If it feels such as you’ve been seeing a variety of matcha-flavored drinks, truffles, and cookies of late, you’re not flawed. The recognition of this Japanese inexperienced tea powder appears to know no bounds, with consumption reaching a document excessive final 12 months¹. This 12 months, the marketplace for the drink reached a price of a whopping $4.3 billion, and demand is so excessive that suppliers are having a tough time producing sufficient matcha to sate the world’s thirst.

It’s no shock that matcha is so common. With an earthy taste and a vibrant inexperienced shade, it’s the excellent balancing base for a not-too-sweet latte or dessert. However maybe much more important to its success are matcha’s well being advantages, which have an effect on all the things from pores and skin to intestine well being, to emotional wellbeing and sleep.

What Is Matcha Made Of?

Matcha is a powder produced from finely floor inexperienced tea leaves — basically, inexperienced tea focus. True matcha is produced from tencha, a shade-grown inexperienced tea leaf that has a richer focus of vitamins and amino acids than inexperienced tea alone. And since inexperienced tea already boasts so many well being advantages, it ought to come as no shock that matcha is a veritable powerhouse of bioactive compounds.

“Not like steeped inexperienced tea, matcha entails consuming the complete leaf in powdered type, (basically an entire meals) resulting in greater concentrations of polyphenols, L-theanine, and caffeine,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Trattner A.P, DOM. “I’ve been ingesting matcha for shut to twenty years and discover it to be a superior alternative over espresso and different superfood drinks.”

New Analysis Showcases Matcha’s Advantages for Emotional Notion and Sleep

Final 12 months, Japanese researchers revealed a research in PLOS One specializing in the results of matcha dietary supplements on older Japanese adults between 60 and 85 years of age with gentle cognitive impairment or decline². They discovered that the dietary supplements improved contributors’ emotional notion — for instance, their identification of facial feelings. The dietary supplements had been additionally discovered to reinforce the standard of the contributors’ sleep.

“The current research suggests common consumption of matcha may enhance emotional notion and sleep high quality in older adults with gentle cognitive decline,” the research authors wrote. “Given the widespread availability and cultural acceptance of matcha inexperienced tea, incorporating it into the every day routine could supply a easy but efficient technique for cognitive enhancement and dementia prevention.”

Different Well being Advantages of Matcha

So, is matcha wholesome? Nicely, these new findings be a part of a litany of different beforehand recognized well being advantages of matcha. Matcha is wealthy in catechins, significantly EGCG, a strong antioxidant. In a 2014 research within the European Journal of Diet, these polyphenols had been discovered to cut back blood strain and enhance lipid metabolism, supporting cardiovascular well being general³.

Matcha for Wholesome Pores and skin

EGCG can also be answerable for matcha’s pores and skin advantages, in line with Trattner, who has discovered that the polyphenol has phenomenal anti-inflammatory and antioxidant results for her sufferers. And it’s not simply matcha — she cites scientific analysis revealed in Antioxidants in 2016 displaying that inexperienced tea extracts may also help cut back sebum manufacturing, enhance pimples, and even help the pores and skin’s resilience towards UV publicity and photoaging⁴.

“That is doubtless resulting from its potential to neutralize free radicals earlier than they will injury collagen or speed up seen growing older,” she explains, “each vital elements residing in Miami the place we see extra pimples and solar injury and going into hotter months of the summer time.” 

Matcha for Intestine Well being

Should you solely drink inexperienced tea for the pores and skin advantages, it will nonetheless be value it — however that’s not all it presents. Matcha has additionally been discovered to be useful for intestine well being, with a 2023 research within the Journal of Scientific Biochemistry and Diet discovering that simply two weeks of every day matcha consumption considerably modified the microbial composition of intestine microflora⁵. 

Extra particularly, matcha elevated the prevalence of Coprococcus, a genus of micro organism that has been related to improved temper and cognition⁶. On the flip facet, an absence of Coprococcus has been linked to greater incidence of metabolic illnesses like diabetes. Trattner highlights this “promising” discovery, noting that it suggests matcha’s well being advantages are way more widespread than we could have beforehand thought.

A Bona Fide Mind Booster

Regardless of the numerous wonderful results of matcha, Trattner believes that these well being advantages pale compared to matcha’s brain-boosting energy. “Essentially the most thrilling findings are these confirming what Buddhist monks intuited centuries in the past — matcha creates a novel state of targeted calm,” she says.

