Recently popular! This drink reduces fat, fights aging, protects cardiovascular system... But one type of people should be careful

After coffee, matcha has become a new favorite drink for young people. Judging from the social media platforms, this popularity is partly due to the "agricultural survey" at the beginning of the year. Many people were surprised to find that Guizhou is an "important production base of matcha in the world", so they bought it out of curiosity to try.

Later, the saying that "drinking matcha can reduce cortisol, reduce fat and reduce weight" began to spread, causing more and more people to start drinking matcha. However, does matcha really have these effects?

What is Matcha Tea?

How is it different from other teas?

Looking at the green matcha powder, some friends may fall into deep thought: What is the difference between matcha and green tea?

They are quite different, not only in production process, but also in nutritional characteristics.

The modern production process of matcha includes the following steps:

The fresh leaves of tea trees grown under shade are selected, steamed, low-temperature dried, and ground into powder. The whole process does not have too high a temperature, which can better preserve the activity of various phytochemicals in the tea leaves.

Green tea does not need to be covered with tea leaves. This results in green tea not being as green as matcha, and having a stronger bitter taste and a slightly inferior umami taste. Secondly, green tea is often directly fried and dried after steaming and rolling. If green tea powder is to be made, it is then crushed into green tea powder. The process involves high temperatures and the crushing is not thorough enough. Therefore, the nutrients contained in green tea are not as rich as matcha, and the particles of green tea powder are larger than those of matcha powder, and the taste is not as delicate as matcha.

Matcha is also quite different from black tea and white tea. Black tea and white tea are fermented teas, and they taste mellower and sweeter, often with floral and fruity aromas. Because they have been fermented, the ingredients that are beneficial to health are also different. For example, black tea with a higher degree of fermentation mainly contains theaflavins and thearubigins; while white tea with a lower degree of fermentation retains more tea polyphenols, has a stronger antioxidant capacity, and a higher content of free amino acids.

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Nutritional value of "matcha"

Now, getting back to the topic, are the claims about matcha and cortisol on the Internet true?

Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex. Excessive levels of cortisol may increase appetite, especially the desire for high-sugar, high-fat foods, and may lead to obesity due to overwork. In addition, cortisol can promote the proliferation and differentiation of fat cells, leading to an increased risk of central obesity. What's worse, cortisol can also break down muscles and reduce the basal metabolic rate, which will make weight loss even more difficult.

At present, although direct evidence is insufficient, some studies have shown that theanine in matcha can help people reduce stress, and stress is one of the important reasons for the production of cortisol, so it has a resounding name "stress hormone". In other words, matcha may reduce cortisol levels by reducing stress.

Another piece of evidence that matcha may affect cortisol levels is that matcha is rich in tea polyphenols, chlorophyll, chlorogenic acid, vitamin C, rutin, quercetin and other antioxidants, and its antioxidant capacity is very strong. The Food Antioxidant Capacity Database released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that the antioxidant capacity of matcha is 10 times that of green tea and 51 times that of broccoli. Strong antioxidant capacity can help the human body better cope with the adverse effects of oxidative stress, including increased cortisol levels.

However, we must be cautious here to remind everyone that cortisol levels are affected by many factors. In addition to the appropriate intake of matcha and other teas rich in theanine, you also need to develop a healthy lifestyle, have a regular schedule, actively but not excessively exercise, and maintain a diverse and balanced diet.

In addition to its effect on cortisol, matcha has other advantages in helping with weight loss. For example, animal studies have shown that matcha can inhibit abnormal hypertrophy of fat cells, reduce weight gain, and improve blood lipid and blood sugar metabolism.

Overall, matcha is indeed likely to reduce cortisol levels by improving stress and anti-oxidation. In addition, it may promote fat metabolism. If it is combined with a light diet and proper exercise, matcha will be helpful for weight loss.

How to choose and match good matcha

Matcha has so many health benefits and can also help with weight loss. How can ordinary people like us choose a high-quality matcha?

