Match Green Tea
Green tea is becoming progressively more famous for its various beneficial effects on health. In this regard, it is interesting to note that there exist different kinds of green tea, each possessing its own unique health promoting and medicinal properties. However, among the various forms of the brew, it appears that matcha green tea overshadows the other green teas to a large measure.
If one cares to examine the differences between green tea and matcha green tea, the mode of cultivation and processing of matcha green tea stand out strikingly. In the case of matcha green tea, the growing tea plants are kept covered so as to prevent exposure to sunlight, for a period of about three weeks prior to the harvest.
The plants that are grown for the final three weeks in about ninety percent shade thus exhibit a stunted rate of growth. Following harvest, the leaves are subjected to steaming, drying and finally to powdering. The finished product, matcha green tea, is thus a fine powder whose properties differ significantly from ordinary green tea.
Strong Anti-Cancer Properties
The single most important feature of matcha green tea is its strong anti-cancer properties. A number of scientific studies have provided solid evidence of the ability of matcha green tea to destroy cancer cells in a selective manner without affecting the surrounding healthy tissue. Matcha green tea exhibits more cancer-preventive efficacy compared to ordinary green tea. The matcha brew also shows potent anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.
Matcha green tea itself is customarily served in two different fashions or forms. The Usucha variety of matcha derives from tea plants that are relatively young, i.e. less than 15 years old. The term “Usucha” literally translates into “thin tea”, in reference to its thinner consistency upon tea mixing. The other type of green tea that comes from tea plants which are much older is called as “Koicha”. This type of matcha is routinely used to prepare “thick tea” and is supposed to be the superior matcha.
As in the case of green tea, the health promoting and medicinal effects of matcha green tea also stems from its constituent chemical compounds, namely, the catechins. The most important among these catechins, Epigallocatechin Gallate or EGCG, however, is found at much higher concentrations in matcha compared to green tea. It has been calculated that the levels of EGCG in matcha is 137 times higher compared to its levels in ordinary green tea. Since EGCG is a highly potent antioxidant, matcha green tea possesses significant anti-ageing properties.
If you are an ardent green tea drinker, then there are enough and more reasons for you to make an even finer choice – drink matcha green tea for superior health.
