Matcha vs Green Tea Extract – Which Is Better For Weight Loss?

Find out why many fitness and health magazines are recommending green tea as one of the top fat burners and why medical professionals have recognized it as a powerful remedy and calling it an antioxidant powerhouse and why millions of people are using it to skyrocket their natural energy levels to super-charges their weight loss regime!

But which one is better, green tea extract or Matcha?

Matcha is the King when it comes to green tea. It has become a popular supplement that provides a plethora of health benefits.

More and more people are drinking Macha green tea than ever before. People want credible dietary supplements that have been scientifically proven to be effective.

However, as good as Matcha is, no one is ever satisfied with just one aspect of anything. They must always find an alternative way around it.

Many consumers, especially fitness enthusiasts, are searching around for alternative ways to consume green tea. Rather than the traditional method of brewing and drinking it, people want to know if taking a green tea extract is just as beneficial and effective as drinking Matcha?

Let’s find out.

What Is Green Tea Extract?

Green tea extract is a highly concentrated supplement with just one small capsule that holds the same dose of active ingredients (polyphenols and catechins) as a regular cup of green tea. For this reason, you’ll get the same number of antioxidants by consuming green tea extract. 

The benefits and potency of green tea extracts are determined by how their healthy compounds are extracted from the source.

A good example would be this natural extract here on Amazon. (It has the same amount of healthy catechins as 6 cups of tea).

The chemical compounds of green tea include polyphenols, caffeine, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, L-theanine (amino acid), manganese, fluorides, aluminum, and essential oils.

It has a series of primary active ingredients, such as caffeine, antioxidants (flavonols), and catechins. The components of these catechins include epicatechin gallate, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin.

The strongest of these is the epigallocatechin gallate, which provides all the anti-carcinogenic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Because of this, epigallocatechin gallate is usually extracted and used to make green tea supplement capsules.

How Is It Made?

Like touched upon already, green tea supplements contain concentrated amounts of catechin and polyphenol extracts.

Once the green tea leaves are ground up, they’re mixed with organic solvents so that the polyphenols (micronutrients) can be isolated and extracted.

Research studies show that polyphenols need a water and ethanol mixture to be as soluble as possible. This is how supplement manufacturers can extract more polyphenols from each gram of green tea when it’s dry. The extract goes through a purification process to eliminate any harmful ingredients that might be in it, such as heavy metals and aluminum. Most of the caffeine element remains behind as well.

This is also the same process that can create a decaffeinated version of the extract. 

Best Green Tea Extract To Buy

Dietary supplements are not all the same.

Some manufacturers just place ground-up tea leaves inside capsules or blend the leaves with other filler ingredients. This causes supplement labels to be highly inaccurate.

After the caffeine content of nearly 30 different green tea extracts was analyzed by the independent testing company, they found that some had only 42.6% of the stated caffeine on the label. In contrast, others had up to an additional 131.5% of the caffeine indicated on the label.

As for the catechin specified on the labels, nearly every product had lower amounts of catechin content than what was specified.

Always make sure you buy a good quality product from a reputable company.

Green Tea Extract With EGCG, Antioxidants, And Polyphenols For Energy And Weight Loss

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Advantages Of Ingesting Extract Over Drinking Matcha

The main advantage of taking concentrated capsules instead of drinking a cup of Matcha is the convenience factor. 

Also, for people who don’t like Matcha’s taste, taking the extract would be a good option.

In addition, the average range of primary catechins in green tea extract is between 72.9 mg and 484.9 mg for each serving.

The average catechin level in Matcha leaves is between 60.2 and 104.2 milligrams per gram of leaves.

Some studies have revealed that people could absorb the polyphenols more quickly from a purified green tea extract capsule. Giving them higher amounts of antioxidants than they would get from drinking a cup of tea.

While green tea extract is a popular supplement for many sports and fitness enthusiasts, it is another option to drink true Matcha itself.

Here’s what you should know about the beverage.

What Is Matcha And Where Does It Come From?

Farmers harvest some of Japan’s finest matcha leaves.

For more than 900 years, grown in Japan and used in a famous Japanese tea ceremony and as a remedy for various misalignments, Matcha comes from the same plant that all true teas come from, Camellia Sinensis.

It is a true green tea, but its growth style, harvest, and production style are markedly different from those of other green teas. 

Pure fine tea powder.

Matcha is shade-grown for about 20 days before harvest. This will increase the nutritional value of the tea leaves and help make it into very high-grade tea.

Harvesting of the leaves is always done by hand to make sure there is the best selection of superior and the best quality tea. 

Contrary to other green teas, leaves selected for Matcha, called Tencha, are de-veined and de-stemmed. This process is followed by very fine milling of the leaves done with stone-ground mills that will result in a fine green powder known as Matcha.

