Japanese Green Tea – Matcha

The origins of Matcha Tea lie in the fact that tea has been used for medicinal purposes since the beginning of time which and what is the easiest way to be able to absorb all the beneficial substances available in high quality tea leaves than in its powdered form. The great Zen master Eisai introduced this revolutionary method of consuming tea which he had learned in China to Japan in 1191.

While travelling throughout the country he planted tea everywhere he went. Matcha in its early days was very popular with the elite and at the emperor’s court. It wasn’t until the 16th century that Zen master Sen-no-Rikyu used Matcha as the main ingredient in tea ceremonies which made it a popular drink with the samurai.

Best Japanese Green Tea

Today the drinking of Matcha is a part of traditional Japanese culture. Matcha is considered a premium tea amongst all the other Japanese green tea types

Umami – The fifth Taste

The amino acids in Matcha give it that sweet and full aroma also called the fifth taste in addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter. The higher the acidity level the better the quality. L-theanine is an amino acid which is almost exclusively present in green tea and Matcha and provides relaxation, clears the brain thereby greatly improving the learning process.

By stimulating the Alpha waves in the brain a feeling of relaxation and alertness is created. This creates an ideal state of mind for learning new things and enhancing our creativity.

Best Japanese Green Tea Special Production Process

The quality of Matcha is defined by way the tea leaves from the Camelia Sinensis tea plant are prepared. Very few Japanese tea farmers are able to produce this exquisite quality of tea.

The tea plantations also look very different from traditional tea plantations in the sense that 4 weeks before harvest the tea plants get covered with a dark tarp that cut off the sunlight in order to force the plants to produce more chlorophyll which in turn means more amino acids.

The result is a sweet soft taste generated by the brightly green colored leafs. Harvest takes place once a year in spring and is done by hand. As soon as the tea leaves have been harvested they are taken to the factory to be steamed and prevent fermentation thereby preserving the fresh green look of the leaves and their content.After drying the leaves at a temperature of 180C the rough batch of tea gets the name Aracha.

After this process the tea leaves from various plantations get sorted according to their quality depending on color, taste and texture. Stalks, tea dust and even leaf veins are sifted out so only the purest form of tea powder remains. This mixture is then cut uniformly and is called Tencha Tea.

Tencha is usually processed to become Matcha tea although it is often used as a cooking ingredient in Japan. Once again the miniscule leaves are sorted according to their taste, color and smell producing well over a 100 Matcha mixes or varieties.

Qualities range from the cheaper Matcha suited for culinary use to the Matcha used in tea ceremonies with the top and most expensive quality being Premium Matcha. Gyokuro and Kotobuki are an example of premium Matcha brands.

Tencha mixtures eventually get grinded into Matcha using granite stone at the very slow pace of 30 to 40 grams per hour. This means that the final quality of Match very much depends on the quality of the Tencha it was made out of.

This quality is very much dependent on the geographical conditions where the tea was grown such as high land low land or mountainous regions. Let’s also not forget the skills of the tea farmer and the variety of tea plant grown.

Where is Matcha Grown – Types of Japanese Green Tea

AYA is probably the most renowned Japanese producer of Japanese Matcha green tea since 1888. Many generations of tea farmers have been working together with this company based in Nishio Aichi Japan. Nishio is the center of Match tea production in Japan not to mention it being one of the oldest tea growing regions in the world.

The first tea plantations started around 1200 and due to its relative isolation from heavy populated areas combined with perfect weather conditions such as humid warm summers, clean rivers and fertile soil it is easy to see why up to this day up to 60% of Japanese Matcha tea is grown in this area.

The story goes that in the early seventies the president of the company had a vision of growing premium quality Japanese tea organically. Long before organically grown products became popular he gathered some of the best tea farmers around him and started working with them in order to produce real green tea.

Gula Java Matcha – The SuperFood Japanese Green Tea Powder

The extremely high Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) levels found in Matcha is what makes it such a powerful anti-oxidant containing much higher levels than broccoli pome grenade or wild berries.

This is mainly thanks to Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which can only be found in green tea. EGCG provides many other health benefits such as anti-ageing, a decrease in cholesterol while it also contains a lot of fibers containing vitamin C and E which in turn promotes the combustion of sick cells in the body.

Studies at the University of Kansas have shown that the polyphenols in Matcha are about a 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25% stronger than Vitamin E. In addition to these anti-oxidants Matcha also contains amino acids such as L-theanine which relaxes the brain.

Matcha and Chlorophyll

Thanks to the process of covering the tea before harvest the Matcha plant produces a very high amount of chlorophyll unlike any other green Japanese tea. Chlorophyll is a cleanser that helps to keep our body healthy while at the same time serving as a disinfectant which supports our immune system.

Chlorophyll is responsible for the transportation of oxygen and CO2 to our cells and can absorb heavy metals, chemical toxins and radiation which then gets excreted. It enhances the oxygen levels in the brain thereby improving memory and concentration.

