GREATEST Of All Time (GOAT)
This is how Gen Zs define someone who’s great in sports, particularly basketball and football. But lately, “goat” is also being used loosely to describe those who eat or drink matcha.
“Kumakain ka ng matcha, kambing ka ba?”
The 24-year-old Naomi Halili often hears this question from her friends, who tease her about her love for matcha.
“People are calling me kambing (goat) because I love any food or drink that has matcha and they think it tastes like grass,” said Halili.
But Halili doesn’t care if people think she’s a goat.
“I have no idea what it is about matcha that I enjoy so much, but the fact that each bite has a flavor that is tastes like tea makes me drool even more,” she said.
What is matcha
Matcha is a high-grade green tea finely grounded to become a powdered form. It is derived from the same plant used for green tea,Camellia sinensis.
Unlike the usual green tea, tea bushes for matcha making are covered using bamboo mats to shade the leaves from excessive direct sunlight for three to four weeks before harvest. This process creates amino acids and bioactive compounds, including chlorophyll and theanine.
Matcha is believed to have started in China. But it was the Japanese who perfected the technology of matcha, and even incorporated it in their Zen Buddhist tradition.
Benefits of matcha
Matcha is a superfood. It’s not just an internet fad.
It has a high concentration of catechins, which has a greater anti-oxidant power than glutathione or Vitamin C, according a study of the chemical composition of matcha tea in 2020.
Matcha is also a powerhouse of vitamin A, C, E and mineral substance.
improves cardiovascular health
Matcha contains a large quantity of micronutrients, particularly a substance referred to as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is a plant compound that has been shown to have positive impacts on human health.
According to a study that was published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, EGCG can exhibit a wide range of medicinal value. It can be anti-atherosclerosis, anti-cardiac hypertrophy, and anti-myocardial infarction. It can also be anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant.
This data was gleaned from an investigation that was conducted on EGCG and its effect on the health of the cardiovascular system and the metabolic system, it said.
CONTAINS high amount of antioxidants
According to a report from Forbes Health, antioxidants eliminate harmful chemicals from the body and lower oxidative stress.
Matcha, as well as green tea in general, contains a significant amount of compounds that perform the function of antioxidants, such as catechins. Based on a study published in Food Research International, tea also contains flavonoids, which are chemicals that have been proven to have antioxidant characteristics and many positive effects.
According to the findings, tea flavonoids help prevent tooth decay, reduce inflammation, and have antibacterial effects.
may fight cancer
Extensive cohort studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between drinking matcha green tea and a lower risk of developing stomach cancer.
Consumption of green tea was found to be connected to a decreased risk of stomach cancer, based on research conducted by Cancer Causes and Control.
Catechins and gallic acid, both of which are phytochemicals found in matcha, have been used in combination with chemotherapy treatments, and a study has been conducted to determine whether or not they increase the effectiveness of particular chemotherapy medications, it said.
Helps weight loss
A potent antioxidant known as L-theanine can be found in matcha in high concentrations. The production of the stress hormone cortisol can be controlled and regulated with the assistance of L-theanine, said the report. Because of this, consuming matcha can help people lose weight and improve the overall quality of their life. It does this by assisting the body to better manage the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
So if you’re thinking of improving your health, matcha is the key.
That’s the tea.
