Matcha: A Guide to the Oldest Super Powder of Them All
It's been around for centuries but matcha is the modern alternative to your morning coffee.

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Matcha, matcha, matcha - there seems to be nothing this ancient, green super powder can't do.

It's been enjoyed for centuries in China and Japan where Buddhists sipped it to prepare for Zen meditation.

Now it's in everything from iced tea and lattes to face masks, smoothies, raw desserts, puddings, ice cream, cookies, donuts, salad dressing and more.

And that's because matcha powder - made from green tea leaves that are steamed and air dried then ground to a powder soon after harvest - is so good for you. Here's why:

It has anti-aging, antioxidant super powers...
Further proof of matcha's super powers is it has an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or total antioxidant capacity) value of 1348 units per gram compared to pomegranate's 105 u/g and blueberries 91 u/g.

And while the antioxidant power of regular green tea is well known, just one cup of matcha has 10 times the antioxidants of a cup of green or black tea.

It's a mood and concentration enhancer...
Matcha has only half as much caffeine as your average cup of coffee.

It also boosts your mood and the alpha waves in your brain, encouraging clear, calm thinking, thanks to an amino acid called L theanine which plays a role in our production of the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin.

It boosts metabolism and fat burning...
A 2005 study by the Amercian Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that matcha boosts your metabolic rate and increases thermogenesis, which is when your body burns calories to create heat.

It helps prevent cancer and other chronic diseases...
Matcha is rich in polyphenol compounds that help lower your risk of developing chronic diseases including cancer and diabetes (because it improves insulin sensitivity).

It keeps your heart healthy...
The plant polyphenols found in matcha also help prevent hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Drinking matcha or green tea daily has also been shown to lower blood pressure because it inhibits the production of ACE - an enzyme secreted by the kidneys that can cause hypertension.

It supports your immune system&...
Matcha contains high levels of the antioxidant known as catechins that can have an anti-viral, anti-fungal anti-bacterial effect.

Matcha is also rich in vitamins A and C, potassium, iron and calcium.

Lowers your levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad one)...
Studies have shown that drinking up to 10 cups of green tea a day can lower your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. Instead, you could just drink one cup of matcha.

And here's why your parents should drink it too...
Matcha and green tea contain an antioxidant known as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which can studies have shown can reduce symptoms of arthritis and inflammation.

EGCG also helps prevent memory loss caused by the plaque deposits found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's.

How to get your daily dose?
You can drink matcha with hot water and mix it the traditional way using a bamboo whisk. Or you can add it to your favourite milk, smoothie or dessert recipe.

Minty matcha smoothie recipe
Serves 2
2 handfuls of spinach
1 frozen banana
1 pear, chopped
10 mint leaves
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
1 cup Cocoquench coconut milk or 1 cup coconut water
1 cup filtered water (or cooled peppermint tea)

—Jody Scott (May 12, 2016)
vogue.com.au/beauty/wellbeing/matcha