Hailing from Japan, Matcha Green tea powder has been around for centuries used extensively in Japanese & Chinese culture. It is believed that Matcha was first consumed for medicinal purposes, before it was discovered that brewing it was possible, making it a popular drink through out China & Japan.
What exactly is matcha?
Matcha is 100% pure green tea powder in which the whole green tea leaf is stone-ground & consumed making sure to capture all the Matcha green tea goodness!
How is matcha made?
Prior to the harvest farmers cover the tea plants with a shade cloth for 3-4 weeks in order to enhance the nutritional value, flavour & texture. This process also boosts the plants chlorophyll & L-Theanine levels with its other restorative amino acids!
Harvesting is done by hand with only the finest and most delicate leaves harvested from the camellia sinensis plant. Once it is collected it gets briefly steamed in order to prevent fermentation.
The Premium Matcha will then be dried and “aged” in cold storage to become more flavoursome.
After storing the aged Matcha for up to six months it gets stone-ground into a heavenly green powder, known as Matcha which literally means "powdered tea" in Japanese.
Naturally Nourished uses top quality Matcha from Get-Matcha which is sourced directly from the tranquil tea gardens of Uji, Japan.
Does Matcha contain caffeine?
Yes, Matcha does contain caffeine, but much less than a normal cup of coffee. One gram of Matcha contains about 25-30 mg of caffeine while a cup of coffee contains roughly 80 - 100 mg. Matcha is a perfect substitute for your morning booster as it contains high levels of L-Theanine that produces a calming effect while also increasing your mental clarity or focus.
Why is Matcha better than green tea?
Matcha contains a much higher antioxidant count than a normal cup of green tea, roughly 137 x more EGCG, which is a powerful antioxidant. Matcha in fact has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of all known "superfoods" With an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value of 1384 TE/G. Which is part of the reason we at Naturally Nourished have included it in our PRE-WORKOUT ENERGY.
Another benefit of course is that you consume the whole leaf and all its nutrients (in powderized form) where as with green tea you discard the dried leaves once its steeped, missing out on most of its vital nutrients.
Further health benefits include:
MEMORY & BRAIN FUNCTION
Matcha has shown to contain a high dosage of the amino acid L-Theanine that can help to improve memory, concentration, brain function & mood
ANTIOXIDANTS
Matcha is loaded with natural antioxidants. 1 cup of Matcha can contain up to 137 times the amount of antioxidants (EGCG) compared to a "normal" cup of green tea
CALM & ALERT
Get-matcha contains L-Theanine that promotes the production of alpha waves in the brain. This aids to inciterelaxation & clarity without thedrowsiness associated with normal "downers"
BURNS CALORIES
Matcha contains high levels of thermogenic properties, which can boosts your metabolism and may increase your fat burn with up to 40%
ENERGY BOOST
Matcha is a perfect alternative to coffee for your daily energy boost as it contains the caffeine theophylline that gives a slower release of energy and eliminates the hypertension, nervousness & jitters induced by coffees.
DETOXIFIES
Matcha contains a powerful dose of chlorophyll that's a super detoxifier. This has been seen to be capable of naturally eliminating heavy metals and chemical toxins from the body.
Why is Matcha good for athletes?
Matcha is well known to improve mental clarity as well as enhance fat oxidation and boost energy. Matcha's high levels of antioxidants it has been shown to reverse cellular damage caused by oxidative stress and speed up post exercise recovery.
Our PRE-WORKOUT ENERGY contains 625mg of Matcha per serving. This product has been carefully designed to include the matcha so that it works synergistically with the other key chosen ingredients for maximum benefit and energy to boost and sustain you before and during your session.