the reasons for weight gain. So, you need to detoxify your body every day. And what can be better than drinking matcha tea, which is loaded with antioxidants that help flush out the harmful free oxygen radicals (11)? Detoxification with matcha tea will help you lose weight, prevent constipation, improve digestion, build immunity, and boost your overall health. Matcha tea can aid weight loss in different ways, and all you have to do is prepare it the correct way and drink it. Let me show you how to prepare it at home in the next section.
How To Prepare Matcha Tea At Home
Preparing matcha tea is simple and is similar to making a cup of green tea. Here’s a video of how to prepare matcha tea the traditional way.
Chawan – traditional Japanese Matcha tea bowl Chasen – Bamboo whisk Chashaku – Bamboo scoop or spoon Sifter
½ teaspoon Matcha green tea powder 2-3 ounces of water at 185o F
Now that was simple, wasn’t it? Making matcha tea can be fun and relaxing. But how many cups should you drink to lose weight? Find out in the next section.
How Many Cups Of Matcha Should You Drink?
It is safe to drink about 3 cups of matcha green tea per day for weight loss. Since 1 cup of matcha contains about 70 g caffeine (1 cup of coffee contains 100 g caffeine), we recommend you not to overdrink it as you may experience an unpleasant spike in energy levels and withdrawal symptoms.
Where To Buy Organic Matcha Tea
You can buy matcha tea online or at a tea shop that sells good grade matcha tea.
Matcha Tea Vs. Green Tea
Any new tea variety can make you ask, “Is it really better or is it just another marketing trick?” Well, as discussed in the article, matcha tea contains about 10 times more antioxidants than green tea. Plus, it tastes great. Having said that, I would also like to add that matcha tea is great, but so is green tea. You can use both, but yes, you will see quick results with matcha tea. So, does matcha tea only help in weight loss? Or are there other benefits? Let’s find out.
Health Benefits Of Drinking Matcha Tea
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is an antioxidant found in most teas. However, since matcha tea is produced by grinding the whole tea leaves, and you drink the powdered tea without discarding the leaves, you get a lot more of the antioxidant as compared to any other tea. And it helps improve your health in the following ways:
It helps flush the toxins out. EGCG helps lower the stress levels and blood pressure. Keeps your heart healthy by lowering bad cholesterol levels and improving overall blood lipid profile. Matcha tea is also rich in dietary fiber, which keeps you full for a long period. This tea will improve hair and skin health. Since it helps lower blood sugar levels, it prevents the risk of diabetes. Helps to detoxify the liver.
Drinking matcha tea can surely make you lose weight and improve your health. But what can happen if you go overboard with it?
Matcha Tea Side Effects
If you consume more than 5 cups of matcha tea per day, you may experience the following:
Nausea Constipation Anxiety Insomnia Headache Diarrhea Heartburn
Who Should Avoid Drinking Matcha Tea?
Pregnant women and children should avoid drinking matcha tea. Also, always consult your doctor before drinking matcha tea for weight loss. He/She will be able to give you an expert opinion depending on your medical conditions, medical history, age, weight, current medications, etc. Now, you know all about matcha tea for weight loss. But what good it is if all its goodness just gets oxidized? Yes, matcha tea is prone to quick oxidation, and hence, you must know the right way to store it.
How To Store Matcha Tea
Here are the steps you can follow to store matcha and prevent it from oxidizing:
Wash an airtight container with soap water to prevent contamination. Let it dry in the sun. Scoop out the matcha tea powder and transfer it to the airtight container. Store it in a cool and dark cabinet in the refrigerator. If you haven’t opened the matcha tea pack yet, store it in the fridge.
Before I conclude, go through these weight loss tips that are going to help you lifelong.
Weight Loss Tips
Watch what you are eating – avoid junk and processed foods. Consume five different veggies every day. Consume three types of fruits every day. Drink at least 3 liters of water per day. Control your portions, even with veggies and fruits. Add protein to every meal. Consume full-fat milk. Add healthy fats to your diet. Do a mix of cardio, HIIT, and strength training. Have a protein drink if you are not getting enough protein from whole foods. Get 7 hours of sleep every night. Avoid late night snacking. Enjoy a cheat day every week (only if you have earned it). Walk and ride a bicycle. Try to stay stress-free. Practice yoga and meditation.
Is matcha tea expensive? Yes, it is expensive, but you will use half a teaspoon to make one cup of matcha tea. So, you can use a pack of matcha tea for a long time. The shelf life of this tea is 6-12 months, and it has innumerable health benefits. How much caffeine is present in Epic Matcha? Epic Matcha tea contains 29-37 mg of caffeine per serving. Can you use cold water to make matcha tea, or does it have to be hot? You can use both cold and hot water to make matcha tea. Make sure the water is below the boiling point if you want to make hot matcha tea. Which is better – culinary grade or ceremonial grade? Both taste great. It depends on whether you like matcha in the traditional Japanese form or the bitter-tasting (like coffee) culinary grade variant. Is it okay to drink matcha every day? Yes, it is okay to drink matcha tea every day. There is no evidence to suggest that regular consumption of matcha can have health repercussions. Does matcha stain teeth? Matcha contains tannins which may cause brown discolorations on the teeth. However, more research is warranted to support this claim (12). Can I drink matcha at night? As matcha contains caffeine, it is advisable to not consume it before bedtime.
