by Dr. Sara Solomon P.T., DMD
If you're not drinking matcha green tea yet, you're behind the times! Get with the program and try this metabolism-enhancing, stress-reducing, immune-boosting, cholesterol-lowering, teenage-mutant-ninja cancer fighter!
Although people drank green tea in China more than 1,000 years ago, it became an important part of the Japanese culture. They named the tea matcha. Zen Buddhist monks drank it to remain alert and calm during long hours of meditation.
Japanese tea leaves grow in the shade to increase chlorophyll content. These chlorophyll-rich leaves are then handpicked, steamed, dried and ground into a fine green powder.
The history and cultivation of the tea is interesting, but what matters most to health enthusiasts is its antioxidant content. One cup of matcha green tea has as many antioxidants as 10 cups of regular tea! That's almost exactly the same ratio to the "spider strength" Peter Parker gets when he puts on his suit!
Fit To A Tea
The tea's power is so super because entire leaves are dissolved in water rather than steeped in bags. Instead of throwing away the leaves, you ingest all their antioxidant powers.
Those numbers are off the charts. Matcha green tea possesses antioxidant levels 6.2 times that of goji berries, 7 times that of dark chocolate, 17 times that of wild blueberries and 60.5 times that of spinach! Holy St. Francis, Batman!
And that's not all! Matcha's magnificence makes a long list
