Matcha has gained popularity recently, with a wide range of lattes, matcha shots, teas, and desserts you can now buy from coffee shops and health stores. Like green tea, matcha is sourced from the Camellia sinensis plant, but the growing process is different, which is why it has a unique flavor and color. But does matcha have health benefits like other teas?
Matcha offers various benefits, including protecting the liver, aiding in weight loss, and promoting heart health. Matcha’s caffeine make it a great fit for a healthy latte, but note that too much sugary sweeteners can tip the scales toward “unhealthy” quickly.
Many health-conscious individuals have fallen in love with matcha lattes, and you may see advertisements boasting the meditative qualities of this superfood. But as is the case with any trendy substance, you need to ask yourself if it’s worth it. Here’s everything you need to know about matcha lattes.
What Is a Matcha Latte?
A matcha latte is a tea-based beverage that combines green tea powder with milk or another dairy substitute to create a smooth and creamy caffeinated drink. At many coffee shops, you can get matcha lattes iced or hot.
To make a matcha latte, you need a base of matcha powder (on Amazon). This is mixed with hot water and topped with steamed milk. Almond and oat milk is also an alternative you can try.
Often, matcha is sweetened with agave or honey, if you want it sweetened at all.
To mix the base for the latte, you can follow the traditional method with a tea bowl called a chawan (on Amazon) and a bamboo whisk called a chasen (also on Amazon). Achieving a perfect balance between the whisking technique and water temperature is what defines mastery.
Another thing to keep in mind is that matcha lattes don’t have coffee in them. In this case, “latte” refers to the process to prepare the drink with textured and steamed milk. Instead of espresso, green tea is added. Typically, matcha is graded by attributes that consider quality, flavor, aroma, time of harvest, and color.
With the grassy aroma and green color, taking a matcha latte makes you feel you’re doing something valuable for your body. Green tea contains antioxidants. Because of how matcha is produced, you get more of the best green tea, as you consume the whole leaf.
Are Matcha Lattes Healthy for You?
Matcha contains catechins — compounds in tea that function as natural antioxidants.
The antioxidant properties stabilize harmful free radicals, which can damage cells and trigger chronic disease. When you use matcha powder in hot water to prepare tea, the tea offers all the nutrients from the leaf. It offers more catechins and antioxidants than just steeping green tea leaves.
So, adding matcha to your diet boosts antioxidant intake, which helps prevent cell damage and lowers the risk of several chronic diseases.
Some studies have demonstrated that matcha can prevent liver damage. It also lowers the risk of liver disease. The liver plays a crucial role in the body, as it flushes out toxins, processes nutrients, and metabolizes drugs.
Researchers have found that matcha offers improvements in reaction time, attention, and memory. Matcha contains L-theanine, which destroys the effects of caffeine and promotes alertness, helping you avoid crashes in energy levels that often follow caffeine intake.
Also, matcha is packed full of health-promoting compounds, most of them linked to cancer prevention in animal studies. Matcha contains high levels of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a catechin that offers powerful anti-cancer properties.
Essentially, the health benefits you can draw from matcha also depend on the things you add to the drink. The matcha/milk ratio can also determine the benefits you can get, and the amount you consume per day is a vital consideration.
How Much Caffeine Is in a Matcha Latte?
If you’re a caffeine lover, you don’t need to depend on a cup of coffee to enjoy the daily energy boost. You can find many energy-boosting drinks with caffeine. One of the options is matcha.
A cup of matcha tastes as bold as a strong cup of coffee. It has some rich bitterness and offers a refreshing taste without the same amount of caffeine. One cup of matcha tea contains about 70 mg of caffeine. This is about 50% less than the amount of caffeine contained in a cup of coffee.
Besides the earthly flavor, there are different reasons matcha is the preferred option over black coffee or traditional green tea. Among the reasons is the presence of amino acid L-theanine.
Matcha offers a slow release of caffeine, so its energy boost will last longer than coffee. This sustained energy release is among the reasons matcha gained popularity in Zen Buddist meditations.
Which Milk Contains the Most Health Benefits?
If you’re taking your matcha with milk, you’ll want to find the healthiest choice. There are many milk alternatives and finding the healthiest is not only about the fat content. One of the healthy options you can use is hemp milk (on Amazon), which is prepared from hemp seeds, but these don’t contain the psychoactive properties of cannabis.
The hemp seeds contain healthy omega-3, unsaturated fats, and protein. So, hemp milk offers these nutrients in higher amounts than other plant milk.
The other option you can get in place of help milk is oat milk (on Amazon). This is naturally sweet and it’s high in carbs. Because it contains soluble fiber, oat milk is creamier. Soluble fiber slows digestion and helps you stay full longer. Besides, oat milk lowers cholesterol levels.
You can also use almond milk (on Amazon), which is a tasty milk alternative for those who can’t tolerate dairy milk. However, it’s not the safest option if you have a tree nut allergy. Almond milk is low in calories and carbs, which makes it ideal for someone on a lower carb diet.
While it’s a good source of antioxidant vitamin E, almond milk is low in protein and other nutrients. Some brands are fortified with vitamins A and D and calcium.
What Are the Healthiest Sweetener Options?
Lowering the intake of refined sugar is a difficult decision, but because sugar is harmful, it’s worth it. You can use a sweetener in place of sugar; most of them are low in calories and fructose. One of the natural sweeteners you can use is stevia (on Amazon), which is a low-calorie option. It’s extracted from stevia rebaudiana, a plant grown for medicinal purposes in South America.
Also, erythritol is a good low-calorie sweetener. This is a sugar alcohol you can find naturally in some fruits. You can also use xylitol, a sweetener that sweetens your drink like sugar. It offers some dental health benefits, reducing the risk of cavities and decay.