Studies have shown that drinking more matcha green tea powder increases metabolism and fat burning — both of which can help promote weight loss!

Looking for quick, easy, and effective ways to boost your weight loss goals and hit your new year’s resolutions? Keep reading to find out just how beneficial (& easy) adding matcha tea powder to your weight loss regimen can be.

Is matcha good for weight loss? Using matcha tea powder to lose weight

There is no quick fix when it comes to weight loss, but matcha is a great addition to a comprehensive weight-loss program.

The reason for this stems from the nutrients packed inside each leaf.

For one, matcha green tea powder has been shown to improve your metabolism and burn fat. That means that it tackles the issue of weight from both sides, giving you a natural boost in your fight against unwanted pounds, naturally encouraging higher energy levels, while also triggering that hard-to-access fat metabolism.

As far as other options for weight loss, most are supplements which you’ve likely seen carry negative side effects. Since many of those shortcuts are new, synthetic, and untested, you should think of matcha as a natural way of improving your weight.

If you are interested in weight loss, rest assured that matcha doesn’t use any dangerous mechanisms to burn fat. It won’t raise your blood pressure or cortisol, which are two things you want to avoid when trying to lose weight safely and keep it off. Besides, matcha green tea powder has origins more than 1,000 years old, our bodies have developed alongside green tea’s valuable benefits.

In fact, matcha's effectiveness has been professionally documented. There was a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that showed matcha powdered green tea increases thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the rate at which the body burns calories.

With matcha green tea powder, thermogenesis jumped from 10 percent to 43 percent. That means matcha green tea can safely increase the rate at which you burn calories, which is exactly what you need for weight loss without worrying about strain on your heart.

How much matcha should I drink to lose weight?

If you are trying to lose weight quickly without making any other lifestyle changes, drinking matcha regularly can help. Studies have shown that by simply adding three cups of quality, high-grade matcha green tea powder to your diet each day, the average person can expect to lose 3lbs in three months. (5) (2)

Does matcha help target belly fat for weight loss?

Yes, it does! Studies have shown consuming at least 1-4 grams of matcha green tea a day (one to four cups) can significantly decrease body fat composition and precisely target and melt away belly fat. (2)

One notable study found that matcha powdered green tea is particularly good at increasing abdominal fat loss when consumed before workouts. Participants in the study committed to having a cup of matcha tes before doing 3 hour-long workouts every week over the course of twelve weeks. So if you are trying to lose belly fat - having a cup of matcha before training can help you get the results you want faster. (6)

Does matcha speed up your metabolism?

Matcha green tea powder has much higher amounts of EGCG than loose-leaf green tea, which drives its metabolism boosting and thermogenic effects in the body. In fact, multiple published studies have shown EGCG has beneficial effects against obesity and could significantly reduce the gain of body weight and/or adipose tissue.

When should I drink matcha to optimize weight loss?

To get the most out of your matcha powdered green tea, you should drink it right before exercising. Studies have shown that drinking just one serving of matcha tea powder (1 gram) an hour before exercise will boost energy endurance and boost your metabolic burn during your workout. In addition, if you commit to making matcha a part of your exercise ritual, you will likely see more muscle toning and higher fat burning during your workouts over three months. (6) (10)

When should I drink matcha if I don’t work out but want to lose weight?

We find that the best time to enjoy matcha is right after waking up, right before starting work, or during an afternoon slump when you may typically reach for a cup of coffee. This is because matcha tea powder is a wonderfully clean source of caffeine, giving you an energy boost that evokes a sense of relaxed alertness for 6-8 hours.

If you do not exercise regularly but want to get the most out of your matcha green tea powder for weight loss, try kickstarting your day with a green matcha latte instead of a cappuccino or latte. A small-batch study of fourteen healthy adults found that matcha can help significantly boost 24-hour energy expenditure compared to a placebo, making it a great way to keep you feeling energized and well throughout your day. (1)

Will weight loss ‘stick’ from drinking matcha green tea powder?

Yes! When you lose weight by integrating matcha green tea powder into your daily routine, you are healthily losing weight, and you will not see the weight return if you continue to drink matcha green tea regularly. A scientific review of 11 studies showed that matcha green tea helps reduce body weight and helps individuals maintain their weight loss. (3)

How much does matcha increase caloric burn during workouts?

Matcha powdered green tea can significantly impact your caloric burn during your workout sessions. For example, one minor but significant study found that healthy male participants taking green tea extract — which, if anything, is a less potent form of matcha powder — increased their fat burning by up to 17% during 30 minutes of moderate cycling exercise. (9)

What is the minimum amount of matcha to drink for weight loss?

