While your cappuccino may make for the perfect Instagram story background, coffee’s high caffeine content can cause anxiety and feelings of nervousness, Healthline explains. But, before you roll your eyes at the suggestion of giving up your morning cup of Joe, consider how beneficial and tasty a morning matcha latte can be. Beyond offering a gorgeous green esthetic, matcha packs a powerful, nutritionally stacked punch in its own right.
Mindbodygreen reports that matcha green tea differs from regular green tea for various reasons, but perhaps the most notable is the fact that matcha’s tencha leaves grow in the shade. Thus, the levels of chlorophyll present in the plant are much higher than regular green tea leaves, making way for its signature bright mint hue and high levels of antioxidants. Plus, instead of steeping crushed up tea leaves, matcha comes as a powder made from finely-ground leaves, producing a higher concentration of the leaves’ benefits.
Since many health professionals and wellness enthusiasts tout the benefits of regular green tea, the extra-concentrated sister product comes as an even stronger supplement. For instance, matcha tea contains nearly three times the amount of the cancer-fighting catechin EGCG, the outlet notes. But, perhaps one of the biggest benefits to swapping out your coffee for a cup of matcha comes from its calming effects. Rather than making you feel jittery and anxious, matcha provides you with steady energy that lasts for hours.
Matcha contains less caffeine
If you’re worried about dealing with caffeine withdrawals after lowering your coffee intake, think again. Matcha still contains the uplifting chemical, but much less of it. Bustle reports that the green tea concentrate offers roughly half of the caffeine content of regular coffee. So, you can opt for a matcha latte and still receive your boost for the day, but a much more manageable amount. Furthermore, the green elixir also provides a high level of L-theanine, an amino acid that soothes your system and spurs alpha-brain waves — the same type that the brain creates while in a meditative state. Black and green tea variants also contain this molecule as well, Mindbodygreen contends.
Bustle explains that caffeine withdrawals hit everyone differently, but if you’re a moderate caffeine consumer, ditching the coffee in lieu of matcha shouldn’t make a huge impact on how you feel. To start, find a high-quality matcha powder, preferably grown in Japan and only created from tencha leaves, Mindbodygreen notes. Find a stone-ground option for best results.
Essentially, making the switch can take you from alert and anxious to alert and relaxed. When made with a plant-based milk, you can enjoy a delicious frothy latte that has mental health benefits. If you notice an increase in your anxiety levels after you down your 16-ounce Americano, it’s worth considering a day or two of matcha lattes per week. Soothing compounds, lowered levels of anxiety and tons of antioxidants are just a few of the reasons that so many people are making the switch from coffee to matcha. Pick up a green latte today and see if you notice a difference.
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