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Matcha vs. coffee: Which hot beverage is healthier for you?

Which is the better hot beverage?

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Person pouring coffee drink into a white ceramic mug
Heewei Lee / Unsplash

From starting your morning to ending your day, many of us look forward to sipping on our favorite cup of hot tea or coffee daily. For me, heading downstairs to brew a delicious cup of coffee is a morning ritual I look forward to. Die-hard coffee drinkers like myself swear by a warm cup of joe, yet die-hard tea drinkers believe it’s the superior hot beverage. So, how do we end the matcha vs. coffee debate once and for all?

Both matcha and coffee offer health benefits (and lots of enjoyment), making it tricky to find your drink of choice. If health is your motivating factor for selecting a hot beverage, here’s what to know about choosing between matcha vs. coffee and determining which drink is the healthier choice for you.

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What is matcha?

Iced matcha latte
Charlotte May / Pexels

Before weighing the health benefits of matcha vs. coffee, first, let’s dive into what exactly matcha is. This word is often considered part of fancy drink names, like the Oat Milk Matcha Latte. Yet, matcha, in its simplest form, is a variety of tea. The matcha variety of green tea is used in ground, powdered form.

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Made from leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant, many of us associate matcha with its vibrant green color. This green color comes from the chlorophyll in this plant’s young, fresh tea leaves. For use in your hot beverage, companies will steam, dry, and grind the tea leaves into a powder that’s easy to mix into your favorite drinks or use to make drinks like matcha lattes.

Flavor

Just like the taste of coffee can vary quite a bit depending on its roast and origins, not all the matcha tastes the same. The taste of matcha can vary based on where it was grown and the preparation method. Matcha is sometimes described as having an earthy, naturally nutty-sweet taste. Due to matcha’s grassy, umami flavor, some people say it is an acquired taste. Of course, preparing matcha with added mix-ins, such as cream or sugar, may make the taste more tolerable, but it also adds significant calories to your cup.

Comparing caffeine in matcha vs. coffee

Pouring coffee
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A standard cup of 8-ounce coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine, whereas matcha contains about 65 to 70 mg of caffeine per cup. Of course, this can vary depending on the preparation, but matcha generally contains less caffeine than coffee. While caffeine can offer some health benefits in moderate doses, too much caffeine can be dangerous. Additionally, for people who are very sensitive to caffeine, coffee may cause anxiounesses or nervousness (we’ve all had those times when we know we need to switch to decaf coffee for the day).

Beyond comparing the caffeine content in matcha vs. coffee, it’s also important to consider how the caffeine in each beverage affects the body. Matcha promotes more stable energy levels thanks to the phytonutrients, such as L-theanine in every cup. Unlike coffee, which can cause withdrawal symptoms and the so-called “coffee crash,” matcha slows the body’s absorption of caffeine for more stable, long-lasting energy levels. As a result, matcha may be a better option to combat anxiety associated with coffee drinking. If you’ve found the caffeine spikes from coffee too much, perhaps it’s time to try matcha.

Antioxidant content

Matcha latte
ROMAN ODINTSOV / Pexels

Both coffee and matcha contain antioxidants, which help fight against cell damage in the body. Coffee contains two types of antioxidants, hydrocinnamic acids and polyphenols, which may help reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote healthy cells.

However, the amount of antioxidants in matcha is much higher than in coffee. Matcha also contains catechins, potent antioxidants that support the immune system and cellular health and fight against inflammation in the body. Compared to regular green tea, matcha contains about 10 times more antioxidants.

Oral health

Coffee with cream
Content Pixie / Pexels

Maintaining great oral hygiene is critical to overall good health. Yet, we often overlook how our favorite hot beverages impact oral health. Drinking coffee, especially without a straw, notoriously stains teeth and leaves our pearly whites slightly brown tinged. On the other hand, matcha’s green color is less likely to stain teeth. In addition, matcha is far less acidic than coffee and contains chlorophyll, a compound that can help neutralize acids in the mouth.

Matcha contains various interesting properties that help support oral health. The catechins mentioned earlier have antibacterial effects that help fight cavities and prevent gum disease. If you’ve experienced stained teeth or bad breath, switching to matcha as your go-to hot beverage may help improve your oral health.

Choosing matcha vs. coffee

Red-headed ax buried into a tree stump next to a blue coffee mug in the outdoors
Ian Keefe / Unsplash

While the debate can go on and on, the decision between matcha and coffee depends on your health goals and your taste preferences. Plus, who says you have to choose just one? There’s a time and a place for drinking coffee and matcha.

For the coffee drinker who needs to cut back on caffeine, the occasional matcha drink can help manage energy levels and provide a healthy dose of antioxidants to support overall good health. Alternatively, drinking coffee in the morning offers quicker, more intense energy for those sleepy mornings and also may better fight against diabetes.

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Emily Caldwell
Emily Caldwell
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Emily is an accomplished freelance journalist with over seven years of experience in food, beverage, health, fitness, and…
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