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What is it? -

Matcha is a powder that comes from green tea leaves. It is mostly grown in China and Japan, and tastes quite bitter.

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The difference -

The difference between green tea and matcha is that the former is used only to brew tea. The latter is a powder made from the whole green tea leaf. This way you digest more of the green tea plant nutrients.

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Caffeine -

Matcha is great as a morning drink because it still has caffeine in it. However, the kind of caffeine it contains is different from coffee. While coffee might give you the sweats and an eventual crash, matcha caffeine is a softer stimulant that doesn't overexcite the body in negative ways.

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Antioxidants -

Matcha contains catechins. These are natural antioxidants that help stabilize free radicals. Free radicals in the body can cause cell damage and chronic disease. Drinking matcha can help protect you from this damage.

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Brain function -

One of the best things about matcha is that it boosts brain function. This is because it contains L-theanine. When this compound interacts with caffeine, the effect is increased alertness for a prolonged period of time.

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Weight loss -

Studies have shown that taking matcha pills can boost the body's fat-burning capability. Moreover, it reduces appetite.

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Inner peace -

Matcha is also about peace. The alertness that it produces also enhances focus. Therefore, when you do activities such as yoga and meditation, you might get more out of it if you have a mug of matcha beforehand.

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Preparation -

The way matcha is prepared is also very relaxing. You mix the powder with just a little bit of hot water. Then you use a special whisk to combine the water and powder into a paste. Slowly, add your milk or water until you have a cup of liquid.

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Ashley Olsen -

Plenty of celebs love matcha. Ashley Olsen, for instance, has been spotted several times carrying a large takeaway cup with matcha in it. She seems to like drinking matcha in smoothie form the most.

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Jennifer Aniston -

Aniston has kept her incredible figure for decades. It could be because she guzzles down a hot mug of matcha every morning to make sure her body is in fat-fighting mode.

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Drake -

Drake enjoys matcha so much that he has invested money into a company called Matchabar. They release delicious matcha drinks and even sell nifty starter kit for beginners.

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Madonna -

Madonna is known for trying to stay away from unnatural body fixes. She apparently does a lot of face yoga, for instance. She stays natural with her drinks too. She has said that she drinks matcha before her performances to enhance her stamina.

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Lady Gaga -

When Lady Gaga wanted to stop smoking, she turned to the superfood. She said that drinking matcha tea helped her kick the nasty habit.

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Gwyneth Paltrow -

It is no surprise that the founder of Goop is big into matcha. Paltrow loves healthy and natural solutions. She uses matcha almost daily as a replacement for caffeine to keep her going through her busy days.

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Amanda Seyfried -

Seyfried was spotted drinking green juice with matcha in it during her pregnancy. She is definitely in the know about all of matcha's health benefits.

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Cameron Diaz -

Cameron Diaz was talking about matcha as far back as 2013, when she wrote her book about diet called 'The Body Book' (2013). She took advice from the famed Dr. Mehmet Oz.

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Bella Hadid -

Bella Hadid has been spotted prancing about with an iced matcha latte. It could be one of the reasons her skin always looks flawless!

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Reese Witherspoon -

Witherspoon says that the reason she has not aged all that much is that every morning she makes the same green smoothie. She has never formally released the recipe, but we suspect there is a good helping of matcha in it to make it so bright green.

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Brad Pitt -

In order to cut down on alcohol, Brad Pitt started drinking matcha green tea. Apparently he follows the whole ritual of mixing in the powder with the traditional brush until there is a light froth.

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Serena Williams -

Williams incorporates matcha into her diet in order to stay energetic. As an afternoon snack, she will have a matcha drink with cinnamon.

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Jessica Alba -

Alba loves starting her day with some matcha green tea. Her favorite breakfast smoothie is made with banana, matcha powder, coconut water, and ice.

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Miranda Kerr -

Kerr uses her matcha in a different way. Every week she takes a hot bath. Instead of having a cup of matcha tea, she creates a paste and puts it on her face while she soaks.

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Adele - Adele went through an absolute body transformation. She lost a lot of weight following the Sirtfood diet, which is a diet where you only eat certain ingredients. Matcha is considered an integral super ingredient in this diet. Safe to say, Adele is no stranger to the benefits of matcha.

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Johnny Depp -

For the film 'Dark Shadows' (2012), Johnny Depp went on a matcha green tea diet. He was way ahead of his time, as most people did not even know about matcha yet. He managed to lose enough weight to have a ghostly vampire appearance that was perfect for the movie.

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Jennifer Lopez -

Lopez is super healthy. She doesn't drink alcohol and coffee, she doesn't smoke, and she's vegan. You can't get much healthier than that! One thing that helps her keep up her energy is matcha. She often drinks it when she is training for a performance.

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Christina Aguilera -

Aguilera has reported using matcha as part of her beauty regime. She dilutes it in water and makes a toner from it.

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Chrissy Teigen -

Chrissy Teigen likes to get matcha lattes from her local coffee shop when she is out and about.

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Kiernan Shipka -

The 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' and 'Mad Men' actress drinks a very special kind of matcha. She has a blend of ashwagandha, matcha, and cordyceps. She mixes the powder with water and has a very nutritious drink to start her day.

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Kristin Cavallari -

Kristin Cavallari likes matcha so much that she even developed her own recipe for it. She makes a skinny green tea latte that is low-calorie, yet delicious.

Sources: (Healthline) (Teabloom)( Jun Nippon Matcha) 

See also: Kick the habit with these delicious coffee alternatives

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