Studies show that even having one cup of matcha a day - which contains around 100 mg of catechins — can reduce weight loss for twelve weeks. So having one cup of matcha a day is a great way to give your metabolism an extra boost while also promoting weight loss. If you are already at what you consider your ‘goal weight,’ we feel a cup of matcha a day to be the perfect daily maintenance to keep your body in check and maintain optimum wellness. (2)

How much is too much matcha for weight loss?

Can you drink too much matcha green tea powder? According to studies, if you are drinking matcha for weight loss, you should try not to drink more than six cups of matcha in a day— which is around 704mg of catechins per day. Furthermore, remember that matcha is a rich caffeine source, and if you are also still drinking coffee, you can quickly exceed your daily caffeine level, leading to a long list of unpleasant side effects. (2) (7)

Why is matcha good for weight loss?

Matcha owes its extraordinary weight-loss promoting abilities to its catechin compounds. Matcha green tea powder is the highest natural source of catechins you can add to your diet. You can read more about the fantastic compounds behind matcha’s long list of health benefits here. (4)

What is the best matcha for weight loss?

Matcha Kari matcha powder, of course! Our matcha green tea powder delivers over 100 mg of catechins in just one serving, which is significantly higher than the average green tea and other matcha competitors on the market. For example, just one serving of our premium stone-ground matcha tea (1g) contains:

• Over 10mg of EC (epicatechin).
• 40 mg of EGC (epigallocatechin).
• 4 mg of ECG (epicatechin-3-gallate).
• 35 mg of EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3-gallate)

What is the healthiest way to prepare matcha?

If you are looking to optimize your weight loss with your matcha drinking, then you probably want to stick with the traditional way of preparing a cup of matcha.

Place one gram of matcha powder into a bowl through a tea sifter so there are no clumps. Then take warm or cold water, pouring in around a quarter cup to your bowl with your matcha powder. You can then mix the powder and water using a traditional bamboo matcha whisk in swift, zig-zag like movements or use an electric bamboo frother.

When your matcha is foamy and light, you can then add more water to taste. You can add a little bit of honey if you prefer matcha to be a bit sweeter and slightly mix it using your mixer of choice. Then you simply sip and enjoy the beautiful taste and benefits of matcha tea!

What other questions do you have about weight loss and matcha green tea powder?

Have more questions about matcha and weight loss? Our team at Matcha.com is constantly reviewing the latest research on all things matcha green tea powder, and we do our best to answer any questions you may have about matcha. So let us know what questions you have about matcha green tea powder and weight loss, and we will be sure to find answers for you and add them to our list! You can reach out to us via our chat box or message us directly on our Instagram page.

 

REFERENCES:

1. Bérubé-Parent, S., Pelletier, C., Doré, J., & Tremblay, A. (2005). Effects of encapsulated green tea and Guarana extracts containing a mixture of epigallocatechin-3-gallate and caffeine on 24 h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in men. British Journal of Nutrition, 94(3), 432–436. https://doi.org/10.1079/bjn20051502
2. Hu, J., Webster, D., Cao, J., & Shao, A. (2018). The safety of green tea and green tea extract consumption in adults – Results of a systematic review. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 95, 412–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2018.03.019
3. Hursel, R., Viechtbauer, W., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2009). The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity, 33(9), 956–961. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.135
4. Jurgens, T. M., Whelan, A. M., Killian, L., Doucette, S., Kirk, S., & Foy, E. (2012). Green tea for weight loss and weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2012(12). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd008650.pub2
5. Jurgens, T., & Whelan, A. M. (2014). Can green tea preparations help with weight loss? Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue Des Pharmaciens Du Canada, 147(3), 159–160. https://doi.org/10.1177/1715163514528668
6. Maki, K. C., Reeves, M. S., Farmer, M., Yasunaga, K., Matsuo, N., Katsuragi, Y., Komikado, M., Tokimitsu, I., Wilder, D., Jones, F., Blumberg, J. B., & Cartwright, Y. (2008). Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults. The Journal of Nutrition, 139(2), 264–270. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.108.098293
7. Murray A, Traylor J. Caffeine Toxicity. [Updated 2021 Jun 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532910/
8. Temple, J. L., Bernard, C., Lipshultz, S. E., Czachor, J. D., Westphal, J. A., & Mestre, M. A. (2017). The Safety of Ingested Caffeine: A Comprehensive Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00080
9. Venables, M. C., Hulston, C. J., Cox, H. R., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2008). Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87(3), 778–784. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/87.3.778

Willems, M. E. T., ŞAhin, M. A., & Cook, M. D. (2018). Matcha Green Tea Drinks Enhance Fat Oxidation During Brisk Walking in Females. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 28(5), 536–541. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0237