Today, green tea and matcha tea have become an essential part of a healthy diet and are known for various health benefits. A cup of green tea contains around 35-60 mg of caffeine. Likewise, matcha tea has some caffeine content. If you are sensitive to caffeine or like to enjoy your matcha in the evening, you may want to try decaffeinated matcha.
What is Decaffeinated Matcha?
Decaffeinated matcha tea, also known as decaf matcha, undergoes the decaffeination process to remove naturally occurring caffeine before packaging. However, decaf matcha tea is not entirely free from caffeine. Typically, decaffeinated tea contains 5-7 mg of caffeine, which is relatively lower than regular matcha.
What Are The Most Common Matcha Decaffeinated Tea Methods?
There are several ways to make decaf tea. However, the most common decaffeination methods are the water and carbon dioxide methods.
The water method requires the tea leaves to be soaked in water and then passed through a carbon filter to extract the caffeine molecules. The water is then added back to the leaves. This process, however, alters the taste of matcha tea, giving it a watery taste.
In the carbon dioxide method, the tea leaves are mixed with carbon dioxide that undergoes high temperature and pressure until the carbon dioxide turns into a solvent. This solvent is responsible for removing the caffeine molecules from the tea leaves.
While different decaffeinated processes can effectively remove caffeine molecules, they also remove some content of water-soluble antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. As a result, it alters the decaf matcha’s health benefits and taste.
For example, if the tea is decaffeinated via a natural process, it loses only 5% of its antioxidants and flavonoids. On the other hand, if the tea is subjected to a chemical process, it can lose up to 70% of its natural antioxidants. As a result, decaf matcha green tea becomes less beneficial than regular green tea. So, before you buy decaf matcha tea, make sure it is decaffeinated using natural methods to retain the health benefits.
The Bottom Line
Drinking decaf matcha is a great way to reduce caffeine consumption. No matter whether you want to improve your health or are sensitive to caffeine, you will want to make decaf matcha your go-to drink.
Now that you know what decaf matcha is and how to make the most of its benefits, what are you waiting for? Buy decaffeinated matcha tea and take a step ahead to meet your health goals.
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