“Matcha’s conventional use amongst Zen Buddhist monks as a pre-meditation tonic underscores its deep roots in ritual and mindfulness,” Trattner continues. These powers have been clinically confirmed in research like a 2008 randomized managed trial revealed within the Asia Pacific Journal of Scientific Diet⁷. “This distinctive neurochemical profile is why matcha stays foundational in my private and scientific rituals at present,” she says.

These advantages come right down to the pure presence of two important substances in matcha: caffeine and L-theanine. The latter is an amino acid that has been discovered to loosen up the thoughts with out inflicting drowsiness⁸. It has even been discovered to cut back stress and anxiousness, in line with a 2016 analysis evaluate within the Journal of Diet and Middleman Metabolism⁹. 

Matcha vs. Espresso

While you examine the caffeine in matcha vs. espresso, espresso wins out — however extra caffeine isn’t at all times higher. The synergy between caffeine and L-theanine in matcha, explains Trattner, “promotes a state of calm alertness, bettering response time and focus with out jitteriness.” She cites a 2010 research in Dietary Neuroscience showcasing the ability of this double-whammy of caffeine and L-theanine¹⁰. 

Seeing as a single gram of matcha incorporates a whopping 44.64 mg of L-theanine (as in comparison with about 6.56 mg per gram of normal inexperienced tea)¹¹, it’s an unimaginable help in selling what Trattner characterizes as “a meditative but alert state.” Most individuals wouldn’t precisely name the results of espresso “meditative,” so it’s secure to say the L-theanine makes a distinction.

Not All Matcha Provides the Similar Well being Advantages

Sadly, not all matcha is created equal. In response to Trattner, it’s important to supply matcha rigorously, seeing as many cheaper manufacturers are contaminated with heavy metals like lead, aluminum, and chromium. “This contamination can come from soil and air air pollution in non-pristine rising environments,” she says. 

Certainly, a 2020 research in Proof-Primarily based Complementary and Various Medication discovered that a number of business inexperienced tea merchandise exceeded allowable limits for lead and chromium¹². It’s one thing we at all times need to take heed to in our pursuit for well being. A 2023 research in Diet and Well being discovered that “superfoods” like quinoa, chia, and goji berries had been typically closely contaminated with poisonous heavy metals¹³, and the identical goes for dietary supplements like protein powder.

Tips on how to Supply Clear Matcha

For the very best quality and most well being advantages, Trattner recommends sourcing matcha from Japan, significantly from the areas of Uji or Kyoto. These matcha powders have stricter agricultural requirements, she says, that means that there’s a decrease threat of contamination. “Keep away from matcha from China, India, and areas like Fukushima in Japan),” she suggests.

She recommends looking for out shade-grown matcha, aka tencha, which incorporates extra chlorophyll and amino acids. She additionally suggests searching for ceremonial-grade matcha, which is produced from the primary harvest, bettering each its taste and well being advantages. Natural merchandise which have been third-party examined are perfect, she says, noting that labels also needs to embody a harvest date and tracing data.

Her manufacturers of alternative embody Matcha Kari, based by Dr. Andrew Weil which is obtainable in ceremonial grade, culinary grade, and a ceremonial barista mix which is type of in between the primary two choices. “[Dr. Andrew Weil] has been an enormous proponent of matcha for the reason that 1970’s and has been capable of supply a number of the finest matcha for client use, having spent over 50 years going forwards and backwards understanding the matcha market in Japan earlier than it grew to become a fad right here within the States and all over the world,” she explains.

She additionally loves the matcha choices from matcha.com. This firm, she says, “prides itself for its transparency and dedication to genuine, ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from pristine Japanese farms. Their matcha aligns with each fashionable requirements and conventional knowledge.”

Sources:

1. https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2025/04/09/matcha-trend-boosting-sales-but-threatening-supply/
2. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0309287
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24861099/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28036057/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36936880/
6. https://www.cambridge.org/core/weblog/2023/12/13/coprococcus-in-your-gut-the-secret-of-happiness/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18296328/
8. https://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/17percent20Supplpercent201/167.pdf
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352385915003138?viapercent3Dihub
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21040626/
11. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7796401/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33299455/
13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37812435/

Tags: inexperienced tea advantages matcha matcha advantages pores and skin well being sleep