1) There’s no caffeine crash with matcha | matcha green tea powder is a better caffeine high than coffee

The energy boost that comes with coffee is brief, can often wreak havoc on your body, and starts to wear off in 1-3 hours, leaving you feeling more tired than before. In contrast, high-grade matcha contains roughly a half of the caffeine content as compared to coffee and lasts 6-8 hours.

Why is this? This is due to the L-theanine found in matcha. L-theanine causes matcha caffeine to be released at a much slower pace and has even been studied to reduce the levels of cortisol in the body by creating alpha waves in the brain to produce a state of calm yet relaxed alertness. So in a way, matcha tea powder is a sort of an anti-cortisol. It helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels while alleviating stress on your adrenal glands. (14) (4)

2) Matcha promotes relaxed alertness while coffee makes you crash and can trigger anxiety.

Matcha has been shown to improve memory, attention, and reaction time. It also contains caffeine and L-theanine, which have been well-documented to boost brain function after just two months, even in older adults. (5) (9)

On the other hand, regular and high amounts of coffee consumption is associated with heightened levels of anxiety.

3) Matcha gives you better, clear skin while coffee drys out your skin and reduces collagen production.

Adding matcha to your daily routine may also give your skin health a huge boost, helping clear up old acne scars and boost your natural glow.

Matcha is packed with antioxidants, making it a powerhouse at combating skin inflammation, redness, and irritation. It's also been shown to fight hormonal acne and help arm the skin against pollution, sun damage, and environmental stress. Plus, matcha green tea powder has methylxanthines, which have been shown to help boost microcirculation, giving you more healthy, radiant skin. (22) (13)

Coffee, on the other hand, has been shown to reduce collagen production in the skin and lead to skin dryness. (source)

4) Matcha is better oral hygiene and teeth health while coffee is known to stain your teeth and give you bad breath.

Unlike coffee, matcha doesn't stain your teeth. In fact, in does the opposite! Matcha is incredibly beneficial for your oral health.

Matcha can have a considerably positive impact on your oral health, combating tooth decay and decreasing your chances of oral cancer. Matcha doesn't stain your teeth like a cup of black coffee does, and studies have also shown that improving your mood with matcha also helps mouth health. Studies show that depression and anxiety elevate the risk of cavities, losing teeth, dry mouth, and bleeding gums. (16) (1) (21)

5) Matcha may help promote weight loss.

Multiple studies have shown matcha may help promote healthy weight loss. Compared to coffee, there are a lot more studies around the various benefits of matcha for weight loss than compared to coffee.

The connection between green tea and weight loss has been well-researched. A review of 11 studies showed that green tea helps reduce body weight and maintain a healthy weight. One small study even found that taking green tea extract during moderate exercise can increase fat burn by 17%. (8) (27)

6) Matcha has more antioxidants and a much longer list of studied health benefits than coffee.

Matcha is one of the highest natural sources of antioxidants on the planet. Did you know that researchers have found that one cup of matcha has 10 times the antioxidants as one cup of green tea and far more antioxidants than coffee? One study conducted in 2003 even found that matcha has 137 times the EGCG (catechins) levels of green tea. (14) (28) (10) Plus, did we mention matcha has over 33 well-studied health benefits? Coffee just can't keep up.

7) Matcha could help boost your heart health.

Matcha tea powder is full of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a catechin researchers have studied closely for heart and artery health. Several long-term observational studies have followed people who drink green tea every day, often 1–2 cups, and found associations with better cardiovascular health. (2) (23) (29)

Drinking too many cups of coffee, on the other hand, could be detrimental to your heart health, impacting our cholesterol levels and heart rhythm.

8) Matcha may support your liver health

Researchers have also looked at green tea and the liver, from clinical trials measuring liver enzymes to long-term observational data on people who have been drinking green tea for years. (14) (3) (20) (18)

9) Matcha may improve physical performance

Is matcha powdered green tea your sports drink of choice? Studies have shown that matcha can help you recover faster from a hard workout, it may keep your immune system strong, act as a mood stabilizer to improve athletic focus while exercising, and may help boost performance during a workout. (14) (11) (17) Matcha makes for a great and natural pre-workout or post-workout fuel and recovery source.

