Yes, it's Safe to Drink Matcha Every Day
You may have heard that drinking coffee every day might not be the best for you, but: Is it safe to drink Matcha every day?
The answer is yes, it's safe to drink matcha every day. It’s one of the healthiest things you can drink. Matcha is loaded with antioxidants, stress-relieving L-Theanine, and a relatively low level of caffeine.
In this article, we'll go over why it's not only safe to drink Matcha every day… But why is it a good idea too. We will also have a look at some of the benefits of daily tea drinking, Matcha health benefits, the ritual of daily tea, and so much more!
Grab your favorite tea or Matcha and let's get sipping.
What is Matcha?
Before we get down to it, we should go over a few basics about what Matcha is and isn't. To make it super simple, Matcha is a powdered Japanese Green tea. To prepare it, you whisk the powder into hot water.
There are a few important things to remember about Matcha that'll make your drinking experience that much better:
All true Matcha is grown and produced in Japan (this is important! some "fake" Matcha does exist)
It's a stone-ground, powdered green tea, so it's not sold in a leaf form (though the tea leaves are processed as whole leaves before being ground)
Matcha is whisked into hot water, so you drink the tiny suspended pieces of the tea leaves
If you wanna learn even more about Matcha (and I mean all the geeky little details), take a quick look at our What is Matcha? comprehensive beginner's guide. Now that we have the absolute basics out of the way, time to answer the question you came here for...
Should I drink Matcha Every Day?
Is it safe to drink Matcha every day? And more importantly, should you drink Matcha every day?
Well, it’s totally up to you! As you'll see with all of the topics we cover below, it's pretty safe to consume Matcha tea daily.
A cup of Matcha has about half the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee and is loaded with health benefits (but more on all that a little later). I'm not a doctor, so if you have any health concerns about drinking Matcha, it's safer to consult someone with medical training. But overall, I wouldn't worry too much about starting your day with a cup of Matcha.
Can You Drink too much Matcha?
I've asked myself this same question many times… I've drunk too much Matcha without eating, or after drinking a lot of other teas.
Matcha is STRONG, and it gives a nice energy jolt. So drinking a lot of it over a short time is likely to make you feel a little unsettled and anxious (especially if you're caffeine sensitive).
So yes, in some ways it's possible to drink a little too much Matcha. But it’s very unlikely that you could drink enough to do any real harm other than feeling a bit too caffeinated.
How Much Caffeine is Unhealthy?
The recommended safe threshold of caffeine is 400mg. That’s a little more than 4 stiff cups of coffee. Matcha has only 25mg of caffeine per serving (which is around 1 gram of Matcha tea powder.) So you’d need to have over 16 servings of Matcha in one day to hit that 400mg limit.
Again, that’s very unlikely. If you’re wondering if it’s safe to drink Matcha when pregnant: yes.
In our article on the topic, we interviewed a licensed physician, and he confirmed that anything under 200mg of caffeine is safe if you’re pregnant, which is 8 servings of Matcha in a day.
Reasonable speaking, even the most fervent Matcha lovers will rarely have more than 5 bowls of Matcha a day. So even if you’re a Matcha lover… It’s highly, highly unlikely that you can drink too much Matcha - pregnant or not! Like any beverage with caffeine in it, you should be mindful of the amount you consume in a single day.
4 Benefits of Daily Matcha Drinking
Matcha is a caffeine-packed Green tea – so it's a great way to start your day. It wakes you right up; and in my opinion, it is a better alternative to starting your day with coffee.
If you were wondering why… It’s simply because Matcha contains caffeine and L-theanine.
1 - L-Theanine Keeps You Focused and Relaxed
L-theanine is an amino acid found in all tea that counters some of the not-so-pleasant side effects of caffeine. It makes you feel relaxed and focused, not wired and then drowsy.
This is why tea has long been the preferred beverage for monks during long meditations. The caffeine keeps them focused and awake while the L-theanine allows them to remain focused and calm.
Extra info: If you feel like learning more about L-Theanine and how it affects your body when you drink Matcha, I invite you to read our dedicated article L-Theanine in Matcha here.
Beyond this, Matcha has some other awesome health benefits. The tea plant itself is loaded with nutrients, but most tea we're used to drinking is a brew of a dried loose leaf.
I’ve gone over some of them in my Matcha VS Coffee article, by the way.
When you drink Matcha, you consume the leaf, and thus a ton of its health benefits and antioxidants. There are too many to list here, so we gave it its section down below that'll allow us to dig a little deeper.
2 - The Pleasures of a Daily Ritual
My favorite part of Matcha drinking (or any tea drinking in general) is the daily ritual. Making a bowl of Matcha starts my day on a positive note… or helps me sustain my energy and mood if I drink tea in the afternoon.
The ritual and act of making tea bring me joy and clarity, which is something I was never able to experience with coffee. Daily tea drinking allows me to slow down, relax, and make sense of so much. Which, for me, is one of the best and most profound benefits of incorporating Matcha into my daily routine.
3 - A Light Caffeine Kick in Matcha Keeps You Going
Yes, matcha has caffeine! But like I briefly mentioned before – the caffeine content and body feel of Matcha differ quite a bit from coffee. But don't be mistaken… Matcha has a kick!
You will likely feel it even if you consume a lot of caffeine already. Does Matcha Give You Energy? For sure! The caffeine, plus the sustained mellowness from the L-theanine produces a nice boost in energy that's unlike the crash you get from drinking coffee.
4 - Many Health Benefits of Matcha Keep You Strong
Again, I'm no doctor… If you have any questions about the health benefits, just be sure to check in with your doctor. And frankly, the health benefits of Matcha are less important to me than the mindfulness and culture surrounding it.
With that being said, there's no denying that Matcha is packed with nutrients. Matcha contains high levels of antioxidants, and other health-promoting compounds called polyphenols and catechins. Put super simply, Matcha is packed with good stuff for your body.
And because you're drinking the tea leaf, larger quantities of said good stuff enters your system, which means you're likely getting more of the potential health benefits. Matcha has been shown to:
Reduce blood pressure
Increase cognitive functions
And reduce stress
Matcha is even good for your teeth! So it's probably actually good for you to drink a little bit of Matcha every day.
What's the Best Time of Day to Drink Matcha?
This is another question that can only be answered by you and your body's schedule. I know a lot of people who like to drink Matcha green tea every morning (instead of coffee). It wakes them up and provides sustained, mellow energy. I prefer to drink mine midway or in the afternoon.
So Matcha perks me up and gives me some energy. But it still lets me focus and get done whatever I need to do for the day.
Extra tip: I wouldn't suggest consuming Matcha later in the evening or at night, especially if you happen to be a bit caffeine sensitive. It can take a few hours for the caffeine to work its way through your system, so even though it's kind of relaxing to drink, Matcha might keep you up at night.
The Final Sip
So, is it safe to drink Matcha every day?
After reading this article, I’m sure you can see that it's totally fine to drink Matcha every single day. And compared to other beverages people drink regularly, tea is a relatively healthy choice. Matcha, a powerhouse of tea, is as healthy as it gets.
It's loaded with antioxidants, chlorophyll, L-theanine, and other health-promoting benefits. Opting for Matcha (or even Matcha lattes) over coffee in your morning routine is likely to be quite beneficial.
And either way, Matcha intake leads to good things and relaxation. Thanks for reading, and be sure to read some of our other articles on Matcha if you’d like to learn things like How to Prepare Matcha at Home or what are the Best Cities for Authentic Matcha in Japan for example.
We’re all students here, so do leave a comment below! I’d love to see your feedback. Happy sipping!
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