Perhaps you’ve heard people rave about matcha green tea and refer to it as a superfood. If you’re like many, though, you may not be quite sure just what a superfood is or why you should care. We want to share exactly what it means to be a superfood, what your daily dose of matcha looks like in order to snag those superfood properties, and how to get more of that healthful matcha into your diet today.
Superfood Properties of Matcha
Matcha is made from the powdered leaves of green tea, which gives it its vibrant color. In the last few decades, green tea has made headlines worldwide for its extreme health benefits, helping those who consume it fight cancer and live longer, as well as feel calmer and happier.
Matcha contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body, prevent disease and slow the process of aging. It also contains caffeine and L-theanine, molecules that improve your brain by respectively helping you stay sharp and naturally reduce anxiety. The catechins in green tea can also help kill mouth bacteria, offering natural protection against plaque, tartar and gum disease.
In addition, matcha and other types of green tea have been linked with a reduction in cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Drinking it daily appears to offer protection against Alzheimer’s and dementia as well, so it’s a great habit to form now.
Your Daily Dose
Your dose of matcha depends largely on your personal preference, though generally speaking, the more you drink the greater protective benefits you will get. At a minimum, you should enjoy one cup of matcha per day, and shoot for two. If you’re a caffeine addict, try swapping out a cup of black tea or coffee for the calmer energizing effects of matcha, bringing those superfood qualities to the table at the same time.
Get More Matcha Now
As well as drinking matcha, did you know you can actually eat it? That’s right; because it’s powdered, it mixes brilliantly into a variety of baked goods. Because no one’s dying to add another guilt-induced must-do to their list, we thought we’d go the sweet route. Here’s a fabulous recipe from Chocolate and Connie: White Chocolate Matcha Brownies.
Ingredients
- 70g AP flour
- 30g matcha powder
- 120g white chocolate, melted
- 2 tsp milk
- 70g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 60g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 100g white chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Grease an 8x8in pan and line with parchment paper
- Whisk flour and matcha together
- Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then add eggs in one at a time
- Stir in melted white chocolate and milk until combined
- Gently stir dry ingredients into wet
- Add half of the white chocolate chips into the batter and mix
- Pour batter into pan and bake for 10 minutes until halfway done
- Take pan out and sprinkle the other half of the white chocolate chips over the top of the batter
- Bake until set, about 7-10 minutes more
See? Consuming more matcha can be both good for you and delicious. We recommend making a daily cup or two of matcha part of your routine, and sprinkling in sweet treats throughout the week. After all, there’s no reason your indulgences can’t be super good for you too!