Matcha Side Effects?
Hi, I am new to the world of matcha. I am interested in drinking it for the health benefits. I don’t care for the taste on it’s own but, I don’t mind mixing it with other drink’s. I have a few questions/concerns about matcha and was wondering if someone could help me.The matcha that I use is the imperial grade matcha from Teavana. I probably switch to a different kind after this batch because I think $25 for 1.4 oz is too expensive. Anyway, I have been using my milk frother to wisk ½ teaspoon of matcha powder in ¼ cup (2 oz) of 175 degree water. Is this the correct ratio of matcha powder to water? I know that using the milk frother is not the “traditional” way to make matcha. I am going for more of a quick easy convenient way.
I have been adding the matcha/water mix into my morning breakfast smoothie. In my smoothie is yogurt, strawberry, blueberry, and banana. The matcha mix is replacing apple juice that I used to use. Instead of feeling uplifted, awake, and full of energy after drinking the smoothie I get extremely tired. I want to crawl back in my bed and never get out of it. I drag around the house and am irritable. I also have been getting sever migraines. From what I read about Matcha I should feel the exact opposite. I have only been drinking matcha for a few days. I never felt like this until I started the matcha routine. Does anyone have any ideas as of why I am feeling like this? Will it go away? Is there anything that I can do to prevent this nasty side effect? I am a coffee drinker (4-5 cups a day) so I am not “new” to caffeine.
PS. I have also tried the matcha mixed with teas and diluted with more water. I am still getting the same side effects.
It sounds like you’re having the matcha first thing in the morning. Green tea on an empty stomach can cause people to feel sick. From Teavivre (http://www.teavivre.com/info/drink-more-will-be-repercussions/):
“…Never drink tea on an empty stomach: If you drink tea on an empty stomach, you will not only dilute gastric juices so that you aren’t as able to digest foods as well, but the high absorbency rate of water in the tea will also cause your body to absorb caffeine easily causing you to experience dizziness, stress and possibly even neurasthenia in your hands or feet…”
My advise would be to drink the smoothie sans tea first, wait a little while, and then have the matcha so you’re not having it on an empty stomach.
Agreed, being a matcha company myself I get asked this question often. Matcha is pretty strong for an empty stomach. Also, quality can make a difference as well.
I am not drinking it early morning or on an empty stomach. I still have a meal at least an hour before the drink.
Are you still drinking coffee alongside the Matcha, because the crash and migraines can be caused by too much caffeine…or if you are not getting enough it could be caffeine withdrawal.
Though I will be honest, it takes a lot of Matcha before I feel energized, I drink a bowl of Matcha to relax, I find it mellows me out (thank you extra theanine) so it could be anything from having a fast metabolism to maybe it just doesn’t work for you.
Also since you are not going for taste and just want the supposed health benefits, definitely go for culinary grade, it is going to be significantly cheaper. :)
I am still drinking coffee. It’s Pumpkin Spice Season. I cannot give up my Pumpkin Spice Lattes :-) . I have a 12 oz cup of coffee + the 1/2 teaspoon of matcha powder per day. What culinary grade of match would you recommend? I have been reading that he less vibrant the Matcha color is the less benefits it have. The Teavana Matcha is an extremely bright color. It is hard to see the colors from photos online. They all look the same to me. I have also read that some of the “Matcha” sold online isn’t green tea at all but instead a flower tasting oolong tea. I don’t like flower tasting teas or oolong.
Hmm, no idea about color and health benefit correlation, but I can believe that it has less theanine since culinary grade is shaded less and the longer it is shaded the more green it is. At least I think that is what I remember when I was researching this a while back. There certainly are Matcha out there that is not green tea but other teas that are powdered, with the big health craze everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and just using Matcha as a catchall term for any powdered tea. (I am rather fond of Rooibos Matcha myself) Aiya has a good culinary grade, as does Encha and Red Leaf Tea. Though with Red Leaf Tea they have soooo many that it is hard to navigate. I am fond of using their Manju in my baking projects, but I am probably terrible at giving advice on this since I want my culinary grade to be crazy robust, hehe I want to taste the green!
When it comes to matcha, you have a lot of options. I’m very familliar with Teavana matcha, and it’s VERY potent. You could try a different brand, or even just trying less to start off with (if you like pumpkin spice, David’s has a pumpkin spice matcha right now haha). I’d even try a quarter teaspoon to begin with. Also keep in mind that caffeine in tea has a very different effect than coffee has.
If you try everything and still have trouble, then I would suggest trying Gyokuro tea a few times a day instead, or even a white tea which is lower in caffeine, but still very high in antioxidants. You can still add these to a smoothie quite easily, and even prepare it ahead of time by steeping a concentrate and then freezing it in an ice cube tray so when you need some for your smoothie, you can just pop it out of your ice cube tray and into the blender!
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