As a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on hormones & gut health Matcha has to be one of my favourite types of drinks. Whether it's on its own, mixed into an oat latte or poured over ice, it is delicious!
In fact, it has many health benefits, and I use it a lot in my practice to support women with glowing skin, acne and even PCOS!
Have you heard of matcha before?
So What Is Matcha?
Matcha is a form of green tea. It’s made by taking whole leaves of green tea and grinding it into a fine powder. This fine powder is then whisked into hot water to make a warm, anti-oxidant-rich drink. The main antioxidant found in matcha is something called epigallocatechin gallate, also known as EGCG1. Believe it or not, Matcha contains more antioxidants than a regular cup of green tea! One study showed that Matcha contained 137 times more EGCG than what was found in regular green tea2. EGCG has been shown to improve metabolism, slow the signs of aging, support female hormones & help with glowing skin.
Is All Matcha Created Equal?
Just like most things, the answer is no. There are so many products out there and unfortunately, the quality is not always up to par. The main antioxidant found in matcha is something called epigallocatechin gallate, also known as EGCG1. Believe it or not, Matcha contains more antioxidants than a regular cup of green tea! One study showed that Matcha contained 137 times more EGCG than what was found in regular green tea2. EGCG has been shown to improve metabolism, slow the signs of aging, support female hormones & help with glowing skin.
There are Two Main Types of Matcha On The Market:
Ceremonial Grade & Culinary Grade
Ceremonial Grade is the highest quality and most expensive form of matcha, with a more subtle taste. This type of matcha is intended to be consumed on its own with hot water.
Culinary Grade is a lower quality and cheaper form of matcha with a bolder taste. Despite this, it is still jam-packed with anti-oxidants! This type of matcha is intended to be used in lattes, baked goods, smoothies and other items. This is the one I commonly recommend to patients.
Things You Should Avoid When Purchasing Matcha
01. Non-Organic Matcha
Unfortunately, tea is heavily sprayed with pesticides. Due to matcha being made from ground-up tea leaves, it is very important to spend the extra money on an organic product. Pesticides are known endocrine disruptors that can negatively impact hormones, gut and skin health.
02. Other Ingredients are Mixed In With Matcha
Matcha With Added Sugar or Creamers are a no go for me. You are better off sweetening and adding your own products to it yourself. Additionally, much of the time these pre-made products will not give you a therapeutic dose of matcha.
Matcha & Skin Health
The active component of matcha, EGCG, has demonstrated great benefit in the literature on skin health, especially when it comes to acne!
It has proven to reduce the severity of acne by acting as an anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial1. Additionally, it helps with minimizing sebum production and hyperkeratinization, both are common processes that contribute to the formation of acne1,3,4. Not only does it prevent acne, but it can also help with healing of the skin, reducing scaring and supporting collagen formation. These benefits have been seen when taken both orally and topically!
EGCG also has the ability to influence hormonal forms of acne.
Testosterone is a common culprit for hormonal acne. In fact, what can sometimes happen is testosterone is turned into its bigger, stronger cousin named dihydrotestosterone, also known as DHT. DHT is a stronger form of testosterone that has a high affinity for causing havoc on your skin to promote acne5! EGCG has demonstrated its ability to inhibit the enzyme, 5-alpha-reductase, that turns testosterone into DHT.
Furthermore, EGCG can increase something called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG is a big reason why many women see improvements in their acne when on birth control. SHBG drastically increases with oral contraceptives,6,7,8! SHBG strongly binds to testosterone which inactivates it. Therefore when testosterone is bound up, it cannot bind to the skin locally and promote acne,6,7,8.
These are just some of the many ways EGCG can help with your #skingoals!
HERE'S HOW TO MAKE IT
There are so many ways to make matcha. The traditional way involves using a bamboo whisk, a small bowl and boiling water.
Unfortunately, not everyone has these at home, so I encourage my patients to incorporate matcha into their everyday diet, anyway they can.
I personally love making match lattes! My recipe below supports glowing skin, healthy hormones & healthy bacteria in the gut!
INGREDIENTS
- 1-2tsp of Organic Matcha*
- 1 scoop of marine collagen
- 1tbsp of acacia fibre
- 1/2 cup of oat milk
- 1/2 cup of boiling water
- 1-2 tsp unpasteurized local honey
- Optional: 1 scoop of Inositol for my PCOS patients.
instructions
Put all ingredients but the boiling water in a blender and blend her up!
Pour into a large mug, and top it off with the boiling water!
Take a sip and enjoy.
Give it a try, change it up, and make it your own! Your hormones and skin will thank you.
Lu PH, Hsu CH. Does supplementation with green tea extract improve acne in post-adolescent women? A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. 2016 Apr;25:159-63. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2016.03.004. Epub 2016 Mar 7. PMID: 27062963. Weiss DJ, Anderton CR. Determination of catechins in matcha green tea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. J Chromatogr A. 2003 Sep 5;1011(1-2):173-80. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(03)01133-6. PMID: 14518774. Saric S, Notay M, Sivamani RK. Green Tea and Other Tea Polyphenols: Effects on Sebum Production and Acne Vulgaris. Antioxidants (Basel). 2016 Dec 29;6(1):2. doi: 10.3390/antiox6010002. PMID: 28036057; PMCID: PMC5384166. Yoon JY, Kwon HH, Min SU, Thiboutot DM, Suh DH. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate improves acne in humans by modulating intracellular molecular targets and inhibiting P. acnes. J Invest Dermatol. 2013 Feb;133(2):429-40. doi: 10.1038/jid.2012.292. Epub 2012 Oct 25. PMID: 23096708. Kim M, Yin J, Hwang IH, Park DH, Lee EK, Kim MJ, Lee MW. Anti-Acne Vulgaris Effects of Pedunculagin from the Leaves of Quercus mongolica by Anti-Inflammatory Activity and 5α-Reductase Inhibition. Molecules. 2020 May 5;25(9):2154. doi: 10.3390/molecules25092154. PMID: 32380665; PMCID: PMC7249114. Samavat H, Wu AH, Ursin G, Torkelson CJ, Wang R, Yu MC, Yee D, Kurzer MS, Yuan JM. Green Tea Catechin Extract Supplementation Does Not Influence Circulating Sex Hormones and Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis Proteins in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Postmenopausal Women at High Risk of Breast Cancer. J Nutr. 2019 Apr 1;149(4):619-627. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxy316. PMID: 30926986; PMCID: PMC6461722. Nagata C, Kabuto M, Shimizu H. Association of coffee, green tea, and caffeine intakes with serum concentrations of estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin in premenopausal Japanese women. Nutr Cancer. 1998;30(1):21-4. doi: 10.1080/01635589809514635. PMID: 9507508. Wu AH, Spicer D, Stanczyk FZ, Tseng CC, Yang CS, Pike MC. Effect of 2-month controlled green tea intervention on lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, and hormone levels in healthy postmenopausal women. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2012 Mar;5(3):393-402. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-11-0407. Epub 2012 Jan 13. PMID: 22246619; PMCID: PMC3777853.
