Tag Archives: Tea

Matcha: A Healthy Alternative to Coffee

Posted on September 30, 2017 by | 1 comment

Begin the day with a relaxing cup of matcha latte. (Photo Credit: dungthuyvunguyen)

Have you ever experienced jitters from drinking coffee? You are not alone. And, you are definitely not out of options. Matcha could be the right morning beverage for you.

Matcha is a finely ground green tea powder originating from Japan. Historically, matcha was first widely used by Zen Buddhist monks in tea ceremonies and meditation and continues to be a key part of their practice today. Matcha creates a state of calmness and mental clarity that pairs with their appreciation for the simple things in everyday life.

Why is matcha different from common teas and an effective substitute for coffee? The magic happens in farming and processing.

Three weeks before tea leaves are harvested from Camellia Sinensis, the plants are grown in the shade. Without direct sunlight, photosynthesis slows down, producing more l-theanine. L-theanine is a neurologically active amino acid that stimulates the production of alpha waves in the brain. Alpha waves put the mind in a deeply relaxed and alert state that is often achieved in mindfulness meditation.

L-theanine can also bind to caffeine. Caffeine is five times as concentrated in matcha than regular green tea. Nonetheless, because l-theanine binds to caffeine to stabilize the release of energy, matcha does not bring sudden peaks of energy that could be recognized as anxiety.

Matcha Tea Preparation. (Photo Credit: dungthuyvunguyen)

The high amounts of l-theanine and caffeine are maintained in the processing methods all the way to when matcha is served. After harvest, the leaves are steamed so that oxidation is minimized. Not only are the colour and fragrance conserved, but most importantly, the active ingredients remain intact. The dried leaves are then ground into powder to be consumed. Unlike most teas where they are enjoyed by steeping in water, matcha powder is dissolved and consumed as a whole so that all the benefits is retained as best as possible.

Matcha can keep us awake and alert while relaxed and at ease. Matcha has been the perfect way to start my day for two years. I hope it works for you as well!

~Shanna Wang

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Effects of hot and cold steeping methods on antioxidant activity in tea

Posted on September 18, 2017 by | 1 comment

Antioxidants are molecules that protect your cells from damage, and tea is bursting full of them, but have you ever wondered whether steeping your tea in hot or cold water affects its antioxidant levels? Is the difference even significant enough to worry about? Researchers at Università Politecnica delle Marche tested the effects of steeping temperature on antioxidant levels in black, green, white, and oolong tea.

                             

Black Tea                     Green Tea                       White Tea                    Oolong Tea

All images from Wikipedia Commons

 

The results showed that antioxidant activity is generally higher in tea brewed with hot water, but using statistics, this difference was found to be significant only for green tea. White tea deviates from this trend, showing statistically higher levels of antioxidants when brewed with cold water.

Two different analyses were conducted to measure the antioxidant ability of the four teas. Each analysis independently yielded similar results.

Fig 1: Antioxidant level measured in units of (mM GAE), showing statistically higher antioxidant levels for white tea brewed with cold water and for green tea brewed with hot water. Black and Oolong tea brewed with hot water showed higher antioxidant levels, but was not statistically significant.

Venditti E, Bacchetti T, Tiano L, Carloni P, Greci L, Damiani E. Hot vs. cold water steeping of different teas: do they affect antioxidant activity?. Food Chemistry. 2010 Apr 15;119(4):1597-604.

 

The researcher’s findings suggest that different types of teas contain different types of antioxidants, which are sensitive to different steeping temperatures. The effect of steeping temperature on tea depends on which antioxidants are present. For example, white tea brewed using cold water yielded higher antioxidant levels because some antioxidants may be degraded at higher temperatures. Brewing at lower temperatures preserved those heat sensitive antioxidants. Another example is brewing green tea, where tea brewed with hot water yielded higher antioxidant levels because some antioxidants may be extracted from the leaves efficiently only at higher temperatures.

Whether you prefer black, green, white, or oolong tea, and whether you prefer hot or cold brewing methods, all of these types of teas contain many antioxidants and are a healthy drink choice. Therefore, it is more important to drink the type of tea you like best, brewing it with the method that you prefer, which will ensure that you continue to consume this healthy drink!

-Gareth Lee

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