If You're Not Drinking Matcha, I Don't Know WTF Is Wrong With You

What if I told you that you could walk into Starbucks and get a drink that improves your metabolism, cures the worst hangovers and even fights cancer for just 87 cents?

Like, not even a small little bitch beverage but a venti drink. One that will change your life more than PSLs changed the lives of basics everywhere.

I’m talking about matcha. And if you’re not marching your ass to Star-Breezy or ordering a giant tub of this stuff online by the time you finish reading this article, then I don’t know WTF is wrong with you.

I’m literally sitting here; drinking matcha right now, and I feel amazing. It’s a miracle drink; I’m telling you. I can’t even start my day without this stuff.

Is this the next big cult? If it is, f*ck it: Sign me up.

When you got your second matcha on #matchamonday pic.twitter.com/bcfMWc6CXH — GigiEngle (@GigiEngle) April 20, 2015

Matcha is the latest and greatest health fad. It is so hot right now despite being a really, really old Japanese tradition.

Elite Daily recruited a few of the tea industry’s finest experts to find out (scientifically!) why you need to put down the low-fat, double skinny vanilla lattes and start picking up matcha.

Matcha? Tell me matcha about it!

Matcha is basically highly concentrated green tea. It is traditionally a Japanese tea that is finely ground and immersed in either hot or cold water before consumption.

According to Eric Gower, creative director and founder of Breakaway Matcha,

“Matcha is more potent than regular steeped green tea mainly because the leaves are consumed whole in the form of very finely powdered tea whisked and temporarily suspended in hot or cold water.”

Matcha tea is not steeped like regular tea leaves. Instead, it is directly submerged into the water, allowing for the leaf's fullest potency to be consumed.

“Many of the health properties of matcha are in the insoluble fibers; pouring water over the unground leaves only gives the benefits of whatever can be extracted, in the form of soluble fibers,” Gower tells Elite Daily.

This means the drinker of matcha is getting the full monty of health benefits as opposed to the filtered version that is regular tea.

It’s basically a super food on steroids.

Sebastian Beckwith, founder of In Pursuit of Tea, tells us matcha, “has concentrated levels of antioxidants and chlorophyll.”

According to Gower, you measure the antioxidant levels of foods using ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity). Just to give you a little perspective, check out the ORAC values for some of the most popular super foods:

Goji berries 253 Dark chocolate 227 Pomegranate 105 Wild blueberries 93 Açai berries 60 Broccoli 31

What about matcha? It comes out to a whopping 1,440! That is literally a higher ORAC value than all of those wimpy-ass foods combined.

The main antioxidant found in matcha is called catechin (epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG), a type of flavonoid. Matcha is just chock-full of EGCGs.

Gower tells Elite Daily,

“The soluble and insoluble fiber in matcha work in synergy, something that can’t happen in tea that is steeped. It’s this synergistic effect that is responsible for its off-the-charts EGCG count.”

It will calm you the f*ck down and make you super alert (yet chill).

According to Elena Volkova, tea expert at Culinary Teas, matcha “contains L-theanine, which helps relax the mind and enhance mood, focus and alertness. Matcha has 137 times the antioxidants of regular green tea.”

Both Volkova and Gower describe the effects matcha has on the nervous system and mind as a “calm alertness.” Matcha provides a sense of peaceful clarity, so you can chill out and still get sh*t done. It’s basically like taking a Xanax from Mother Nature.

It fights cancer!

Yes, matcha fights f*cking cancer. Gower tells Elite Daily matcha has “cancer-fighting properties that may induce apoptosis [which is] the death of rapidly proliferating cancerous cells,” meaning it kicks cancer’s ass.

How’s that for a good reason to drink matcha?

It improves your breath and will make your skin forever young.

According to Gower,

"The catechin blast of matcha acts as a kind of sterilizing agent. A cup of matcha after a meal retards the growth of germs, which cause periodontal disease and halitosis (bad breath).”

Volkova informs us the highly concentrated antioxidants and phytonutrients in matcha can actually help to “brighten skin and preserve youth.”

So, this sh*t not only fights cancer and calms you down, it is essentially the elixir of life, a trip to the dentist and the fountain of youth.

More matcha, please!

It will help you lose weight.

Gower and Volkova both highlight the effect matcha has on your metabolism. It’s literally a huge boost for your metabolism, which will result in fat burning. It also aids in digestion and promotes the immune system.

It will cure your hangover.

The first time I indulged in what has become known amongst my cohorts at Elite Daily as a #matchamonday, I was desperately, exquisitely hungover. After drinking a huge cup of matcha in water, I felt completely fine; nay, I felt great.

According to two separate studies on intoxicated rats, green tea actually has the power to protect the liver from alcohol.

“Green tea antioxidant EGCG was found to protect the liver from the free radicals generated when mice are exposed to carbon tetrachloride, a toxic chemical solvent.”

Since matcha contains 137 times the EGCG antioxidants than that of green tea, imagine what it does for a hangover.

When we’re hungover, we’re greatly in need of antioxidants and hydration. Matcha offers just that. When you’re feeling as nauseated as a kid in the back seat of a minivan and as dried up as a sponge, get yourself some matcha, and come back to world of the living.

...Did we mention it only costs 87 cents

Shout out to my girls at the Starbucks at 23rd and Park! Y’all know what you are doing. They call me by my first name, and they know what I am coming for.

Ordering matcha is cheap but a little intimidating. Technically, it’s only an additive for green tea lattes, so you have to be strategic.

Go to Star-Brizzle and say, "I’d like two scoops of matcha in a venti cup of ice water, shaken." They will most likely be confused, as they do not have a button for this drink. Simply explain to them that it’s just matcha powder, and it’s 87 cents.

Do not be afraid! And do not let them try to charge you for a green tea latte because if you let them, they will pull that crap on you.

You can make it at home, and it's easy AF

Get that matcha madness at home, yo! Just go here, here or here to order from our awesome experts (because clearly they know what’s up).

Start every day with the green madness, and your life will change forever.