Is Matcha Green Tea the New Best Beauty Food?
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Earlier this month, an all-matcha bar opened in Brooklyn. Then BusinessWeek proclaimed it “America’s New Caffeine Fix,” and last week, Hannah Bronfman told us she likes to bake matcha loafs. So, what’s the deal with the dark green tea?
Though the matcha tea ceremony is traditionally considered Japanese, it started in China, during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). It was brought to Japan in 1191, where monks used it to help stay calm and alert during meditation, and has been prepared pretty much the same way since. A bamboo spatula lifts the vibrant powder into a bowl, in which a bamboo whisks mixes it together with hot water (not boiling), until it’s frothy on top. Add a little more hot water, and sip.
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Matcha tastes pretty earthy, in part because you’re drinking the whole leaf. It’s milled or stone-ground into powder form (which you can buy in a can for about $22), instead of leaves steeped in hot water. Dr. Lisa Young, nutritionist and adjunct professor at New York University, says that’s why it has a higher potency of antioxidants and catechins (which are great for your metabolism). “It is gaining in popularity because of its health benefits,” she says. “It is also thought to include the amino acid theanine which may affect stress response and cause alertness and improved concentration.”
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The health claims get even wilder: some say it fights cancer, burns fat, and counters the effects of free radicals. What we know for sure is that matcha offers a concentrated dose of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—ten times that of a single cup of green tea. It also boosts energy without the kind of caffeine jitters coffee causes (hence the mediation) and boosts your metabolism. A 2009 study in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that giving diabetic mice matcha significantly lowered their glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels.
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Dr. Young says it has more antioxidants and less caffeine than coffee, but like anything caffeinated, she wouldn’t recommend drinking it all day long. Matcha might not be magic, but try swapping out your morning coffee for the green stuff; it has a lot more going on than a cup of Joe.
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