Matcha

It’s a Japanese green tea powder made from finely powdered dried tea leaves.

It has a slightly bitter, vegetal taste and a vibrant green color that results from the leaves’ high chlorophyll levels. It’s been the cornerstone of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries, but it recently became popular because of its health benefits.

# Reasons for Matcha

The energy boost that comes with Coffee is brief, can often wreak havoc on your body, and starts to wear off in 1-3 hours, leaving you feeling more tired than before.

In contrast, high-grade matcha contains roughly a half of the caffeine content as compared to coffee and lasts 6-8 hours.

Why is this? This is due to the  L-theanine found in matcha. L-theanine causes matcha caffeine to be released at a much slower pace and has even been studied to reduce the levels of cortisol in the body by creating alpha waves in the brain to produce a state of calm yet relaxed alertness. 

So in a way, matcha tea powder is a sort of an anti-cortisol. It helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels while alleviating stress on your adrenal glands.

This article on Matcha vs. Coffee has 11 points:

1. There’s no caffeine crash with matcha, matcha green tea powder is a better caffeine high than coffee
2. Matcha promotes relaxed alertness while coffee makes you crash and can trigger anxiety.
3. Matcha gives you better, clear skin while coffee drys out your skin and reduces collagen production.
4. Matcha is better oral hygiene and teeth health while coffee is known to stain your teeth and give you bad breath.
5. Matcha may help promote weight loss.
6. Matcha has more antioxidants and a much longer list of studied health benefits than coffee.
7. Matcha could help boost your heart health.
8. Matcha may support your liver health
9. Matcha may improve physical performance
10. The green color of matcha evokes joy
11. Matcha is quick and easy to enjoy

Or 5 Reasons to Drink Matcha Instead of Coffee (Yes, Caffeine is One of Them):

# Transitioning from coffee to matcha: getting started

Switching from coffee to matcha takes time. Remember, with 150mg of caffeine in a cup of Starbucks coffee and 25mg in a typical cup of matcha, your body will need time to adjust to the change in caffeine amounts.

Here are our best tips for making the switch:

• Take at least two weeks to gradually switch. If you drink more than one cup of coffee a day, begin by reducing that amount and substituting matcha for your second cup or afternoon pick-me-up before completely replacing coffee with matcha
• Drink plenty of water. This may help with caffeine withdrawal headaches as well as assist in the shift in body chemistry you’re undergoing.
• Read more advice on switching without going “cold turkey”  here

# Why not switch to matcha? There is no downside!

Needless to say, matcha is not intended to prevent, treat, or cure any disease. It’s just green tea, albeit a very special one that has all kinds of interesting health properties.

Because there are no known downsides or side effects to regular consumption of matcha, there is little to lose in making the switch from coffee to matcha, at least some of the time.

You may not need to give up coffee altogether. But do give matcha a try. You have nothing to lose but stained teeth, bad breath, and heart-pounding jitters. And you might have a whole new world of wellness and joy to gain.

Read more on 5 Reasons to Drink Matcha Instead of Coffee (Yes, Caffeine is One of T – Breakaway Matcha.

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