Matcha Tea’s Alkalinity Vs. Coffee’s Damaging Acidity: The Good, Bad, And Unhealthy

Previously we posted an article that argued the point that matcha tea is healthier than coffee. Since then people have asked us to compare the harmful acidity of coffee to the healthy alkaline benefits of matcha tea. Although we’ve personally known for years and through talking with our loyal customers, that drinking ZenMatcha Tea “feels” better on our system, we decided to dig deeper into the “why’s” and “what’s” of how the pH levels of coffee versus green tea/matcha affect the body and play a role in our system. The results were, no pun intended, eye-opening!

What is Alkalinity vs. Acidity?

First, let’s start with pH levels. pH is a scale of acidity/alkalinity from 1-14, with 7 being neutral. Anything below 7 is acidic, and anything above 7 is alkaline. So, why is this important to our health? The human body is slightly alkaline, with an average of 7.35-7.45. The body’s system for regulating the pH is highly complex, but the simple explanation is that our kidneys and lungs do the heavy lifting and keep the rest of our cells’ pH around 7.40 (slightly alkaline).

Alkaline vs acidity: Which is better for you?

Noted health authority Dr. Mitchell L. Gaynor, stated that alkaline foods “contain prebiotic nutrients that nourish good bacteria in your gut. These good bacteria help decrease inflammation throughout your body that might otherwise contribute to cancer.”

Coffee is acidic, with a pH of 4.7-5.0.  Matcha, and green tea, in general, is slightly alkaline, with a pH averaging between 7.0-8.0. If you drink your ZenMatcha in an almond milk latte, that too is slightly alkaline. Almond milk, depending on the brand and how much, if any, sugar is added as a sweetener, is alkaline-forming, as well.

So, in short, we want to ingest more alkaline foods so we can provide the “good” bacteria in our bodies with nourishment to keep us strong and healthy.

Why is coffee “Bad”?

1. Coffee can cause caffeinated jitters.
2. Coffee has a relatively high acidity (4.7-5.0) and ingesting acidic food and beverages can lead to stomach problems and abdominal pain.
3. Coffee contains a variety of acidic and bitter compounds, such as chlorogenic acids, aliphatic acids, and tannins.
4. Coffee contains other compounds that can cause gastrointestinal irritation and loose bowels.

Drink more ZenMatcha Tea!

1. It’s neutral to slightly alkaline, which we learned is beneficial to the good bacteria in our body.
2. If we add some high-quality almond milk to our matcha to make a latte, it ends up being an alkaline-forming beverage!
3. Both coffee beans and tea leaves contain beneficial antioxidants, but most varieties of green tea contain more antioxidants than ground coffee contains. Antioxidants are especially important for cardiovascular health because they destroy harmful free radicals and protect tissues, including blood vessels. The most potent antioxidant in green tea is called EGCG, which is a type of polyphenol that may also protect against certain types of cancer, according to The Huffington Post.

Don’t believe us? Are you still not convinced that the alkalinity of matcha green tea is better for you than the acidity of coffee? This article from Livestrong also details the many benefits of giving up coffee for green tea, including:

• fresher breath
• increased metabolic rate
• enhanced fat burning
• boosted immunity
• improved memory
• better blood flow to the brain
• reduced risk of numerous diseases
• less pain from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis

To put it simply, we believe in the overwhelming health properties a daily cup of super-powered ZenMatcha tea can offer versus a cup of coffee. And adding a little bit of almond milk to your cup only enhances the alkaline benefits.  You’re on your way to making your body stronger and healthier with every satisfying sip!