Dr Oz: What Is Matcha Green Tea? Coffee Swap & Benefits Of Matcha

Dr Oz: What Is Matcha? How Is Matcha Made?

Matcha is the one health trend that seems to be everywhere! Everything from matcha balls to matcha lattes are all the rage, so it’s no surprise that sales of matcha green tea have picked up 50% and continue to rise. Dr Oz wanted to find out what matcha really is what it can do for your health. Dr Oz welcomed nutritionist Maya Feller who explained that matcha literally means powdered tea.

Maya explained that with conventional green tea, you have components of the leaf that are steeped in water then discarded. However, for matcha, during the growing process, the tea leaves are covered with a shade blanket, then hand-picked and steamed to stop the fermentation process. It’s then put into cold storage and dried, before being ground into a fine powder. Matcha is essentially the entire green tea leaf ground up for consumption.

Matcha contains catechins, antioxidants, that have been proven to fight aging, fight infections, boost metabolism, and reduce stress. The main reason matcha is so good for you is because the antioxidants in it help reduce cell damage. By gram, matcha has seven times more antioxidants than nuts, 15 times more antioxidants than blueberries, and 50 times more antioxidants than broccoli!

Dr Oz: Swap Your Coffee For Matcha

Maya argued that coffee drinkers should be using matcha for longer lasting, smooth energy. Dr Oz challenged two avid coffee drinkers, Rae and Jackie, to drink matcha green tea instead of coffee that day. Rae shared that she felt super energized and had no jitters. She still felt just as energized as she did after first drinking the tea. Jackie agreed and said she’s practically a coffee addict but the matcha provided her with energy throughout the day.

Maya explained that by drinking matcha, you’re going to get alpha waves that are stimulated from the brain, providing a calm, alert feeling, instead of the “buzz” that coffee gives you. She described it as similar to doing yoga. Matcha actually contains theanine which provides a more relaxing energy than coffee.

To find the best matcha available, Dr Oz welcomed Candace Kumai, author of “Clean Green Eats.” She traveled as far as Japan to find the best options out there. Candace loves matcha describing it as “grassy, umami, earthy, and deep.” She claimed that everyone needs to try it themselves to get the feeling everyone was describing.

To find quality matcha, first you want to look for matcha that comes from Japan. Second, look for a bright green color. If it’s brown, that means it’s oxidized. Because the shelf life for matcha is about a year, you want to keep your matcha in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Additionally, try to find organic if possible for the most antioxidants and vitamins. Most health food stores will carry it.