What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Matcha Every Day

Matcha has been an integral part of Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries. Carefully crafted from shaded green tea leaves, the tea is renowned for its rich flavor, smooth texture and culinary versatility, from overnight oats to cake and even jello shots. Along with its alluring sensory appeal, matcha green tea contains several key compounds that contribute to a wide range of health benefits. Below you will discover what these health benefits are and exciting ways to enjoy this robust–and often refreshing–beverage.

What is Matcha?

Matcha is a green tea powder that is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets it apart from other green tea varieties is its unique cultivation process.

During the growth period, the green tea bushes are covered with bamboo to shade the delicate leaves from direct sunlight. This method of sun protection prompts the tea leaves to produce higher amounts of beneficial compounds, including chlorophyll and L-theanine. These potent plant compounds give matcha its distinctive dark green pigment and robust flavor.  

After the leaves have fully matured, they are carefully harvested and lightly steamed. The leaves are then ground into a fine powder to make matcha tea. Unlike steeping traditional green tea, matcha involves consuming the entire leaf, offering a more concentrated source of its many health-enhancing compounds.

Health Benefits of Matcha

May Help You Feel More Relaxed

Starting your day with a mug of matcha may promote a sense of calm and clarity. As mentioned above, matcha contains an amino acid called L-theanine, which has been found to boost alpha waves in the brain, leading to increased feelings of relaxation and calmness, says Lacey Dunn, M.S., RD, functional medicine dietitian and owner of Upliftfit Nutrition. L-theanine also increases the production of several neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which help to reduce stress and anxiety, she adds.

May Enhance Your Brain Function

Along with being an excellent source of L-theanine, matcha also contains a small amount of caffeine. Together, L-theanine and caffeine can increase memory and mental alertness, says Dunn. In that way, you get the best of both worlds. “L-theanine may help to avoid the jittery and anxious feeling that comes with caffeine consumption, as well as promote a feeling of relaxation,” she says.  

Matcha may also aid in reducing oxidative stress, which can damage neurons in the brain and is linked to cognitive decline and memory impairment, says Dunn. “It’s believed that the EGCG and caffeine content in matcha may help to alleviate this and reduce neuroinflammation,” she explains.

May Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

Making matcha a regular part of your daily routine may also aid in the prevention of certain cancers. “Matcha may help reduce cancer risk by halting the growth of cancer cells and reducing oxidative stress, which increases the risk of DNA damage and tumor formation,” says Dunn. The anti-cancer effects of matcha are attributed to a powerful catechin called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). However, matcha is just one part of your diet. More clinical research is needed to confirm these findings and understand its full potential in cancer prevention.

May Improve Your Heart Health

The compounds in matcha may also tone up your ticker. More specifically, the catechins in matcha have strong antioxidant properties that help to lower inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease, says JeJe Noval, Ph.D., RDN, an integrative and functional registered dietitian specializing in digestive and hormone health.

“Matcha may also help to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and improve heart health through its ability to increase insulin sensitivity, reduce total and LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce triglycerides,” says Dunn. She adds that matcha may even have a small but beneficial effect on high blood pressure by boosting antioxidant enzymes that protect blood vessel walls from damage.  

May Support Your Gut Health

Regularly sipping on matcha tea may be good for your gut. The EGCG in matcha can help support gut health by counteracting harmful bacteria and promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, says Dunn. For that reason, matcha may be a good addition to your diet in cases of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and H pylori infections, she says.

May Help Manage Your Blood Sugar

Matcha may help lower blood glucose levels through its ability to improve insulin sensitivity. “Think of insulin like a key, allowing glucose to enter your cells to be used, versus floating freely in the blood,” says Dunn. “When your cells are more sensitive to insulin, your body is better able to use glucose as fuel versus storing it as body fat,” she explains.

The compound in matcha that is believed to regulate insulin secretion and enhance insulin sensitivity is a plant pigment called quercetin. This compound may support carbohydrate metabolism, says Noval, which may be one tool to help manage healthy blood glucose levels. 

May Support a Healthy Weight

Matcha’s rich EGCG and caffeine content may help slightly increase your metabolism and ability to burn fat through a process called thermogenesis, says Dunn. “This increased thermogenesis helps your body to produce more heat, which increases the calories you burn at rest,” Dunn explains. This effect is likely to be small (and more research is needed), but matcha may play a role in your overall diet if you’re aiming to lose weight.

Matcha Nutrition Facts

One serving (1 tsp) of matcha green tea powder contains:

• Calories: 3
• Protein: 1 g
• Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 0 g
• Total Sugars: 0 g
• Fiber: 1 g (3% DV)

Matcha is a low-calorie beverage with very few vitamins and minerals. However, it is a significant source of bioactive compounds, including L-theanine, quercetin, catechins, caffeine and chlorophyll, which are responsible for matcha’s various health benefits.  

Potential Side Effects and Precautions

Though matcha is typically safe to consume and well-tolerated by most people, its caffeine content may cause side effects in some individuals. “It may induce anxiety, irritability, insomnia or headaches in those sensitive to caffeine,” says Dunn.

In addition, high doses of matcha may affect liver enzyme function and detoxification pathways in the body. (This is most likely to occur from taking high-doses of green tea supplements.) As a result, Dunn warns that this can interact with some medications. Therefore, if you have pre-existing health conditions and are taking medications, speak with your healthcare provider to ensure matcha is safe to consume.

Best Ways to Enjoy Matcha 

Matcha boasts a rich, earthy and slightly bitter flavor with a subtle sweetness that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, including:

•  Sipped hot: Using a bamboo chasen (tea whisk), mix ½ tsp. of matcha powder with 4 ounces of hot water to make a perfect cup of traditional matcha tea.   
• Mixed into lattes: To elevate traditional matcha tea, simply add your favorite milk and sweetener of choice to make a hot or Iced Matcha Latte.
•  Paired with oats: If you want to enhance your ordinary overnight oats, try adding a scoop of matcha for a vibrant and delicious twist.
• Baked into dessert: Matcha is also an excellent addition to baked goods. Try our Mini Pistachio Cakes, which incorporate matcha in the cake and glaze, the next time you want a treat with an earthy-yet-sweet treat.
• Blended into smoothies: To reap the benefits of matcha, consider adding this potent powder to your favorite green smoothie. Better yet, try our Whipped Matcha Fruit Smoothies that are topped with decadent matcha foam.

The Bottom Line

Whether enjoyed in a cozy coffee shop or the comfort of your home, matcha contains several key compounds that make it ideal to add to your routine. From L-theanine to EGCG, matcha offers potential benefits for brain, gut and heart health and may aid in weight management and improve your blood glucose levels. If you have existing health concerns, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider before incorporating it into your daily routine.