The 7 Unexpected Health Benefits of Matcha
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Matcha tea may be a big part of the wellness craze that's consuming the globe right now but it's long been woven into Japanese and Chinese culture, dating back more than 4000 years. Matcha is a seriously potent green tea that has some pretty unexpected health and beauty benefits from boosting fat burn to slowing down the ageing process, here are the 7 matcha health benefits worth knowing about.
Matcha Benefit #1 - It Burns Belly Fat
Hands up if you struggle with belly fat? Yes, me too. Apparently, green tea can help target that stubborn pocket of fat. According to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition participants were told to do 180 minutes of moderate exercise each week, half the group were given a beverage containing green tea catechins (an antioxidant naturally found in the tea) while the other half were given a placebo. In the end, the group drinking the catechin-based beverage lost more abdominal fat than those who weren't. In conclusion, the researchers suggested that drinking a beverage with 625mg/d of catechins "may enhance exercise-induced loss of abdominal fat." Worth a try, right?
Matcha Benefit #2 - It Helps You Feel Alert, Yet Relaxed
Unlike coffee that can leave you feeling alert, wired and downright jittery, matcha tea has the unique ability to create a simultaneous feeling of alertness and relaxation. This is thanks to the amino acid L-Theanine found in green tea, which is also responsible for the "unami" (or savoury) flavour the tea has.
Matcha does contain caffeine, so if you tend to have trouble sleeping when drinking coffee past 4pm set the same boundaries for your matcha consumption too.
Matcha Benefit #3 - It Bolsters Your Immune System
Green tea is rich in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) an antioxidant-rich plant phenol which has been found to have a positive effect on the immune system. Green tea has also been found to boost antioxidants in the body and reduce inflammation, making green tea a natural way to keep healthy year round and to potentially help ward off colds and flu come winter.
Matcha Benefit #4 - It Improves Memory Function
Do you ever walk into a room and forget why you're there? Are you constantly misplacing your car keys or mobile? Well, green tea could help give your memory function a welcome boost! One study found that the L-Theanine (you know, the amino acid that helps keep you alert) helped improve attention span, meaning you're less likely to get distracted and lose your car keys.
Matcha Benefit #5 - It May Slow Down Ageing
You read that right. Okinawa in Japan is known as a Blue Zone because it has the highest life expectancy in the world and the inhabitants, known as Okinawans, put that down to an antioxidant-rich diet. Of course, green tea is a big part of both their culture and their consumption.
Matcha Benefit #6 - It Keeps Gums Healthy
One study found that men who regularly drank green tea had better dental health than those who didn't. Researchers put it down to that all-important antioxidant catechin which is present in the tea. Since gum disease has been linked with Alzheimer's not only could drinking a cuppa of green tea a day help your gums, it could support your overall health in the long-run too.
Want to factor green tea into your daily diet? Click here to shop all the Bloom Matcha Teas.