Chlorophyll is widely known as a blood cleaner and enhancer as its chemical structure is about 98% identical to that of human blood.
Unlike traditional green tea where we drink an extract of the leaves Matcha Japanese green tea leaves are pulverized so that we drink the actual leaf containing all the vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

Does Green Tea Help in Weight Loss

Green tea and black tea both come from the same tea plant – Camelia Sinensis. The difference lies in the way the fresh tea leaves are prepared. With black tea the fresh leaves are roasted which means that most of the polyphenols are lost whereas green tea production involves lightly steaming the fresh leaves.

The result is that green tea contains about 30 to 40% polyphenols as opposed to the maximum 10% present in black tea. This is the main factor in explaining the Green Tea weight loss benefits.

Polyphenols are organic compounds that possess very anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and anti-viral qualities which explains why green tea is a lot more beneficial to your health than black tea.

Amongst all these polyphenols Catechins in particular contribute the most to making green tea an exceptional health product. They can also be found – to a much lesser extent – in grapes, dark chocolate and wine. Studies have proven that catechins, especially EGCG, are very good against cardio-vascular diseases, cancer and infections. Only recently it has come to light that these polyphenols also play an important part in the way our metabolism absorbs and burns fats.

Is Green Tea Good for Weight Loss

Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG helps you lose weight in many different ways. Thermogenesis or the process of heath production in organisms influences the speed at which our body burns calories and is improved by drinking green tea. Other studies have shown that drinking green tea on a daily basis gives your metabolism a significant boost without affecting a person’s heartbeat.

What Does Green Tea do for Weight Loss

A study published in 2005 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition involving 35 Japanese male adults tested the influence of cathechins on body fat and weight and could answer the question “does green tea help with weight loss.”. All participants involved had the same weight and BMI. For 3 months the first group consumed 1 liter of Oolong tea a day enhanced with 690 mg of EGCG while the other group used only 22mg of EGCG.

All subjects were served the same meals for breakfast lunch and dinner and were advised to keep their calorie intake to a minimum in between meals. The result was that after 3 months the first group had lost 2.7 kg as opposed to 1.5 kg in the other group. In addition to their BMI and body fat having been reduced significantly their LDL or bad cholesterol levels had also dropped.

This leads to the conclusion that the catechins present in green tea reduce the amount of boy fats in addition to stimulating the burning of calories  and lowering the cholesterol level. Additional studies have proven that these catechins block certain enzymes needed for accumulating fat. So the why is green tea good for weight loss question should be answered by these results

Green Tea Weight  Loss Oprah

It might have been a bit of an exaggeration when Dr. Nicholas Periricone claimed you would lose 5 kgs within 6 weeks by drinking tea instead of coffee in the Oprah Winfrey show although her arguments make sense. Coffee contains acids which raise your blood sugar level and insulin which in turn causes the body to store more fat.

If you make the switch to drinking green tea instead of coffee you burn an extra 80 kilocaloriesl per day resulting in 4 kilo a year. Green tea prevents the blood sugar level from peaking after meals thereby reducing insulin peaks which result in more fat being accumulated. It also helps in preventing sugar cravings or that empty stomach feel. S

o basically if you are trying to lose weight it means that green tea lessens your appetite or cravings for food thanks to the positive influence it has on our blood sugar level.

Drinking Green Tea Weight Loss – Two to Six Cups a Day

You should consume at least 800 ml per day – which translates into 4 to 6 cups- to experience the benefits of green tea. Be sure to pick a superior quality that contains at least 7.1 EGCG if you want to enjoy the health and losing weight benefits of green tea. Most teas on the market are of inferior quality and the teabags, like the ones offered in your local supermarket are therefore a big no-no.

To summarize, green tea is not a magical lose weight product. You lose weight by eating healthy and exercising. Green tea on the other hand is an excellent aid in loosing weight as it triggers your metabolism to get rid of that hungry feeling while at the same time protecting the accumulation of fat and sugar.

Green Tea Capsules for Weight Loss

Green tea weight loss capsules are generally not advised as they often contain unhealthy doses of caffeine and/or insufficient doses of EGCG. Try to keep it natural and go for a good quality green tea

How to Make Green Tea for Weight Loss

Add 4 grams (1-2 coffee spoons) of the tea leaves to the cup using 100 ml of water per gram Pour in the boiling water and cover the cup Let it sit for at least 20 minutes Remove the tea leaves and let the tea cool down until it is at room temperature and consume within the hou.

Never drink green tea on an empty stomach as it can easily irritate your bowls If the color turns brown, it means the EGCG is oxidizing – meaning being destroyed which can happen if it gets into contact with metals and chlorines present in tap water or cups made from metal or containing residues of dishwashing liquids.

That is why top quality green tea should be brewed by using reversed osmosis water that has been boiled in a glass, stainless steel or led free porcelain container. Benefits of Green Tea and Weight Loss Anti-oxidant up to 100 times stronger than vitamin C and E Strengthens the immune system Decreases LDL cholesterol Lowers blood pressure, alleviates stress, protects against dementia and arteriosclerosis Stimulates the blood flow and has an anti-cancer effect in all stages of cancer affliction