This trend started in the form of latte, however, people are not only drinking it. Matcha is a type of green tea and we all know that it has many benefits. So, it turns out that the range of benefits of this famous beverage ranges from weight loss to cancer prevention. It sounds great, but is it true?

Drink this to lose weight.

First, a little context. The matcha comes from the same plant where the green, black and oolong teas come from, Camellia sinensis. However, it is a little different from the drink you love.

“When you order green tea, they put tea leaves in hot water until they are completely infused and then the strips,” explains sports nutritionist Cynthia Sass. “With the matcha, you are drinking the leaves, which have been finely ground and turned into a solution, regularly by mixing a spoonful of matcha powder with a third of a cup of hot water.” Because you are consuming the whole leaf of the plant, you get a better mix of nutrients and antioxidants than with green tea.

Drinking black tea helps you avoid spikes in blood sugar.

Matcha is rich in antioxidants, called polyphenones, says Sass, which have anti-inflammatory effects and can serve to protect your body from serious health problems such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Epigallocatechin galaton, a powerful polyphenol in green tea, has been associated with benefits in metabolism that slows or stops the growth of cancer cells. According to a study published in the Journal of Chromatography, matcha contains 137 times more epigallocatechin galaton than traditional green tea.

Another advantage: matcha can help increase your energy, making it a great alternative to coffee. Although it is not even close to containing the same amount of caffeine as coffee (one cup of matcha contains 70 milligrams, while the same amount of coffee has 170mg), matcha contains a natural substance called theanine, which can trigger the state of alert, indicates Sass.

“Compared to the effect of caffeine in coffee, matcha drinkers experience a ‘calm on alert’, which produces feelings of relaxation rather than a slump,” he explains.

Although matcha does not need sweetener, those who are accustomed to sweeteners and cream in coffee may want to add some flavor, suggests Sass.

Having said that, other foods that contain matcha are not necessarily healthy options. Matcha chocolate is just chocolate and matcha pancakes probably have a lot of sugar. For this reason, experts agree that matcha by itself is a low-calorie alternative to sweet drinks, but suggest caution about all versions that indicate that matcha will do more for you than just a slight nutritional improvement.

“No food can ‘detoxify’ the body, and your body does not need anything external to detoxify,” explains nutritionist Abbey Sharp, founder of Abbey’s Kitchen. “The liver, kidneys, lungs and skin do it for you every day.”

In addition, although research suggests that matcha has the potential to accelerate metabolism, thanks to its epigallocatechin galaton, this does not make it a solution to lose weight. You should take a lot. “Most studies that show a relationship between matcha and weight loss use a larger green tea extract compared to what people consume,” adds nutritionist Elizabeth Shaw.

Instead of relying blindly on matcha, a sustainable loss of weight must be achieved through significant changes in lifestyle, such as exercising regularly and eating healthy, he says. Although its nutritional profile is promising matcha (or any tea, really) will not transform your health by itself. If you really want to benefit from it, matcha should serve as a supplement to a healthy diet based on nutrient-laden foods.

DO YOU WANT TO PREPARE YOUR OWN MATCHA?

Here we tell you how to do it:

1. Boil 120ml of water. Stir 2 teaspoons of organic matcha concentrate with 4 teaspoons of water at room temperature until a homogeneous paste is formed.

2. Add hot water. The matcha by itself has a herbaceous sweetness.