Caffeine Effects in Coffee vs. Matcha: Which is Better for Your Health?

Genre: Blog Post for a Health Website

Part 1

As the most widely consumed stimulant in the world, caffeine is found in beverages such as coffee, soda, tea, and energy drinks. When incorporating a caffeinated beverage to your daily routine, coffee stands as the most popular drink. In 2024, 73% of Americans reported that they drink coffee everyday. More recently, however, the demand for matcha has been soaring among health conscious individuals in their 20s. With a compound annual growth rate of 9.44%, the matcha market has grown rapidly, surpassing the coffee market by 5.16%.

What is Matcha?

Before weighing the differences in coffee and matcha, it is important to understand what matcha is. Coffee is a familiar beverage that transcends all generations, but where did matcha come from? Is it the same thing as green tea? Why all the matcha madness?

Matcha is a powder made from grounded green tea leaves. Though Japan is deemed the mecca of matcha today, it actually originated in China’s Tang Dynasty. Buddhist monks introduced the powdered green tea to Japan, referring to it as the “elixir of the immortals.” These monks believed drinking matcha significantly improved meditation practices, encouraging Japanese citizens and samurais to adopt it as well.

The Japanese word for matcha, “抹茶” literally translates to “ground tea.” Rather than steeping it as done with typical tea, the finely grounded powder is whisked with hot water to create “koicha” or “thick tea,” which is a matcha concentrate. Though ready to consume at this stage, people commonly add more water to enjoy as “usucha,” or “thin tea.” Arguably the most popular matcha preparation method today, the matcha latte is made by adding milk and desired sweetener to the concentrate.

Social media played a pivotal role in popularizing the conversion of matcha to coffee. TikTok in particular has boosted the matcha craze with content on “matcha benefits” or “#matchatok,” amassing millions of views. The concept of “home cafes” and making your own matcha have also become an aesthetic, admirable practice many have started to adopt. This, combined with the overflowing discussions on matcha’s health benefits have kickstarted the matcha madness. This gradual, yet abrupt shift in drink preference traces to matcha’s value proposition as a stable caffeine source. 

Benefits of Coffee and Matcha

With coffee and matcha battling for the caffeine throne, the debate on their health benefits have become increasingly prevalent. Serving as powerful antioxidants, both drinks share similar and overlapping health benefits. Their caffeine content promotes increased energy levels and metabolism. This leads to enhanced mood, potential fat loss, and a lower BMI, which is the reason why gym goers drink caffeine as a preworkout. 

Research studies on coffee and matcha further provide sufficient evidence in decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Caffeine is rich in polyphenols, a bioactive compound that reduces the risk of high blood pressure spikes, heart failure, and clogged arteries. 

Coffee and matcha also have striking benefits on memory and cognitive functions. It is no surprise that college students heavily rely on caffeinated beverages to power through morning exams. In a 2016 study, researchers wanted to test whether caffeinated beverages actually improve cognitive performance for college students taking assessments. Participating students were directed to consume coffee (caffeinated or decaffeinated) and complete memory tasks at different times of the day (morning and late afternoon). Students that consumed the caffeinated version showed significant improvement in explicit memory – particularly during early morning hours. Another placebo-controlled study in 2017 assessed participants’ cognitive performance after consuming matcha tea and tea bars. Individuals who consumed matcha products outperformed those in the placebo group on attention speed and episodic memory tasks. 

If they provide the same convincing benefits, what are the differences between coffee and matcha?

The Caffeine Crash

When caffeine enters the bloodstream, it binds to adenosine receptors in our brains – a neurotransmitter that suppresses arousal and supports sleep functions. The longer we remain awake through the day, the higher levels of adenosine our bodies build; this means we get more drowsy and inclined to fall asleep. Caffeine simply blocks this natural sleep inducing effect, increasing our alertness and energy levels. These effects on mood and brain activity are most effective 45 to 120 minutes after consumption. Eventually, our bodies experience a “crash” as caffeine metabolizes and adenosine accumulates. 

The amino acid L-theanine in matcha is what differentiates it from inducing caffeine crashes from coffee. By balancing stress hormones, L-theanine slows down caffeine absorption and distributes the effects over a longer period of time. Individuals have shared personal experiences on how switching from coffee to matcha led to life changing results – most notably, steadier energy levels throughout the day. Some also praise the lack of jittery effects and caffeine-induced anxiety usually experienced with coffee.

The Downsides to Matcha

Social media platforms, news outlets, and health publications frequently expose the negative effects of coffee: caffeine crashes, intense jitters, headaches, and much more. Though the benefits of drinking matcha are excessively celebrated, its downsides are rarely mentioned. 

Matcha contains tannins: antioxidants that contribute to matcha’s flavor, color, and mouthfeel. Though these compounds control inflammation, lowers blood pressure, and strengthens the immune system, it can also interfere with digestion and irritate our stomach lining. 

The catechins in matcha also hinder the absorption of iron, which is essential in transporting oxygen to cells for proper functioning. Catechins prevent intestinal iron absorption by decreasing export frequency throughout our cells. A 2015 study also confirmed an association between matcha and liver damage due to catechins. This is called hepatotoxicity, which builds up bile acid that harms the liver.

