I had been a coffee drinker for 18 years until a month ago when I discovered matcha tea. Matcha tea is ultimately one of the finest beverages I have consumed on many levels and the case may be that my love affair with coffee has come to an end. Initially, I experienced some sadness in departing from my daily 2 to 3 cups of my favorite Joe every morning and after a month I admit that on occasion I think about the taste of a good strong cup of black liquid gold. However, over the years I have developed some aversions to coffee, for instance my stomach aches at times when I drink too much, I get jittery from time to time, I get that late morning crash from caffeine depletion and sometimes headaches that follow. So when I stumbled upon matcha tea and read that the caffeine content combined with amino acids in green tea is more slowly absorbed, the effects on your system is different from coffee - more subtle and relaxing. I found that regular green tea is stimulating and pleasant but does not compare to the ground matcha form in regard to taste. Also, it seems that matcha is the healthier choice due to the fact that you consume the entire leaf and receive more of the health benefits that researchers have found in green tea.
Personally, I have found that matcha tea does not have any of the side effects I found with coffee and is stimulating and calming at the same time. Apparently, Zen Buddhists have been consuming matcha for centuries prior to meditation and find that it aids them in their practice. I encourage anyone looking for an alternative to coffee to try matcha tea. It is also fun to prepare. The only draw back is that it is somewhat expensive and it seems to only be available online (at least in this area).
Here are some of the health benefits:
Tea and Health
Not only is tea soothing and delicious, but, throughout its history, it has been associated with important health benefits. New studies point to evidence that these healing properties have a scientific basis. While all tea is healthy to drink, Green tea contains the highest level of polyphenols (flavonoids), which are known for their antioxidant activity.
Consumption of tea is being studied for its reported benefits on:
* Enhancing immune function
* Lowering LDL cholesterol levels
* Increasing HDL cholesterol levels
* Reducing blood pressure
* Thinning the blood, reducing the risk of a heart attack
* Lowering the risk of stroke
* Reducing the risk of cancer
* Boosting longevity
* Aiding digestion
* Preventing dental cavities and gingivitis
Much of the focus of modern research is on the effects of three ingredients found in tea:
* Antioxidants (Polyphenols)
* Nutrients
* Caffeine
Antioxidants
Many of the health benefits of drinking tea come from the fact that tea contains high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols or flavonoids. These compounds are most prevalent in green and white teas, but are also present in varying degrees in Oolongs and black teas. In the processing of black teas another antioxidant is formed – theaflavin. This is weaker than the polyphenols in Green teas, but still performs antioxidant activities in laboratory experiments. Polyphenols scavenge cell-damaging free radicals, which are linked with cancer-causing genes and cause LDL cholesterol to form artery-clogging plaque. The polyphenols in tea possess 20 to 30 times the antioxidant potency of vitamins C and E. Antioxidants impair the ability of free radical cells to harm the molecules that make up our bodies.
copied from -http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/Health_Benefits_of_Tea_s/33.htm
Watch Matcha Tea Preparation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1MP_zaXNOg
