Have you ever wondered, "What's the difference between matcha and green tea?" While green tea has long been linked to various health benefits, including weight loss, stress reduction, and improved cardiovascular health, another type of tea with a brighter green color is stealing the show: matcha.
Compared to green tea, Matcha is a higher quality, brighter, powdered tea that contains much higher amounts of caffeine, antioxidants, and additional health benefits. This is due to the way matcha is grown and prepared compared to green tea. Read on to find out exactly how matcha powder differs from green tea and why it is considered healthier.
Are matcha and green tea the same thing?
Technically, matcha is a type of green tea. Both matcha and green tea come from a plant that is native to China, known as Camellia sinensis, which can be traced back almost 5,000 years to ancient China. Although both come from the same plant of the Tencha variety, they are cultivated differently.
What are the differences in cultivation?
Typically, green tea is grown in the sun until harvest. However, to grow traditional matcha, the tea bushes are covered to remain in the shade for the final weeks before harvest. The shade helps increase the amount of chlorophyll in the leaves, leading to denser, more vibrant green colors in matcha leaves and a higher nutrient count than traditional green tea.
After harvesting, which is done manually, the young leaves are stored in a dark place to protect the nutrients. The bark and branches of the plant are removed and the leaves are ground into a fine, bright green powder.
While traditional green tea is often made from leaves in tea bags, matcha is made from whole leaves that are ground into a fine powder. The whole leaves are ground into a powder, mixed with hot water, and enjoyed slowly, whereas with traditional green tea, the leaves are allowed to steep in water for one to three minutes and then removed from the boiling water.
Is matcha healthier than green tea?
The remarkably high concentrations of phenolic acids, quercetin, rutin, theanine and chlorophyll in matcha exceed those in other green tea varieties. Studies have shown that matcha often contains 3-10 times more antioxidants than regular green tea varieties. In addition, matcha contains EGCG, also known as catechin, one of the most powerful antioxidants.
Do matcha and green tea have the same caffeine levels ?
Wondering how Matcha compares to green tea in terms of caffeine? Matcha also has more caffeine than regular brewed green tea - but less than you'll find in regular brewed black tea or coffee. Specifically, a cup of matcha has about 19-45 mg of caffeine, while a typical green tea has about 11-25 mg per serving.
When the tea leaves are removed from the water after the extraction process in regular green tea, some of the nutrients are inevitably removed. In comparison, when you consume matcha, you are reaping the full benefits of the entire tea leaf. The shade-grown method is also responsible for matcha’s added benefits compared to green tea.
Conclusions
Matcha comes from the same plant as traditional green tea, but it is a unique and appealing form of green tea. Made from the whole leaf, matcha contains more potent amounts of antioxidants and other beneficial elements compared to plain green tea.
Source: https://matcha.com/blogs/news/matcha-vs-green-tea-matcha-powder-is-better-heres-why-plus-5-tips
