Matcha Green Tea

If you are a tea drinker and tea lover then you should definitely give Matcha Green tea a try. Matcha is one of the healthiest, if not the healthiest teas that is currently available. The process used to make Matcha green tea is amazing. Matcha tea is made with the same plant as other tea's however the plant is shaded near the end of harvest to bring out rich, dark green leaves. These rich leaves are loaded with nutrients, antioxidants and other minerals that are great for the body. They are then processed by hand to keep all the nutrients.

There are many health benefits of drinking Matcha green tea, some of them include the highest anti-oxidant count than any other super food out there. This high anti-oxidant count helps your body fight cancer and many other health ailments. There is also a unique compound that will help you stay calm and focused. In this article I have included some more information about Matcha tea that you can use to learn more about this ancient Japanese tea. Read more to find out about all the benefits of Matcha tea.

Matcha is a type of powdered green tea grown in the shade like gyokuro and which is traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony. These days, it is not uncommon to see it used in untraditional ways such as in matcha lattes and other green tea recipes. It is highly valued for it's rich supply of antioxidants and green tea benefits. Traditionally, structures of bamboo covered with rice straw are erected over the tea plants, blocking off 90 percent of the light for 3 weeks. Once harvested, the leaves that will eventually become matcha are steamed in the normal way green tea are, however they are not rolled but instead dried the then put into a wind tunnel type of machine which breaks the inner parts of the leaf away from the veins, resulting in a product known as tencha.

Antioxidants are chemical compounds known to forestall aging and contribute to the fight against chronic diseases.

While antioxidants are found in many foods including fruits and vegetables, not all of them are created equal. The class of antioxidants known as catechins are only found in green tea, and they may be the most potent of all. Catechins seem to be as valuable as vitamin C and E in the fight against health threatening, free radical damage. Free radicals naturally occur in the body, but exposure to external toxins such as air pollution, cigarette smoke, ultraviolet rays and radiation can cause an overabundance of these particles which can damage cells and DNA.

Matcha tea also contains vitamin C, tocopherols, carotenoids, minerals such as selenium, zinc, chromium and manganese and several phytochemical compounds.

A testing method known as ORAC, short for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, evaluates the antioxidant levels found in food. According to research done by Tufts University, the ORAC capacity of matcha green tea is exponentially higher than other foods known for their high antioxidants levels such as blueberries and spinach.