I mentioned longevity in the last post. Now, let's talk about one of the biggest buzzwords as of late: ANTIOXIDANTS. You can get antioxidants from many sources such as blueberries, gojiberries and spinach. I’m sure you know you can also get them from steeped green tea. But did you know that 1 cup of matcha contains as many antioxidants as 10 cups of steeped green tea?!
On the ORAC scale (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or simply put, an antioxidant scale), matcha tops out at 1573 units per gram. To put that in perspective:
- the popular gojiberry has 253 units per gram
- blueberries have 93 units per gram
- spinach has 12.6 units per gram
Ok, so what does this all mean to you? Antioxidants are the body’s defence against free radicals from everyday exposure to things like pollution and UV radiation. Free radicals attack and destroy healthy tissue and play a large part in the development of degenerative diseases. Simply put they are the chemical compounds that prevent ageing and chronic disease giving us younger looking skin and preventing a number of life-threatening diseases. They also play an important role in maintaing a healthy immune system.
So, we know antioxidants are good for us, but do you know that there are different kinds? Polyphenols, catechins and the all important catechin, ECGg, are all antioxidants found in matcha tea. There is one antioxidant in particular that stands out in matcha tea; one specific catechin called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCg. EGCg makes up 60% of the catechins in matcha green tea and is most widely recognized for its cancer fighting properties.
Drink more matcha and get equipped to fight against infection and disease and live longer!
~ Terry