Coffee: It’s Not as Bad as You Think

Though it may have side effects absent in matcha, coffee is not as inferior as portrayed by today’s media. A 2020 study conducted by Professors at Harvard discovered that coffee is linked to decreased probabilities of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, and Parkinson’s disease. Most of these benefits are more effective and exclusive to coffee, particularly in combating type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. A meta-analysis conducted in 2017 proved coffee lowers the risk of both diseases, even after adjusting for confounding variables such as smoking. Frank Hu, the Chair of Harvard’s T.H Chan School of Public Health contends that, “the overall evidence has been pretty convincing that coffee has been more healthful than harmful in terms of health outcomes.” 

So which is better: Coffee or Matcha?

Both coffee and matcha share health benefits such as high antioxidant levels, increased metabolism, as well as improved mood and cognitive functions. Moreover, both beverages reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and cancers. When deciding which beverage is more health friendly, it is ultimately a subjective topic.

Caffeine effects differ drastically between individuals and are a lot more personal than we think. It would be inappropriate to deem one beverage supposedly “healthier” than another because bodies respond differently to forms of caffeine. An individual drinking coffee might experience intense caffeine crashes and jitters, while another may feel uplifted and energized. In the same way, someone drinking matcha could have digestive issues while another feels relaxed and stress-free. 

In addition, an individual’s experience with either beverage largely depends on the amount of caffeine consumption. The bottom line is that caffeine should be consumed in moderation. Choosing between coffee and matcha is up to your discretion in weighing aspects such as the aforementioned side effects, tolerance levels, and taste preference. 

Perhaps you don’t need to choose between two options: you can always alternate between coffee and matcha rather than labeling one as a healthier alternative.

Part 2

I wrote a blog post for a health information website because it best captured my intended audience: individuals of all ages interested in health and wellness. I chose to address this audience because my topic on the health benefits of coffee and matcha is something in the interest of health conscious individuals.

I initially considered writing a professional, scientific article that informs solely on concrete data regarding both coffee and matcha’s health benefits. This includes findings from research studies, experimental data, and chemical compounds that make up the two beverages. I envisioned a more scientific report approach with quantitative data and heavy medical terminology.

However, I realized that the audience for such a data driven, informational document would best serve the needs of researchers and medical professionals over the typical health conscious individual. My main focus was to educate readers on both coffee and matcha’s health effects, but also debunk misunderstandings of coffee as an inferior caffeine source. As a result, it was clear that maintaining an objective stance would be difficult with a report article. 

The direction of my writing wasn’t to uplift coffee while deeming matcha as overrated. I wanted to educate readers on what is actually true about both coffee and matcha, enabling readers to make a more knowledgeable decision on their caffeinated beverage.

It was easy to settle on health information websites when considering my intended audience. The science section under news media outlets such as CNN or ABC also served as potential options. However, health media sites such as Healthline or WebMD seemed more fitting; these websites are specifically catered for the general public seeking health information. 

An individual could visit CNN in search of current events or market data, but unintentionally come across the science or health section. If an individual visits health websites like Healthline, however, there is greater confidence they are seeking wellness information. With health information websites, the audience is actively engaged with wellness practices or want to learn more about it. They are not seasoned professionals that attended medical school or practice medicine. 

I read a plethora of other health website posts and also utilized many as sources for this project. These websites consisted of a casual, yet credible tone and visual aids or supporting media. I deepened my understanding of how the authors in this genre organized their writing and simplified challenging terms in a way readers can easily digest. It was evident that using photos in between paragraphs and sections was one method. As a result, I incorporated some images of matcha, coffee, and TikTok screenshots where relevant. 

With health articles, it is also crucial to incorporate medically accurate jargon in a simple manner. When including such terms, I made sure to define them in plain language and elaborate on each word in a way that isn’t confusing. Moreover, I included research backed studies and experiments that support my statements. This way, there is a balance between the casual tone I present to my readers and data coming from credible sources.

For structural composition, I utilized headings for the reader to easily navigate through the information. I titled each heading in a direct, simple way that keeps the reader interested and engaged as if in a conversation. For example, “What is Matcha?,” or “Coffee: It’s Not as Bad as You Think.” I tried to make each title make it obvious what the corresponding paragraphs will cover, but not enough that readers can skip it entirely.

I further refrained from making each paragraph too long, which is something I noticed from other health information sites. I made frequent divisions even if a paragraph might only include one to two sentences. Having a larger number of smaller paragraphs as opposed to a smaller number of huge chunks make the reading more enjoyable and seamless.

Lastly, I concluded the piece with a call to action leaving it up to the reader’s discretion. Analyzing a wide range of health information websites, I think I did a decent job of writing my piece in a way that represents the genre. However, in the future I may want to include bullet points as some other articles have done. The reason I didn’t incorporate this was because the breakup of my paragraphs appeared to represent a bullet point. 

This writing experience made me realize I enjoy writing relatively casual, yet informative pieces such as blog posts. Writing a piece in the Daily Trojan specifically towards Gen Z college students is something I am interested and excited about pursuing for Writing Project 4.