10) The green color of matcha evokes joy

The vibrant chartreuse color of matcha is not only beautiful, but it also sparks joy. Scientific studies have shown that the color green is associated with positive and happy emotions. One study even found that the color green enhanced participants' ability to recognize happy facial expressions on others. (7)

Quality Matcha with higher amounts of caffeine is a vibrant green. The greener the better!

11) Matcha is quick and easy to enjoy

Getting so many added health benefits has never been as simple and delicious as preparing a traditional cup of matcha. And if you are feeling creative in the kitchen, you can even try whipping up matcha chocolate, cakes, or protein smoothies to boost the nutrient content of your favorite recipes.

Coffee, on the other hand, can take a while to prepare -- especially if you are enjoying slow-drip, or you happen to be the last one into work when you need caffeine the most and the coffee pot is empty. It can also tend to be a bit pricey with all the fancy equipment and single origin beans needed.

Caffeine side by side: how much, how fast, how long

Both drinks get their lift from caffeine, but the amount and the way it arrives are different.

	Coffee (8 oz cup)	Matcha (one serving)
Caffeine	About 80–100 mg	About 40–70 mg, depending on the powder
How it kicks in	Fast, peaking within 30–60 minutes	More gradual
How it tapers	Often fades within a few hours, which is why many people reach for a second cup	Many people find it a longer, steadier lift
Also contains	Chlorogenic acid, which some people find hard on the stomach	L-theanine and catechins from the whole ground leaf

Caffeine wakes you up by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain. More of it doesn't always mean better focus, though. Higher doses are more likely to bring jitters and a crash once levels drop. With matcha you drink the whole leaf, so the caffeine comes with L-theanine, an amino acid found almost only in tea. L-theanine is associated with alpha brain wave activity, which is linked to a relaxed but alert state. In one randomized, placebo-controlled study, middle-aged and older adults who took matcha daily did better on attention tasks under mild stress (Baba et al., 2021), and researchers have also observed less "mind-wandering" activity after matcha.

Why tea feels different from coffee

Caffeine and its close chemical relatives, called xanthines, show up in coffee, tea, cacao and yerba maté, and their effects on the body are more alike than different. Yet most tea drinkers describe a calmer kind of wakefulness than coffee gives them. Part of that is chemistry (L-theanine in tea, chlorogenic acid in coffee). Part of it is culture. Coffee is the drink of getting up and going. Tea, shaped by centuries of Zen Buddhist practice in Japan, is a drink for sitting quietly, sharing with someone, and taking a breath.

So, which should you choose?

It depends on what you need from your cup.

Coffee may suit you better if:

• You need a fast jolt of alertness
• You're short on sleep and need it right now
• You handle caffeine well without side effects

Matcha may suit you better if:

• You want steady focus over several hours
• You're sensitive to caffeine jitters or crashes
• You're doing demanding work that needs calm, steady attention

Make the switch from coffee to matcha

In fact, you can avoid caffeine withdrawal symptoms by slowly switching over to matcha from coffee. Drinking a combination of both coffee and matcha over nine days is an ideal way to wean yourself off of caffeine. For example, you can start out drinking equal amounts of coffee and matcha, and then by day nine, coffee can be replaced entirely with matcha green tea powder. Matcha also offers a more relaxing caffeine source with a long list of added health benefits.

Read our whole article on how you can seamlessly switch from matcha to coffee here.

Bottom line | Matcha is a healthier choice than coffee as a daily habit

So which is better for you? We say matcha! Matcha and coffee both contain caffeine, but matcha green tea powder has much higher levels of antioxidants and also contains the amino acid l-theanine, which gives matcha its relaxed yet focused effect when consumed.

Follow these six steps to make the perfect bowl of Matcha (AKA green liquid magic):

Whenever you make a change, even when it's new and healthier choices, your body needs time to adjust. Giving your body time to adapt by making a slow transition over nine days can make it easier to switch to matcha tea powder. Looking for more delicious ways to incorporate matcha in your diet? Check out our post on what to add to matcha to make it taste better.

–Team Matcha.com

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EXTRA RESOURCES

• See more of our Matcha informational blogs
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Disclaimer*

These statements in this blog post have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. It's essential to consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any dietary or lifestyle changes

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More resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4206198/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4668773/