Matcha Benefits Over Green Tea (Sencha)

Matcha and Green Tea- what is the difference and why do we think drinking matcha benefits you more than green tea?

To begin, we should probably preface this article by distinguishing what matcha and green tea (Sencha) is. Matcha Powder is green tea leaves stone-ground into a powder whereas Sencha is dried green tea leaves and packed to be used for loose leaf teas or for tea bags. The main and most obvious difference between the two is that matcha is in a powder form and Sencha is in a dried loose-leaf form (the form that most of the world drink and steep every morning).

Nutritional Profile

Although matcha and Sencha are essentially derived from the same plant, drinking a cup of matcha will yield 137x more antioxidants (epigallocatechin gallate) than a regular cup of green tea/Sencha. This is many due to the fact that when drinking matcha, technically the whole tea leaf is consumed as matcha is dissolved into liquid rather than steeped, like Sencha is.

How it’s made

Matcha, when made in Japan, is made using a traditional stone grinder. It’s a slow yet important process to ensure that matcha keeps it’s amazing nutritional properties. Sencha on the other hand, is not ground but rather dried and has a much longer shelf life, reducing it’s overall quality and nutritional qualities.

Cultivation and L-theanine

Sencha is cultivated with direct sunlight whereas matcha is grown under shade, conserving the l-theanine in matcha. L-theanine is the amino acid in matcha that makes it so special- it’s been shown to combat the artificial stimulatory effects of caffeine that causes a quick boost in energy followed a ‘crash’ in the afternoon. It works to relax and calm the mind despite there still being caffeine in matcha- so essentially you can get the wake-up without the jitters. The shade also results in the bright green colour of matcha. Sencha however, as it is grown in direct sunlight, does not have as high levels of l-theanine present and is a more golden-green colour.

Versatility

Matcha, being a powder, is much more versatile for not only drinking but also cooking and baking. Sencha on the other hand, being in a loose leaf form can be used mainly only for drinking and steeping.

With all that in mind, we still do love Sencha but we love matcha for it’s benefits so much more. Head on over to our online shop to get your matcha!

We get it. With all the new health revelations coming through in the last decade, trying to understand what most of them are and what they do seems like a daunting task. Does it even taste good? Is it even going to help me?