Zen Buddhist monks discovered the art of brewing Matcha back in the 13^th century. They noticed that it improved #focus and helped to prepare mentally for battles.

Why Is Everyone Talking About It?

Matcha has gained widespread recognition because of its enormous and well-proven health benefits. Each cup delivers a mega-dose of antioxidants to your body. It is packed with exponentially so much more antioxidants than any other superfood out there.

Nutritional Benefits Of Matcha Tea

One gram of acai berries, which are famous for their high antioxidant content, contains 55 units – however, a single gram of matcha contains 1384 units! Don’t overlook this powerful source of antioxidants.

Matcha tea contains a unique and very powerful class of antioxidants, frequently referred to as catechins.

In Matcha, there are 10 types of catechins. Out of those, epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) are the most important in terms of health and therapeutic benefits. EGCG and other catechins mentioned above would prevent the damage to cells and the DNA caused by free radicals from the likes of UV rays, pollution, household chemicals, radiation, and so on.

About half of the catechin content in matcha is EGCG which provides potent cancer-fighting properties.

Nutrition Info

Here is an approximate nutritional breakdown of the main ingredients in Matcha powder. Nutritional info is for 1tsp or 2g of powder.

Nutrients

• Total Catechins 210 mg
• Energy 6 Calories
• L-theanine 30 mg
• Total Amino Acids 70 mg
• Polyphenols 200mg
• Tea Caffeine 60 mg
• Dietary Fiber 500 mg

Vitamins And Minerals

• Vitamins And Minerals
• Vitamin C 2 mg
• Vitamin A 650 units
• Calcium 8 mg
• Sodium .12 mg
• Vitamin E .6 mg
• Magnesium 6 mg
• Vitamin B .04 mg
• Potassium 50 mg
• Phosphorus 7 mg

Matcha Tea For Weight Loss

Losing Weight Is Only A Tea Cup Away! 

Matcha contains virtually no calories. It is a perfect addition to any weight loss plan by tackling weight loss from every angle. 

It burns fat and boosts metabolism at the same time. It has been confirmed that drinking matcha tea increases thermogenesis, which is the body’s effectiveness of burning calories from 8-10% to up to 46% of the body’s daily energy usage.

Also, it is shown that exercising straight away after consuming matcha resulted in up to 25% more fat burning while exercising. It can also enhance both fat burning and increasing metabolic rate while resting and that will literally supercharge your weight loss regime!

It is one of the secret “superfoods” that many people are still finding out. It has many times stronger effects on weight loss than regular green tea, and it is a perfect product to facilitate healthy and natural weight loss.

Not only does it have a rich history, but Matcha also has many #health benefits. In addition, it boosts fat metabolism, making it a popular weight loss supplement.

Why Is Matcha Energy Unlike Any Other?

A Relaxing Effect On The Body, Yet An Alert State Of Mind.

Throughout the years Matcha has been used to aid in meditation practice. Monks would meditate for many hours, and during that meditation, they would drink matcha tea to help them remain alert but, at the same time, stay very calm.

In the year 1191, Zen Buddhist monk Eisai wrote in The Book of Tea that green tea could quell indigestion, prevent fatigue, and improve concentration, and much more. Today, modern science has confirmed all of these claims. 

Matcha is full of antioxidants; in fact, it has 137 times more antioxidants than there is in a regular green tea, which has protective effects against heart disease, cholesterol plaques and could help to control high blood pressure.

Matcha energy is unlike any you have experienced before.

It has a unique ability to energize the body while calming and focusing the mind. It contains a lot of L-Theanine, a very special set of natural amino acids found only in green tea that will bring you to a state of well-being and relaxation by acting upon the brain’s functioning.

While stress would generate more beta waves, an agitated, more excited state, then L-Theanine would create more alpha waves, which will lead to a state of relaxed alertness while all the antioxidants and nutrients from Matcha are boosting and maintaining your energy.

How To Prepare Matcha?

Watch the video below to learn how to prepare Japanese Matcha Brew the traditional way. Enjoy and master the art of making this truly healthy and delicious drink.

Preparing It Traditional Way With A Bamboo Chasen

Bamboo whisks – or chasen – have been traditionally used to help achieve a frothy, creamy matcha texture.

Typically handcrafted from a single piece of bamboo, chasens help create the perfect matcha suspension in water, making the resulting beverage deliciously smooth and creamy, without annoying particles at the bottom.

Tea set with a bamboo whisk and scoop, perfect for a traditional cup of tea.

Tea set with a bamboo whisk and scoop, perfect for a traditional cup of tea.

