Matcha’s elevated levels of antioxidants—even among green teas—is because of how you consume matcha, by eating the entire leaf. You could ingest the nutritions that you would throw away in a steeped tea bag otherwise. This puts it way above other foods more commonly known to be rich in antioxidants.

L-theanine is a protein that helps regulate cortisol (a stress hormone) and moderates your body’s caffeine uptake. Matcha leaves are higher in l-theanine because they’re grown in the shade, which prevents the l-theanine from transforming into more bitter tasting catechin. 

So when you drink matcha, the l-theanine calms you down while caffeine lifts you up—producing higher brain function than caffeine alone.

Instead of coffee’s energy spike and crash, drinking matcha produces a calm, longer-lasting energy boost. This is due to the combination of l-theanine and caffeine.

A study showed that when l-theanine and caffeine are combined, it improved a person’s behavioral performance (Hit Rate) significantly, when compared to l-theanine or caffeine alone.