You can focus on the following aspects, which are simple and efficient:

1

Don't worry about domestic or imported products, the key is to look at the level

According to the national standard GB/T 34778-2017 "Matcha", matcha can be divided into two levels: primary and secondary, based on color, flavor, aroma, and form. Primary matcha is brighter green, has a more delicate and soft taste, and is pure and strong. When purchasing, we should pay attention to whether the product is implemented in accordance with GB/T 34778-2017, and then choose primary matcha.

2

Look at the ingredient list and choose clean ones

Some matcha products on the market use ordinary green tea powder to impersonate matcha powder. Some products also add white sugar, non-dairy creamer, and even flavors, pigments and other additives to improve the bitter taste of matcha. This undoubtedly increases the sugar and fat content of matcha products and weakens the health effects of matcha.

3

See the origin as a reference

The main production areas of matcha in China are concentrated in Guizhou and Zhejiang provinces. For example, Tongren, Guizhou is known as the "Matcha Capital", and the matcha industry of Yucha Village in Shaoxing, Zhejiang is also one of the local representative enterprises. Therefore, when choosing, you can pay attention to the production area, which is relatively more reliable.

After choosing the matcha, the next step is how to make it taste better.

The recommended method is to combine matcha with milk and coconut water . After mixing the pre-whipped matcha liquid with milk, add an appropriate amount of coconut water. The milk makes the taste smooth, and the coconut water is slightly sweet, which is very refreshing. You can also try to use thick coconut milk instead of coconut water, which will taste more mellow, but the calories will also increase accordingly. This depends on your preference. If you want to make it more complicated, you can also use matcha powder with yogurt and sweet fruits to make a milkshake, put it in the refrigerator for a while, and the flavor is also very good.

If you are used to drinking coffee, you may also try drinking pure matcha powder directly, but you must pay attention to the amount of matcha powder. It is advisable to drink 2 to 3 grams . Excessive intake of tea polyphenols and caffeine may cause gastrointestinal discomfort.

Finally, it is also important to note that although matcha has many benefits, if you are sensitive to caffeine or have trouble sleeping, you should still pay attention to controlling your intake. You should know that the caffeine content in matcha is higher than that in green tea and coffee. The elderly, children, and pregnant women should not drink or consume it excessively. It is better not to drink more than one medium cup a day.

References

[1] Herhaus, B., Ullmann, E., Chrousos, G. et al. High/low cortisol reactivity and food intake in people with obesity and healthy weight. Transl Psychiatry 10, 40 (2020).

[2] SD Hewagalamulage, TK Lee, IJ Clarke, BA Henry,Stress, cortisol, and obesity: a role for cortisol responsiveness in identifying individuals prone to obesity,Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 2016, Volume 56, Supplement, S112-S120.

[3] Brix JM, Tura A, Herz CT, Feder A, Krzizek EC, Parzer V, Pacini G, Ludvik B. The Association of Cortisol Excretion with Weight and Metabolic Parameters in Nondiabetic Patients with Morbid Obesity. Obes Facts. 2021;14(5):510-519.

[4] Hidese S, Ogawa S, Ota M, Ishida I, Yasukawa Z, Ozeki M, Kunugi H. Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2019 Oct 3;11(10):2362.

[5] Williams JL, Everett JM, D'Cunha NM, Sergi D, Georgousopoulou EN, Keegan RJ, McKune AJ, Mellor DD, Anstice N, Naumovski N. The Effects of Green Tea Amino Acid L-Theanine Consumption on the Ability to Manage Stress and Anxiety Levels: a Systematic Review. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2020 Mar;75(1):12-23.

[6] Liwen Wang, Margaret Brennan, Shiming Li, Hui Zhao, Klaus W. Lange, Charles Brennan, How does the tea L-theanine buffer stress and anxiety, Food Science and Human Wellness, 2022, Volume 11(3): 467-475.

[7] Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), US Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA Database for the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods, Release 2 - - May 2010.

[8] Zhou Jihong, Yu Yueer, Ding Lejia, Xu Ping, Mao Limin, Wang Yuefei. Protective effect and mechanism of matcha on liver lipid accumulation and inflammatory response induced by high-fat diet in mice. Journal of Zhejiang University (Agriculture and Life Sciences)[J]. 2022, 48(4): 525-532.

Planning and production

Author: Wang Lu, registered dietitian

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Yang Yaping

Editor: Yang Yaping

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin