Does Matcha Make You Lose Weight?
Matcha is a finely ground green tea powder that originated in China and was later developed in Japan. Matcha, which literally translates as “powered tea”, is made from stone ground green tea leaves that is traditionally whisked into hot water or milk or used as a flavoring agent in many recipes. It’s traditionally a ceremonial tea that has in recent years been growing in popularity around the globe and is consumed daily and in many forms in the morning or throughout the day.
What makes matcha different from green tea is its vibrant, bright green color and the fact that you’re consuming the tea leaves itself versus the brew of the tea leaves. That means, there’s more potency, a higher caffeine content, and potentially other health benefits since matcha has a higher antioxidant rating than all major superfoods!
These reasons alone help make matcha tea a great substitute for coffee. In this post, I’m talking about the many health benefits of consuming matcha and will answer whether or not matcha can make you lose weight.
Does Matcha Make You Lose Weight
Wondering if matcha helps you lose weight? Although matcha has been around at this point for centuries, the potential weight loss benefits of matcha has been all the range, especially in the US in recent years.
But are there studies out there that prove this to be true?
When desiring to lose weight, it’s already widely known that green tea is a great beverage to add to your diet and exercise plan due to its high content in catechins. Research studies* have found that the consumption of “catechins significantly decreased body weight and significantly maintained body weight after a period of weight loss”.
In the same study found at the National Library of Medicine, it’s been found that the presence of catechins or an epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)-caffeine mixture has a positive effect overall on weight loss and weight management.
Since matcha is a more potent version of green tea, matcha green tea can be a great addition to your weight loss plan. Each leaf is packed with nutrients that can help your body fight the extra weight, making it the best green tea on weight loss.
Just keep in mind that drinking matcha green tea alone won’t do all the heavy lifting. You’ll still have to eat a balanced and healthy diet and exercise regularly in order to lose weight and trim down the body fat overall.
Matcha Benefits For Weight Loss
Increased metabolism
The presence of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and caffeine working together make matcha have metabolism boosting benefits, which can help support weight management and the body’s natural ability in burning calories on a daily basis. EGCG in particular is also linked to increased thermogenesis (the body’s rate of burning calories).
Drinking matcha in the morning can also help stimulate your digestive system so you’ll definitely want to find ways to have matcha with breakfast to get a headstart first thing rather than later in the day!
Appetite suppression
The chlorophyll content combined with the presence of caffeine and catechins found in matcha may help curb your cravings and suppress your appetite, which can enhance fat burning potential due to the fact that the less calories you consume, the more fat your body can burn. There isn’t much evidence that links chlorophyll with weight loss, but consuming matcha and other foods with chlorophyll contents can help to strengthen your fat-burning process through metabolism.
Fat management
Catechins found in matcha have been proven to help reduce glucose and lipid absorption, which help with weight loss and weight management. Regular, daily intake of catechins may help aid in the reduction of the abdominal fat area, visceral fat area and subcutaneous fat area.
Improve blood pressure
Regular consumption of green tea like matcha has been proven to help decrease insulin sensitivity, improve blood pressure, and have positive effects on blood sugar levels. According to one study, green tea has been shown to significantly reduce both systolic—the upper number—and diastolic—the lower number—blood pressure.
Lower cholesterol
People who drink green tea have been found with significantly lower levels of LDL, the “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides, which help protect against heart disease.
Increased cognitive function
The properties found in matcha green tea have been also shown to have brain health benefits as well like improved neuroprotection and decreased neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. According to studies done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, an increasing consumption of green tea can lead to a decrease in the prevalence of cognitive impairment. So drink your matcha!
5 Best Matcha For Weight Loss
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Encha Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder
Encha has one of the best matcha powders overall in quality, taste, and value. It’s a high-quality, organically-farmed matcha rooted in ancient traditions with slow, meticulous care.
Tenzo
Tenzo matcha is a top contender as well. It’s a 100% organic, high-quality tea sourced directly from a family of farmers in Kagoshima, Japan that has been cultivating green tea in rich, volcanic soil for over 400 years.
Jade Leaf Matcha
Jade Leaf Matcha has the best value overall. It’s produced by the Kizuna Tea Collective, a network of family-run tea farms across Japan’s premiere growing regions, who have been cultivating high quality matcha and supplying Japan’s domestic market since 1858. They opened its first outpost here in the U.S. in 2014, offering certified organic matcha under the Jade Leaf brand name.
Sun Goddess Matcha
What I love about the sun goddess matcha is the fact that it comes in the perfect, ready to go packets, which makes them easy to bring to work or for travel.
Kenko Matcha
Kenko is a premium matcha green tea founded by a former chef and sourced from one of the world's best tasting matcha. In fact, the taste is why we’re naming this match to be among the best you’ll want to try for weight loss.
Overall, when you’re thinking of ways for how to jumpstart weight loss, products with green tea extract link matcha offer many health benefits. Not only does matcha offer many benefits for weight loss found in the caffeine, catechins, and EGCG components, but you can also reap the nutritional benefits when you drink matcha, which has the highest antioxidant rating than all major superfoods.
So in the end, drink matcha when you want to reap the positive effects of green tea, manage your body weight, and see improved energy expenditure overall. You can add this fine powder to your hot water or milk, or even incorporate it into your smoothies or baked goods.
Yes, you can reap all the benefits of green tea when you drink matcha and more due to the fact that there’s way more potency.
Have you ever tried matcha? Would you give it a try after learning about all of these benefits? There’s so many reasons why you should definitely give it a go.
* Hursel R, Viechtbauer W, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis. Int J Obes (Lond). 2009 Sep;33(9):956-61. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2009.135. Epub 2009 Jul 14. PMID: 19597519.