Oh Matcha!

For about a week and a half now, I've been drinking lots of Matcha Green Tea. I'd done extensive research on natural ways to combat cancer and green tea was highly recommended, so I ordered a large bag of organic Japanese Matcha tea from Amazon.

Matcha is different from coffee, and from other teas, in one important aspect: the caffeine in matcha works in a synergistic manner with all the other great stuff that matcha contains, including hefty quantities of phytonutrients, antioxidants, and amino acids.

Because the caffeine molecules in matcha bind to larger and more stable molecules (especially catechins), the caffeine is, essentially, released over time, instead of all at once, as it is with espresso or brewed coffee, into the bloodstream. In contrast to coffee, this timed-release mechanism tends to inhibit any sudden insulin increases, so there is no “crash” associated with quick drops in blood sugar that so many coffee drinkers feel an hour or so after drinking a cup. Nor does matcha stimulate the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, as coffee can.

The benefits of green tea have been known for decades. But now a super green tea that has slowly emerged from Japan called Matcha is gaining more and more attention. Matcha is cultivated by local farmers using traditional methods, from growing to grinding. It has traditionally been used to flavor and dye foods such as green tea ice cream and soba noodles.

In 2003, the University of Colorado published a report about the potency and concentration of EGCG, a powerful anti-oxidant found in green tea. The researchers found that Matcha green tea contained up to 137 times more EGCG than regular green tea.

Here are few of the amazing benefits of EGCG in Matcha Green Tea, specifically about Breast Cancer. There are countless studies that demonstrate the power of EGCG as an effective Tumor Terminator. Here are just a few:

• Suppresses inflammation and aggressive estrogen mediators in breast tissue.
• Causes Breast Cancer cells to die
• Suppresses the new blood flow that feeds Breast Cancer tumor
• Reverses epigenetic changes and prevents DNA damage that is often seen in Breast Cancer
• Suppresses stem cell production in human Breast Cancer

Aside from being a Cancer Buster, Matcha Green Tea hosts a number of other health benefits.
It is a powerful Anti-oxidant powerhouse, boasting a higher ORAC score than blueberries and pomegranate.

• It contains 5 times more L-Theanine compared to other green teas, an amino acid that creates alpha waves in the brain that induces relaxation.
• Matcha has been shown to improve physical endurance up to 24%.
• It boosts metabolism and burns fat.
• The chlorophyll in the green tea detoxifies heavy metals and toxic chemicals.
• One glass of Matcha is equivalent to 10 glasses of green tea in terms of its nutritional value and anti-oxidant content.
• Matcha is packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, tocopherols, carotenoids, selenium, zinc, chromium, and manganese.
• Believe it or not, this tea is high in soluble and insoluble fiber, which is great for your colon and cholesterol levels.

Drinking Matcha is a unique experience. The powdered green tea smells like freshly mown grass. Preparing it is very different from other types of tea. Matcha doesn't come in tea bags. It's loose powder that you have to spoon out into the cup. After heating your water, you add one to two little spoonfuls of Matcha to the Chasen (Matcha bowl) and whisk it vigorously. When you have a good heady froth, you immediately drink the tea. If allowed to sit, the matcha settles into the bottom of the cup and forms a thick sediment.

Since following my desire to pursue natural healing methods instead of taking a chemical for the next 10 years, Matcha, even though the taste is taking some time to get used to, has made me feel proactive in my health care. 

I have discovered that I do need to be very careful about when I drink my Matcha. For example, yesterday I had a cup of Matcha first thing in the morning and then again at 3p.m. I went to bed at 11 p.m. and found that I was unable to sleep. I tossed and turned most of the night. I kept wondering if it could be the Matcha. It must have been the tea because I was so tired and so ready to sleep but couldn't. Sometime around 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. I finally drifted off only to wake up again at 5:00 a.m. I haven't had any caffeine in the past 5 years due to advice from my cardiologist so I guess my body was overly stimulated from the small amount of caffeine in the Matcha. 

It's six of one and half a dozen of the other...medication with nasty side effects or organic, natural methods and sleepless nights. Decisions, decisions. I'm going to continue the Matcha and other choices I've made to fight the recurrence of breast cancer. Hopefully, changing up the times I drink the tea will take care of the insomnia. I sure hope so! The oncologist told me that sleep is vital to the healing process and I know it is during those periods of rest that my body is busy making healthy, new cells. I NEED MY SLEEP!

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