Green Tea has for a long time been recommended as a key component of a healthy and balanced diet, however, another type of tea has started to become increasingly popular: matcha, a favorite of many, like entrepreneur Louis Hernandez Jr. It’s not just tea, either – matcha products are cropping up all over the place. From skin lotions to hair products, food, drink and everything in between, it’s fast becoming well-known and widely used.

It’s not just a load of hot air and hype, either. Matcha tea has health benefits which have been researched and proven, so you know that you really are getting measurable benefits by drinking it.

#1: What is Matcha Tea?

It is a type of green tea which is made by taking the younger green tea leaves and then grinding them down into a very bright green powder. When this has been done, the powder is whisked together with hot water.

Although you may think this is exactly the same as green tea, it’s not. When you drink, use, or otherwise consume matcha tea, you are getting 100% of the benefits and nutrition associated with it. When you brew tea, you throw away the leaves after stewing them in water and lose a lot of the good stuff by doing so. With matcha, you are consuming 100% of the tea leaf which is where all the nutrients and other good stuff is found.

#2: What are the Benefits of Matcha?

Just like green tea, matcha tea contains antioxidants which are known as “catechins.” In fact, matcha contains a special catechin called EGCG, which is thought to have cancer-battling effects on our bodies. Other studies have also shown a causal link between matcha tea and the prevention of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and has been shown to promote weight loss, too.

It is important to know that not all this research is from pure clinical trials as most are from population-based studies where the researchers have compared a group of matcha tea drinkers to a group of non-matcha tea drinkers and compared the differences between the two groups.

#3: How is Matcha in Comparison to Green Tea?

Both regular black and green tea contain caffeine, however, matcha has been shown to contain more caffeine than regular green tea. This isn’t very surprising, especially when you consider that it is the whole leaf which you are consuming. This isn’t a problem unless you have a particular sensitivity for or grudge against caffeine consumption.

It also contains a much higher number of antioxidants and catechins per gram than green tea which has been brewed using the traditional methods.

If you are a fan of green tea for the health benefits and want to take it to the next level, drinking matcha tea and using matcha-based products could be right for you. Although it’s higher in caffeine and has a much stronger taste, the benefits can easily far outweigh these potential drawbacks. It’s a great product and is a welcome part of any balanced diet.