Why Matcha Is Better Than Coffee
More people are switching from coffee to matcha than ever before. So many, in fact, that there's actually a shortage in matcha happening right now.
Both deliver caffeine and a comforting hot drink. But the way they affect your body and mind is fundamentally different.
I'm Jasmine and I was interviewed by Bloomberg about matcha. Here's why I switched to matcha over coffee when I moved to Japan.
Calm Energy That Lasts
Coffee gives you a quick caffeine hit. The problem is what comes after. That spike leads to jitters, anxiety, and the inevitable crash a few hours later.
A typical cup of coffee contains 95 to 200 mg of caffeine per cup. Matcha has 19 to 44 mg of caffeine per gram, and you use around 1 gram per cup. But that's not the whole story.
Matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that changes everything. L-theanine creates what people call "calm alertness." You get steady focus for hours without the shakes or the afternoon collapse.
Coffee spikes your cortisol and adrenaline, ramping up your body's stress response. Matcha does the opposite. Matcha actually lowers your body's physiological stress response while still giving you energy. That difference is what made me switch.
I used to drink coffee every morning and feel wired but also somehow anxious. My hands would shake slightly when I tried to work. With matcha, I get the energy I need to start my day without any of that nervous tension. My mind feels clear instead of racing.
The Whole Leaf Advantage
When you make coffee, you brew the grounds and throw them away. Most of the beneficial compounds never make it into your cup.
With matcha, you're consuming the entire ground leaf when you whisk the powder directly into water. Nothing gets discarded. This means you get a much higher concentration of antioxidants like EGCG and polyphenols than coffee.
Those antioxidants do real work in your body. The long-term health benefits of matcha include support for your cardiovascular system, gut health, skin, and liver.
Coffee has some benefits too, but matcha's nutritional profile is in a different category.
More Ways to Make It Yours
Coffee preparation follows a pretty standard formula. Matcha gives you more room to experiment and make the ritual your own.
You can whisk it traditionally with just water. You can make lattes with your favorite milk. You can shake it over ice for something refreshing. Each method creates a different experience.
The preparation itself becomes a small daily ritual. Sifting the powder, heating the water to the right temperature, whisking in that zig-zag motion until it gets frothy.
It's meditative in a way that pressing a button on a coffee machine just isn't. That ritual makes your day feel more intentional. Less rushed. More present.
Making the Switch
Good matcha used to be hard to find outside Japan. That's changed. Quality ceremonial grade matcha like 753 Matcha is now more accessible than ever.
You don't have to give up coffee completely. Start by replacing one coffee with matcha and notice how your body responds differently. Some people switch entirely, others alternate between the two depending on what they need that day.
Find what works for your body and lifestyle. But if you've been dealing with coffee jitters, anxiety, or that 3pm crash, matcha might be exactly what you've been looking for.
The best things are worth trying.
