Coffee meets its matcha

matcha COFFEE MEETS ITS

If caffeine has a hold on your mornings, make your daily start-up a matcha instead…

Shots, teas, lattes, ice cream, even sweets, the superfood green powder comes in many guises and more of us now make it a matcha when it comes to our morning brew. Packed with powerful antioxidants, matcha can boost energy levels and cognitive function, making it the perfect, healthy switch-up for those with a caffeine habit. In fact, one cup of matcha provides more than five times as many antioxidants as any other food.

Matcha originates from East Asia, where it has been part of the culture for over a millennium. Farmers collect green tea leaves which have been grown in the shade and air-dried. The lack of direct sunlight increases chlorophyll levels in the plant, prompting the production of amino acids, particularly theanine which gives matcha a longer ‘caffeine-like’ buzz.

Java jolt

Many of us rely on coffee to wake up and keep us going throughout the day. Coffee has its benefits, but drinking too much of it or at the wrong time of day has a considerable impact on our sleep. It can also make anxiety worse due to the jittery effects of the drink on your body. This is caused by increases in adrenaline, glucose and insulin.

In this regard, matcha reigns supreme. It does contain caffeine – around a sixth of the amount found in a cup of coffee – but creates an alertness without the jitteriness, spikes and crashes. The L-theanine nutrient in matcha binds together with caffeine to slow your body’s absorption of it. Matcha helps stabilise blood sugar levels and minimise levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) by creating brainwaves which give a calm alertness. While the buzz from coffee spikes before quickly dwindling, matcha lasts a few hours.

Healthy habit

If the promise of a relaxed attentiveness rather than overenergised restlessness isn’t enough to tempt you to try a cup, matcha is full of antioxidants. Drinking a cup or two a day can help to regulate blood pressure, prevent disease and promote weight loss. Matcha boosts metabolism too: a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that matcha increases the body’s own rate of burning calories – thermogenesis – from the normal range of 8-10 per cent to 35-43 per cent.

Another benefit of making matcha your daily brew is that it can help to prevent plaque build-up, thanks to its high catechin content, which helps to sterilise your mouth and to prevent cavities. Be sure to look out for pure matcha rather than commercial sweetened products. And, while coffee can stain teeth, matcha helps keep them clean and white, making you and your dentist happy. What a lot of goodness a cup of the green stuff can give!

HOW TO

matcha MAKE YOUR

1. For a standard matcha without milk, pop half a teaspoon of matcha into a cup. Add a small amount of hot (not boiling) water to form a thin paste, before topping up with more water.

2. Self-proclaimed

‘matcha queen’

Kourtney

Kardashian shared this matcha latte recipe on her lifestyle blog,

Poosh. Heat a cup of almond milk.

Meanwhile, melt ¼ teaspoon of matcha with a splash of boiling water and a squeeze of maple syrup to taste, then beat this into the hot milk.

Black or white?

It seems as if the headlines change daily as to whether coffee is good or bad for us, but a number of studies claim that drinking 2–5 cups a day is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson's disease and depression. Gentle giant

While both coffee and matcha have healthy qualities, boosting energy and cognitive function, for fewer caffeine jitters and less acidity, matcha is the king of cups!