Matcha Tea - Whats All The Hype About?

So before we can cover what the hype is all about and how you can use it to maximise your health and fitness goals it's best to understand what this vibrant green super tea actually is. 

What is matcha tea?

Matcha green tea is a shade-grown powdered green tea, which was introduced to Japan in the 12th century. It is a certified superfood, with its high antioxidant, vitamin and mineral content. What distinguishes matcha green tea from regular green tea is that before matcha green tea is harvested, its leaves are 'shaded' for around 20 days – if not longer depending on the weather each year – during spring. The process of shading reduces the amount of sunlight they receive, which in turn enhances their chlorophyll content. It is this component in the tea which gives it a bright green hue, boosts its nutritional levels and makes matcha a powerful nootropic by preserving the potent amino acid 'L-theanine' which it contains.

How can matcha green tea help me?

If you’re on a diet, a fitness fanatic or simply looking for body hacks, matcha green tea is a trusty aide. Why? Well, not only does the virtually calorie-free beverage make weight-loss programmes more sustainable by suppressing your appetite, if you’re exercising, it can also help you to shed an incredible 35-43% of your daily calorie-intake than the standard rate of 8-10% and Matcha Tea has also demonstrated an increase in endurance by up to 25%.

In fact, one study in which participants drank between 2 and 3 cups of regular green tea a day, saw the average participant shed around 1.5kg over the course of 3 months. Given matcha green tea’s superior characteristics and health benefits, it would be no stretch to hypothesise that it is a much more potent weight-loss tool.

Further to this, matcha green tea provides all of the energy of coffee with none of the jitter-inducing side-effects of coffee, thanks to its L-theanine content. Due to this amino acid, the energy is slowly released into your bloodstream over 3-6 hours given you a day-long energy boost. 

For those seeking a way to improve their health generally, matcha green tea is also well-recognised for its antioxidant, health-protecting and cholesterol-lowering properties.

How can I incorporate matcha green tea into my daily routine?

Below, you’ll find plenty of ideas to make matcha green tea work for you. It's such an easy product to incorporate into daily schedules that we have given you a few ideas here. Each is simple and quick, yet overtime it can add huge health benefits.

Keep toasty and hydrated whilst boosting your metabolism

For a daily pick-me-up that will quench your thirst and boost your metabolism, try our quick and healthy matcha infusion pods for water bottles. These simply drop into your water bottle, shake and go. 0% sugar with a subtle green tea taste.

Meditate

As one of the most effective stress-busting tools, meditation has been proven to reduce the likelihood of someone falling into depression. To get the most out of meditation, drink a cup of organic matcha green tea around 30 minutes prior to beginning your zen session. It will send L-theanine coursing through your veins, which consequently boosts the production of alpha waves. Alpha waves have been scientifically-proven to relax the mind and body.

Focus your mind

Matcha green tea has been shown to enhance concentration and bring about a laser-like focus by boosting the production of two neurotransmitters in the brain: serotonin and dopamine. Try an Iced Mint cup of Matcha green tea just before studying in order to ace your exams, nail that work project, complete a big presentation or get your head around a complex report.

Boost your energy levels the sustainable way

The average cup (237 ml) of matcha green tea, contains a combination of caffeine and L-Theanine. If you’re feeling sleepy, simply replace your daily dose of coffee for the much healthier matcha green tea and watch as it enhances your energy levels without the coffee-induced jitters.

Boost your Exercise

Drinking one of the matcha tea just 30 minutes before you engage in exercise, can help you to increase your overall performance out put and boost your metabolism. More specifically, it has been demonstrated to boost fat-burning metabolism which can therefore support the reduction in body weight, body mass index, body fat ratio, body fat mass, waist circumference and subcutaneous fat. 

Check out Kineta to find matcha green tea powder. All guaranteed to be 100% natural, vegan and gluten-free.