Matcha Tea: 5 Major health benefits of the Japanese drink

Matcha tea is gaining a lot of popularity among health circles. Right from reducing anxiety to aiding weight loss to helping in lowering BP, many studies have claimed that there several health benefits of this Japanese drink. What exactly is Matcha? The powder is made with the news leaves from shade-grown Camellia sinensis green tea bushes. They contain a number of antioxidants just like green tea.

Farmers grow this particular type of tea by covering their plants 20–30 days before harvest. The process helps in chlorophyll production and it also increases the quantity of amino acid. Apart from tea, the powder is also used to make matcha shots, lattes and desserts among others.

1. Anxiety
As per the Journal of Functional Foods, a study done on mice found that anxious behaviour in the rodents was relatively reduced when consumed Matcha powder. As per researchers, the tea has a calming effect as they activate dopamine D1 receptors and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors. The study's lead author Yuki Kurauchi from Kumamoto University in Japan said, "Although further epidemiological research is necessary, the results of our study show that Matcha, which has been used as a medicinal agent for many years, maybe quite beneficial to the human body."

2. Promotes weight loss
Drinking Matcha tea can help to boost metabolism and put your body in the fat-burning state. Weight watchers must be aware that high metabolism is directly proportional to weight loss. Most of us must have noticed that weight loss supplements often have green tea extracts, now you know why.

3. Promotes liver health
Matcha is also known for promoting the health of the liver. For the unversed, if the enzymes in the liver increases then it could lead to liver damage and that's when Matcha tea comes to rescue as it reduces the growth of enzymes.

4. Lowers blood pressure
Matcha tea has a vital antioxidant called catechins and the same regulate the blood pressure levels. So, if you are not fond of medicines and want to follow natural ways, then having matcha tea can help you to prevent and combat high blood pressure.

5. Promotes heart health
Just like liver, Matcha tea also helps to promote heart health by reducing bad cholesterol and by controlling blood pressure. And these two health disorders lead to cardiovascular diseases.

Others
The drink also boosts brain functions. As per several studies, caffeine consumption aids in improvements in brain function. It helps in faster reaction times, increased attention and better memory. Other researches have also claimed that Matcha can prevent several types of cancer. The compounds of Matcha have anti-cancer properties and the extract prevented cancer in animal studies.

Bottom line

As we know nothing is good in excess. Even if Match tea has innumerable health benefits, one should have them in moderation. Have one or two cups a day to reap the maximum benefits.

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