Matcha is produced from the fresh leaves of tea plants grown under shade covers. These leaves are steamed and dried to produce 'tencha', which is then ground into a fine, ultra-fine green tea powder. As the entire leaf is consumed, the active components in matcha-such as tea polyphenols, free amino acids (particularly the neuromodulatory compound L-theanine), caffeine and vitamin C-are highly effectively retained, resulting in a higher bioavailability than that of traditionally brewed green tea. In recent years, as global interest in natural functional foods has grown, matcha has expanded beyond its role as a traditional beverage to become a globally popular ingredient in health foods, finding widespread use in beverages, desserts and dietary supplements. At the same time, a wealth of research indicates that matcha offers multiple benefits in areas such as antioxidant activity, anti-inflammation, metabolic regulation, neuroprotection and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health.
1. Antioxidant capacity
Oxidative stress is a key pathophysiological driver of ageing and the development of various chronic diseases; it arises from a disruption in the dynamic balance between the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the body and the endogenous antioxidant defence system. Due to its unique cultivation methods and the fact that it is consumed as whole leaves, matcha retains a more complete range of bioactive compounds, thereby exhibiting exceptional antioxidant potential. Its health benefits stem from a range of highly concentrated antioxidant components and their synergistic mechanisms of action at multiple levels. In vitro antioxidant assays, such as the ferric reduction assay (FRAP) based on electron transfer mechanisms, total antioxidant capacity (T-OAC), copper reduction antioxidant capacity assay (CUPRAC), as well as 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), indicate that matcha possesses strong antioxidant capacity. Among these, flavanol compounds such as (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) showed a strong positive correlation with total antioxidant capacity (TAC), establishing them as the core active constituents. Furthermore, caffeine, phenolic acids and tannins - epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) show a strong positive correlation with total antioxidant capacity (TAC), establishing them as the core active constituents. Furthermore, components such as caffeine, phenolic acids, quercetin, chlorophyll and theanine also contribute to matcha's antioxidant efficacy. Meanwhile, the synergistic action of rutin and vitamin C helps to maintain cardiovascular health and combat oxidative stress. Animal studies have shown that matcha significantly increases the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (Glutathione peroxidase, GSH-Px) in mice fed a high-fat diet, whilst simultaneously reducing levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation end-product, thereby systematically alleviating oxidative stress and associated tissue damage. The antioxidant activity of matcha exhibits good stability and application potential in food systems; for example, research conducted by LI et al. shows that adding matcha to starch significantly enhances its antioxidant capacity.
