Japanese Cast Iron Tea Kettles: A History of the Tetsubin
You may have heard or seen Japanese tea lovers refer to a tetsubin (鉄瓶, which means ‘iron kettle’) but may not have been entirely sure...
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How does caffeine content in Matcha green tea compared to coffee?
It’s important to understand how caffeine affects the body. Caffeine, a naturally occurring compound that’s found in around 60 types of plants including tea and coffee, is a central nervous system stimulant that most of us rely on to boost energy. Indeed, caffeine has been known to help with focus and reaction time, along with providing more energy, endurance, and strength for physical activities. It’s even a gastric stimulant which is why you may find yourself running to the washroom after a cup of coffee in the morning. Additionally, it’s a vasoconstrictor, meaning it narrows the blood vessels and increases blood pressure.
The effects of caffeine may be enjoyable and beneficial for some people and challenging for others. We compared coffee versus matcha green tea caffeine below, to help you decide whether a green tea like matcha is a healthier source of caffeine in comparison to coffee.
As most of us are aware, coffee contains a high amount of caffeine content. While caffeine may be beneficial, especially for those who feel lethargic, or are in need of a quick energy boost, the caffeine in coffee can also have some negative effects.
A cup of coffee contains about 120 milligrams of caffeine which is a significant amount. Caffeine from coffee spreads quickly through the body, which gives a short burst of renewed energy, but with the nuisance of not-so-great effects later. Common side effects of drinking too much coffee are nervousness, jitteriness, headaches, insomnia, and a racing heart.
Matcha, on the other hand, also contains caffeine, but it’s quite different from that found in coffee. Matcha green tea has about 50% less caffeine than coffee.
Unlike coffee, matcha compromises certain phytonutrients, such as L-theanine, which helps the body to absorb caffeine in the matcha more slowly. This means that rather than a huge caffeine spike that you experience from drinking coffee, matcha green tea gives you the advantage of caffeine’s awakening effects over a long period of time. The effect of caffeine in matcha has been described by many people as calming. That’s a great way to begin your day!
Matcha Otome is a ceremonial grade green tea powder that has a fresh aroma and rich, savory notes of sweet grass with slight astringency. From the prestigious Uji region in Kyoto, this matcha is excellent as is or in drinks such as matcha lattes, smoothies and cocktails.
Now you know why more and more people are switching from coffee to matcha. The calming alertness that you get from drinking matcha green tea may be a better way to begin your day than the rapid spike of coffee caffeine. What are your thoughts?
If you want to read more articles on health benefits, check them out here:
You may have heard or seen Japanese tea lovers refer to a tetsubin (鉄瓶, which means ‘iron kettle’) but may not have been entirely sure...
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We love sipping green tea year-round, both chilled or served piping hot. Loaded with powerful antioxidants, essential nutrients, and anti-inflammatory polyphenols, green tea has tons of potent health benefits.