Matcha Benefits (and why we love it so matcha!)

Matcha. You know it, you love it (we can only hope), but how much do you actually know about this fantastic green tea powder? 

Lil Bucks’ love affair with matcha started while Emily (the founder) was living her best life in Australia, eating all the activated buckwheat (that’s what the Aussies call sprouted buckwheat) and sippin’ on the most perfect matcha lattes by the beach. 

Matcha can be an acquired taste to some, but when paired with the right flavors (or a really, really well-executed latte), you can grow to LOVE it and crave the complex, earthy taste. Beyond that, the health benefits are AMAZING, so we were thrilled to introduce Matcha as one of our first Lil Bucks flavors back when we launched.  

So what is matcha, anyways? 

Matcha was popularized over 900 years ago by Chinese Zen Buddhist Monks and is created by the grinding of young green tea leaves, which then turns into a bright green powder that you can do just about anything with… drink it, bake with it, season with it. We love the old, traditional and timeless uses of Matcha, but we wanted to push its uses even more with Lil Bucks! 

Not only do we love Matcha for its unique, earthy, vegetal yet sweet flavor, but we are obsessed with of all the amazing benefits! There are so many. Let’s review, yeah? 

TOP 5 MATCHA BENEFITS

1. Matcha helps you focus (I could use some right now.)

In a study, one group of individuals consumed matcha tea or a bar containing matcha, while another group consumed placebo tea or a bar. The group that consumed matcha showed higher improvements in attention, reaction time and memory opposed to the other group who consumed placebo. Matcha is also packed with L-theanine, which is known to alter the effects of caffeine, while avoiding the crash in energy levels after regular caffeine consumption. For all you coffee addicts out there (I’m guilty, too) this is a much healthier alternative that doesn’t leave you with the anxious caffeine jitters and the horrible crash you get afterwards!  

2. Matcha is known to burn calories and can help you lose weight! 

Matcha green tea utilizes fat as an energy source. The EGCg and caffeine in  matcha work together to naturally boost metabolism, which helps you burn more calories on a daily basis. So, if your workouts aren’t giving you everything you want, add a little Matcha to your regimen! 

3. Matcha is great for an immunity boost! 

Know what’s sick? Not being sick! Matcha is known for boosting the immune system and halts the growth of various viruses and harmful bacteria in our bodies. Matcha is loaded with antioxidants that fight off the nasties that cause us to get sick. Specifically, the antioxidant called EGCg binds to cells and stops the growth of disease-causing microorganisms like influenza A virus, viruses that cause Strep Throat, Herpes Virus, and Hepatitis Virus. 

4. Matcha = Cancer-Fighting Power!!  

Like stated earlier, Matcha is insanely loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants have tons of health-promoting compounds including some that have been directly linked to cancer prevention in different test-tube studies. HOW COOL! The studies have found that the EGCg in Matcha helps kill off prostate, liver, skin and lung cancer cells. And if you love the sun as much as we do at Lil Bucks, we definitely need to take an extra dose of Matcha for our sweet skin (and sunscreen. V important). 

5. We <3 Matcha because it’s also good for our hearts! 

With heart disease being one of the leading causes of death in people over the age of 35, we are so grateful that this powerful powder protects against heart diseases and lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Drinking green tea and matcha is linked to reducing risk of strokes and heart disease. So drink up, ladies and gents and protect your precious heart! 

Buckwheat is also incredibly great for heart health, so we’re hoping to offer Matcha Lil Bucks as an antioxidant-rich, heart-healthy cereal/granola for you. 

For the taste, we add a good amount of pure vanilla to our recipe as well to balance out the earthiness of the Matcha to let it shine. The maple syrup is the binding ingredient, making the Matcha Lil Bucks slightly sweet, but these still go great on sweet or savory dishes. Perfect to add to any summer salad, toast, açaí bowl, smoothies and more! Not to mention they add a scrumptious crunchiness to everything! 🙂