10 Reasons to Make Matcha a Part of Your Day
This gorgeous green powder can brighten your routine with a multitude of benefits
Laura NewtonMatcha has been enjoyed in Japan for hundreds of years. Among the country’s most culturally significant beverages, it is the centerpiece of a traditional Japanese tea ritual, called chanoyu. In recent years, many North Americans have taken note of matcha’s benefits for body and mind, welcoming it into their diets in a wide variety of ways: drinking it as a beverage and including the vibrant green powder in smoothies, baked goods, soups, ice cream, and other recipes. If you’re on the fence about giving it a try, here are 10 reasons to embrace the magic of matcha.
1. Gives a non-jittery energy boost
Matcha is made from the ground tea leaves of Camellia sinensis—the same plant used to make green, black, white, and oolong teas. The leaves contain both caffeine and an amino acid called L-theanine. While these substances boost alertness, L-theanine prevents the jitters you may experience when you consume other sources of caffeine, like coffee. This is because L-theanine reduces stress responses in humans, creating feelings of calm and softening the sometimes-harsh effects of caffeine.
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