Matcha fights obesity and prevents the three highs. Here are 6 benefits for you! Experts: These three groups should pay attention

Matcha lovers, take a look! Matcha is a healthy drink because it is rich in catechins, vitamin C, dietary fiber and other phytochemicals. Therefore, it has many health benefits for the human body, including anti-aging, removing bad breath and body odor, etc. With its bright green appearance and sweet taste, matcha is now loved all over the world. And now it is not only used for drinking, but also added to various desserts or fancy drinks, such as matcha latte, matcha smoothie, matcha cake, matcha glutinous rice balls, etc., which are widely loved by adults and children.

What are the ingredients of matcha?

The difference between matcha and ordinary tea is that ordinary tea is drunk as tea soup, so we can only ingest the water-soluble ingredients in the tea. But matcha is different. Matcha is made by drinking all the ingredients of the tea leaves together, so it can be said that you have fully absorbed the complete nutrients of the tea leaves. The nutritional content of matcha includes:

Catechins (Tea Polyphenols)

Catechins are the most representative antioxidant ingredients in green tea and are also the source of the astringency of tea. Because matcha is not fermented at all, the catechins are completely preserved. Unlike fully fermented black tea, its catechins are converted into theaflavins or thearubigins. Of course, theaflavins have other health effects. Because catechins have excellent antioxidant effects, there are many related studies on preventing cancer, regulating blood lipids, regulating blood sugar, reducing body fat, and preventing obesity. One cup of matcha contains over 150 mg of catechins.

Matcha is not fermented at all, so the catechins are completely preserved. Unlike fully fermented black tea, its catechins are converted into theaflavins or thearubigins. Of course, theaflavins have other health effects.

Vitamin C

Because matcha is not fermented, it retains a large amount of vitamin C, and its vitamin C content is the highest among all teas. According to analysis, every 100 grams of matcha contains 212 mg of vitamin C (Source: Food Nutrition Database).

Vitamin C helps in anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory and immune regulation functions.

Vitamin A

Matcha is rich in carotenoids, including β-carotene, vitamin A, and lutein. According to analysis, every 100 grams of matcha contains 18,166 IU of vitamin A (Source: Food Nutrition Database).

Carotenoids have excellent antioxidant effects, and lutein and vitamin A are even more important in protecting the eyes.

Dietary fiber

Matcha is a treasure trove of dietary fiber, with every 100 grams of matcha containing 34.7 mg of dietary fiber (Source: Food Nutrition Database).

Dietary fiber can aid in bowel movements, and can also act as a prebiotic to help probiotics grow and adjust the intestines. It is more conducive to detoxification, such as eliminating cholesterol and heavy metals.

Theanine

The most special thing about green tea is that it contains a special amino acid called theanine. Matcha also contains a high level of this amino acid. The special thing about theanine is that it can help relieve stress and help people with insomnia fall asleep. Therefore, some beverages in Japan, such as Pepsi, have launched Driftwell, a sleep-aid functional water containing theanine, to combat sleep problems caused by the epidemic. Theanine is deliberately added to help relieve mood and improve sleep quality.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll has always been helpful for freshening breath and removing bad breath. Studies have also shown that chlorophyll can also help reduce body odor and even the smell of feces.

Vitamin K

According to analysis, matcha has a high content of vitamin K1. A cup of matcha contains about 25 micrograms of vitamin K1. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Dietary Reference Intakes for Chinese People", the recommended daily intake of vitamin K for adults over 19 years old is 120 micrograms for boys and 90 micrograms for women, so a cup of matcha can provide 20%-30% of the daily requirement.

Vitamin K can promote bone calcification, which is very helpful for maintaining the mobility of the elderly and has a synergistic effect with vitamin D. Vitamin K also helps the normal coagulation function of the blood, so people who are taking anticoagulant drugs such as Warfarin should be careful to avoid vitamin K inhibiting the effects of anticoagulants.

Because matcha contains antioxidants such as catechins, vitamin A, and vitamin C, it has a good antioxidant effect, thus helping to prevent cancer, as well as oxidative damage such as dementia and memory loss in the elderly.

6 benefits of matcha

Because matcha contains rich and effective ingredients, it has the following health benefits for the human body:

1. Fight against aging

Because matcha contains antioxidants such as catechins, vitamin A, and vitamin C, it has a good antioxidant effect, thus helping to prevent cancer, as well as oxidative damage such as dementia and memory loss in the elderly.

2. Prevent the three highs

A large-scale study in Japan showed that green tea can effectively reduce the mortality rate. Among people who drink a cup of green tea a day, those who have experienced stroke can reduce their mortality rate by 35%, and those who have experienced myocardial infarction can reduce their mortality rate by 34%.

3. Stay away from obesity

Many studies have shown that drinking green tea can regulate blood sugar and blood lipids, prevent body fat accumulation, and reduce visceral fat.

4. Prevents constipation

Because green tea is rich in dietary fiber, it can help intestinal peristalsis and the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria. Therefore, many Japanese green juice products now add matcha as part of their recipes. The caffeine in matcha can also stimulate intestinal motility.

5. Whitening effect

Catechins and vitamin C both have good antioxidant effects and are effective in inhibiting the production of melanin.

6. Remove bad breath and body odor

Matcha is rich in chlorophyll, which has been shown in many studies to help freshen breath, remove body odor, and even reduce the odor of stool.

Three groups of people should pay special attention to drinking matcha

Matcha has been consumed for thousands of years. The large amount of tea leaves found in the imperial tombs of the Han Dynasty indicate how long humans have been drinking tea (see previous article: Searching for the First Person in the World to Drink Tea). Therefore, it is safe to drink matcha in moderation, unless you drink too much, then you need to consider whether there are any side effects. However, people with certain special constitutions should still pay attention to some characteristics of matcha:

Pregnant women, children

100 grams of matcha contains about 3 grams of caffeine, so pregnant women, children and other people who are sensitive to caffeine need to be careful and avoid drinking it before bed.

People taking anticoagulant medications

A cup of matcha contains about 25 micrograms of vitamin K1, and vitamin K has the effect of inhibiting anticoagulants, so people who are taking anticoagulants should be careful.

People with weak liver and kidney function

Matcha contains potassium, so people with weak kidneys should be careful, as this can also affect liver function.

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