Here’s my oft-repeated opinion on the health benefits of tea, condensed into a single sentence: I don’t deny that there is evidence suggesting tea may offer health benefits, but there is certainly no shortage of people willing to stretch those claims in the interest of selling more tea.
While many discussions about tea and wellness focus on green tea, there have also been efforts to highlight the potential benefits associated with loose leaf white tea varieties and pu-erh tea and aged fermented teas. Then there is a-ols/loose-leaf-tea-matcha.html”>Japanese matcha green tea powder, which seems to be at the center of many tea-related health claims these days.
Matcha, of course, is a distinctive style of Japanese green tea. Unlike most teas, which are steeped and then discarded, matcha is consumed in powdered form, meaning the entire tea leaf becomes part of the beverage. Historically, matcha was relatively obscure in the West and was most commonly associated with the Japanese tea ceremony. In recent years, however, matcha has experienced a tremendous surge in popularity, with some specialty tea companies focusing almost exclusively on matcha products.
I recently conducted a quick and entirely unscientific review of matcha offerings from several well-known tea companies and specialty matcha retailers. One company simply referenced potential health benefits, while another highlighted matcha’s vitamin, mineral, and fiber content. Some claimed that matcha contains significantly more antioxidants than traditional steeped green tea, while others made broader claims about cleansing and detoxification.
It is this antioxidant discussion that appears most frequently in matcha marketing. The argument is generally based on the fact that matcha involves consuming the entire tea leaf rather than merely steeping it in water. As a result, proponents suggest that matcha may provide higher concentrations of certain tea compounds compared with traditionally brewed green tea.
As it turns out, there is at least some scientific research examining these claims. In 2003, researchers at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs published a study titled Determination of Catechins in Matcha Green Tea by Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography. Their findings reported that the concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of the most discussed tea catechins, was substantially higher in matcha than in the comparison tea samples used in their research.
You can review the study here: scientific research on catechin levels in matcha green tea.
In a more recent study, researchers from Croatia analyzed the antioxidant content of nine tea varieties, including matcha. Matcha ranked among the top-performing teas in terms of antioxidant activity. Gyokuro, another highly regarded Japanese green tea, also scored strongly in the results.
The published findings may be viewed here: Croatian study comparing antioxidant content in various tea types.
Of course, while studies such as these are interesting, it is always wise to distinguish between measured laboratory results and broader health claims. As with many topics involving nutrition and wellness, the science is often more nuanced than marketing materials would suggest.
See more /williamlengeman/”>tea history, tea research, and commentary articles by William I. Lengeman.
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