Also, authentic bamboo whisks are very durable, making them an excellent investment for any matcha lover. However, you can absolutely start making it without chasens, just add it to your collection later.

Hot tip: to make this tea the traditional way, you can purchase a Tradition Tea Set here on Amazon, which includes everything you need including a top-quality bamboo whisk.

Have you invested in a quality bamboo whisk? Congratulations – time to make the perfect matcha!

1. Fill 1/3 of your bowl with hot water to preheat it. To soften the prongs of your whisk, dip them in the same bowl. 
2. Then, pour the water out and dry the bowl with a clean cloth.
3. Next, you want to add ½ tsp of matcha powder to the bottom of the warm bowl – either sift it or break the clumps with the prongs of your whisk.
4. Add ~70 ml of hot (not boiling!) water, and then whisk the mixture with one hand while holding the bowl in the other hand. Whisk in “W” motion vigorously until thick, creamy froth forms. Yum!

How To Make Your Matcha Without A Bamboo Whisk?

You can prepare it using just a regular spoon, however, to get a more traditional frothier result you can use a milk frother, an electric whisk, or even a shaker bottle.

Don’t have a bamboo whisk yet? Fear not, you can still make a great cup of tea.

1. To start, put ½ tsp of powder into a cup, followed by 1 tbsp. of hot water (hot, not boiling – very important).
2. Mix with a spoon until smooth and all lumps are gone, breaking any clumpy bits against the walls of your cup.
3. Fill the cup with hot or cold water depending on your preference, and enjoy!

Making A Perfect Matcha Latte

1. Put 1-2 tsp of matcha powder into a cup and add 2 tbsp. of hot water (as always, hot but not boiling, about 80°C or 176°F). 
2. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or a whisk, removing any chunks.
3. Add another 70 ml of hot water, followed by frothy milk. If desired, add a sweetener of choice (such as honey) to taste.

Other Ways To Add Matcha Into Your Diet

Boost your daily antioxidants by adding them to your juice and smoothies.

It is recommended to consume 1-2 servings of Matcha a day, which is 1-2 teaspoons.

There is no overdose level of Matcha, and it can be consumed as much as you desire. If you are not into drinking a lot of hot tea every day but would still like to take advantage of the health benefits that Matcha delivers, then you can try some of these recipes. Add it to your food, like soups, baking, or porridge, or blend it in smoothies and shakes.

It’s not all about caffeine. A cup of Matcha only has 60 mg of it compared to 160 mg in regular coffee; however, unlike coffee, it can provide as much as 4-6 hours of sustained energy.

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Review

Perfect for drinking tea, coffee, and juices. Also great for cooking and baking.

This Matcha is one of the most popular, ceremonial grade, organic powders that taste absolutely great and help you lose weight, strengthen your immune system, is loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants, and enhances your concentration it is also good for relaxation.

It Has No Sugar Added. It Is Unsweetened And Has No Coloring Added, And It Has A Great Taste.

This powder has some powerful antioxidants that will speed up your metabolism and help you lose weight. These are used for energy instead of being stockpiled as fat cells.

Using this powder will also aid in burning off old and stubborn body fat. It is also well proven that drinking Matcha can increase your body’s energy expenditure due to a ‘thermogenic’ effect on your body when consumed. That is good news if you are trying to lose some weight and tone up

It is a must-have superfood with many fantastic health benefits. As mentioned above, many studies have demonstrated that it contains 137 times more antioxidants than regular green tea.

In-depth research has shown how much more effective these powerful antioxidants are in Matcha than regular green tea.

It contains two proteins, ‘theophylline.’ and ‘L-theanine’ L-theanine. These stimulate your brain’s alpha waves that make you feel energized, calm, and alert all at the same time. 

All of these proteins, along with the natural caffeine, will give you a fantastic 4-6 hour boost of energy, which is a lot longer than drinking coffee.

For many centuries, Buddhist monks have been drinking Matcha before their meditation to improve relaxation and concentration.

L-theanine is well known to increase concentration and also improve learning performance.

It is one of the best-quality drinking powders available (ceremonial grade). The content of theophylline and L-theanine is much higher than it is in the lower-grade powders.

That is why it has a much smoother taste and better flavor than some lower-quality powders that can be ‘bitter’ tasting and do not mix very well.

This Organic Powder is definitely one of my favorites and comes with great reviews and recommendations.

You Can Get This Powder Here on Amazon >>>

So sit back, relax, and enjoy a delicious bowl of hot Matcha. – Jen –

It is possible to judge the quality of Matcha by its hue. Lower-grade varieties tend to have a brownish-yellow tint, whereas high-quality ones have distinct bluish-green tones. 

Read Also: Are The Tea Bags You Use Every Day Actually Safe To Use?