Tea Pigs MATCHA Super Power Green Tea

Matcha is essentially a very concentrated form of green tea. The way it's grown and consumed means that it's packed full of essential vitamins and minerals. Matcha tea bushes are grown under shade which dramatically increases the chlorophyll content of the leaf - this is the bright green stuff (pictured right) which is really good for us, and which is particularly rich in antioxidants.

When you drink regular green tea, you throw away the leaves afterwards which a bit like boiling spinach, throwing away the spinach and just drinking the water – you’ll get some of the nutrients, but you’re throwing away the best bit. Matcha is drunk as a fine powder diffused in liquid so you actually ingest the whole leaf, consuming every last bit of goodness.

Antioxidant blast

Our little superhero contains 137 times the antioxidants of regular green tea – wow!  Antioxidant capacity can be measured by the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbancy Capacity) and this shows us the ability of certain foods to protect us from nasty free radicals, which cause ageing and general damage to our cells.  Matcha scores very highly on the ORAC table, towering above many of our well-known super-foods such as spinach, blueberries and goji berries!

Energising and calming

Matcha contains two special amino acids called theophylline and L-theanine. Like all green tea, matcha naturally contains caffeine but, unlike coffee, it works together with these two important amino acids to give you a sustained energy boost which can last 4-6 hours. This dynamic combination can also help to elevate your mood (which is why we teapigs are always smiling!), reduce stress and help you remain calm and focused.  That’s why Buddhist monks have drunk matcha for centuries – and if it's good enough for hours and hours of meditation, it's good enough for a Monday morning in the office!

Green tea and science

Green tea has long been associated with many health benefits, and there is growing scientific research exploring how and why green tea is so healthy! We’ve selected a few scientific papers which we think make interesting reading, and which back up just why we find matcha so wonderful! Remember, matcha is just 100% organic green tea leaves and just 1/4 teaspoon is the equivalent to 15 cups of regular green tea.

• A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (December 1999) established that green tea "promoted fat oxidation" and "increased energy expenditure” – in other words, you feel more energetic and burn more fat.
• A study in the Journal of Chromatography (September 2003) shows found that there were 137 times more antioxidants in a matcha infusion compared to a standard green tea infused from a teabag. It also reported that matcha contains 70 times the antioxidant power of orange juice and 9 times the beta carotene level of spinach.
• A study of green tea drinkers published in the British Medical Journal (18th March 1995) found that high consumptions of green tea (10+ cups/day) "may act protectively against cardiovascular disease"

nutritional value of teapigs organic matcha versus regular green tea