“The greatest wealth is health”
- Virgil (Roman Poet)
'1 Gram of Matcha = 1,384 ORAC Units'
Let's get technical to answer this. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity. It’s an assessment of the antioxidant potency of various foods and beverages. The higher the ORAC unit, the more antioxidant benefits for our body. Matcha is so rich in antioxidants that even other superfoods have fewer ORAC units than Matcha. Take acai berries for example. Acai berries are considered to be one of the best superfoods and yet, they have only 55 ORAC units.
Matcha green tea is a perfect warm treat for kids and a zero-sugar alternative to canned juice. It can improve your child’s oral health and keep their heart healthy. Matcha is rich in antioxidants, chlorophyll and the huge disease-fighting amino acid already mentioned called L-Theanine. Matcha tea can also keep your children away from flu and prevent cavities – two of the greatest woes.
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Yes, you’re right, Matcha tea contains some caffeine (about 30 mg. per cup), which is MUCH LESS caffeine content than the average cup of coffee (70-75 mg. per cup). But, Matcha also contains L-Theanine and this releases the caffeine slowly into the bloodstream over a period of 4 to 6 hours – completely differing from the kick-boosting effects of coffee’s caffeine and much safer for Children.
What this means in plain English is that whilst there is caffeine in Matcha, it is a much gentler than that of coffee. Instead of a jittery rush, it gives your child a more sustainable release of energy which lasts the whole day. A million times better than the sugar high from sweets or soda.
That said, some children can have a caffeine sensitivity and therefore, should be allowed to drink Matcha tea only in moderation; for some children, one cup a day should be the maximum.
Here's what Matcha can do for kids:
Matcha’s catechins have anti-viral properties. These help your child’s body keep flu at bay. Children who drink matcha tea every day, have been found to combat flu much better than those who don’t. (Source: "The Journal of Nutrition”, 2011)
Plaque starts to build up in our heart arteries from early on in life, as stated by the American Heart Association. So consuming something as heart-healthy as matcha tea will surely have some positive impact on your child’s heart health.
Children are at a greater risk of developing tooth decay and a regular intake of matcha can really help avert it because matcha has EGCG, a catechin that protects against cavity-creating bacteria. Apart from that, matcha also contains Sulphur, which improves bad breath.
L-Theanine actively reduces stress and helps improve memory, attention and concentration. On the other hand, Polyphenols, a type of chemical compounds found in matcha widen the blood vessels and improve the flow of blood to the brain. This results in better cognitive abilities. L-Theanine also improves memory and enhances creativity.
Childhood obesity is the most serious and probably the fastest-spreading affliction in western countries. In 2013, 42 million children in the world (aged 0 to 5 years) were obese or overweight and the number is likely to reach a whopping 70 million by 2025 if the current lifestyle trends continue, according to the World Health Organisation. Matcha tea helps to combat childhood obesity.
Matcha tea contains a high amount of flavonoids and antioxidants, both of which help put the shields up against bacteria, viruses as well as infections. Also, they eradicate bad breath and prevent a sore throat.
Overweight children are at risk of being obese when they grow up. This poses serious health risks, especially Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. They are even prone to a number of conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterols, fungal infections, heat rash, and acne.
Matcha tea assists the body in the process of metabolism. It boosts the metabolic rate and makes the body burn more calories, aiding in weight loss. In a 2008 Japanese study of obesity in children, it was found that catechins help reduce cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure. If you are worried about your child gaining weight from those chocolates and cookies and chips that they love so much, drinking Matcha would help them keep their weight in check.*
Image: Bite
To prevent any surprises, we recommend that you give your kid (s) a small amount of matcha tea in the morning. Teaologists Ceremonial Grade Japanese Matcha Tea is shade-grown in the best tea estates of Kyoto, Japan. Meaning, it is the finest Matcha tea in the world. It is extremely rich in chlorophyll, catechins and L-Theanine. It’s the best of what Matcha has to offer.
(*Drinking matcha tea alone can’t help keep the weight in check if other lifestyle habits are not changed. For best results, get your child involved in healthful habits such as regular physical activity and a diet that contains lots of vegetables and fruits. Talk to your paediatrician about the ideal diet for your child.)
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Hi Rade,
Further to Richard response, all Japanese tea tested were found to have less or no lead content.
The worrisome high lead contents were only found from China Tea.
Your article also support this study.
Below is another article of interest.
https://www.superfoodly.com/what-is-matcha-green-tea/
It’s the Chinese tea that have high lead content level.
Hi Rade, thanks for sharing the article. There are metals and poisons present in many (most) of our foods due to the incredible amount of pollution that we pump into our air and rivers every year. The mercury levels in Tuna being one example. The tea plant absorbs lead, whether it’s black or green tea, and Matcha contains the whole leaf, so we recommend keeping the dosage low. Just our opinion as always. Best regards, Richard. Teaologists.
Hi! In this article it is said that matcha should not be served to kids due tohigh content of lead absorbed through pollution no matter even if it is organic. http://www.health.com/nutrition/what-is-matcha
Hi Sandy, thank you for your question.
I don’t believe there is much, if any iron in Matcha or Green tea (Matcha is stone ground from Green tea leaves).
Iron is mentioned in relation to tea quite often as some studies have shown that tea can reduce the body’s ability to absorb iron. Therefore if someone suffers from anaemia or iron deficiency then Green or Black tea may not be healthy for them.
Best, Richard
I have been told that matcha contains high levels of iron. Is this true?
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Teathe1st
July 04, 2018
Found your blog. This is a very good blog on tea online. I would like to thank you for all the information you give. Its really important to choose the best teas online at a resonable price.so thanks for sharing this information.