Is Matcha Caffeine Different?

Level 3 Lesson by: Aron Thode Source: nytimes.com

Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

Green powdered matcha tea on a teaspoon and spilling over the sides onto a white background.
Matcha tea powder

Many people on social media say matcha gives a calm kind of energy. They claim its caffeine enters the body more slowly than the caffeine in coffee, so people stay awake without feeling shaky or having a sudden crash. Scientists have started to test this idea.

Matcha is green tea powder. Farmers grow the tea plants in shade for several weeks before picking the leaves. Because they get less sunlight than tea plants grown in the sun, the leaves contain different amounts of natural substances. One of those is chlorophyll, the substance that makes leaves green. People prepare matcha by mixing the powder into hot water, so they drink the whole leaf, not just tea made by letting the leaves sit in hot water.

This changes how much caffeine is in the cup. Regular green tea has about 30 milligrams in one cup, while brewed coffee has around 100. A matcha drink made with one teaspoon can have about 38 to 88 milligrams. For some people, that middle range may feel like a better balance.

But there is still not much research on matcha. In one 2018 study with 39 university students, the matcha group felt a little less anxious than the group that drank a similar drink without matcha, though their stress levels did not change. In a 2017 study with 19 young adults, researchers saw no mood difference between days with matcha and days without matcha. If you want to find out, try matcha and notice how your own body responds.

Vocab List

  • crash (n.) — A sudden drop in energy.
  • caffeine (n.) — A substance in some drinks that helps people feel awake.
  • shade (n.) — An area away from direct sunlight.
  • leaf (n.) — The flat green part of a plant.
  • chlorophyll (n.) — The green substance in leaves.
  • milligram (n.) — A very small unit used to measure weight.
  • anxious (adj.) — Worried or not fully calm.
  • stress (n.) — Mental or physical pressure.
  • shaky (adj.) — Not steady, often from too much caffeine.

Speaker: British Male  Duration: 1:51

YouTube link

Listen and fill the gaps below:

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio and complete the gaps below:

Many people on social media say matcha gives a (1) __________ kind of energy. They claim its caffeine enters the body more (2) __________ than the caffeine in coffee, so people stay awake without feeling shaky or having a sudden crash. Scientists have started to test this idea. Matcha is green tea powder. Farmers grow the tea plants in shade for several weeks before picking the (3) __________. Because they get less sunlight than tea plants grown in the sun, the leaves contain different amounts of natural substances. One of those is chlorophyll, the substance that makes leaves green. People prepare matcha by mixing the powder into hot water, so they drink the whole leaf, not just tea made by letting the leaves sit in hot water. This changes how much (4) __________ is in the cup. Regular green tea has about 30 milligrams in one cup, while brewed coffee has around 100. A matcha drink made with one teaspoon can have about 38 to 88 milligrams. For some people, that middle range may feel like a better balance. But there is still not much research on matcha. In one 2018 study with 39 university students, the matcha group felt a little less (5) __________ than the group that drank a similar drink without matcha, though their stress levels did not change. In a 2017 study with 19 young adults, researchers saw no mood difference between days with matcha and days without matcha. If you want to find out, try matcha and notice how your own body (6) __________.
Main Idea

Choose one answer, then click CHECK to see your result.

Main Idea

  • Matcha may give some people calmer energy than coffee, but scientists still need more research.
  • Matcha is made by mixing green tea powder into water, so people drink the whole leaf.
  • Two studies showed that matcha clearly improves mood and lowers stress.
True or False

Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.

  • Matcha caffeine enters the body more slowly than coffee caffeine, according to many social media posts.
    The story says many people online claim matcha caffeine enters the body more slowly than coffee caffeine.
  • People make matcha by letting whole leaves sit in hot water and then removing them.
    The story says people mix matcha powder into hot water and drink the whole leaf.
  • In the 2018 study, stress levels changed for the students who drank matcha.
    The story says the matcha group felt a little less anxious, but stress levels did not change.

True or False

1. Matcha caffeine enters the body more slowly than coffee caffeine, according to many social media posts. T / F

2. People make matcha by letting whole leaves sit in hot water and then removing them. T / F

3. In the 2018 study, stress levels changed for the students who drank matcha. T / F

Multiple Choice

1. Why do some people say matcha gives a better balance?

   A) Because it always has less caffeine than green tea.

   B) Because one teaspoon can give a middle caffeine range.

   C) Because it has exactly the same caffeine as coffee.

   D) Because it has no caffeine at all.

2. What do farmers do before picking leaves for matcha?

   A) They dry the leaves in full sun.

   B) They wash the leaves with hot water.

   C) They grow the plants in shade for several weeks.

   D) They freeze the leaves before harvest.

3. What did researchers find in the 2017 study with 19 young adults?

   A) No mood difference between days with matcha and days without matcha.

   B) A big drop in stress levels after one cup of matcha.

   C) Higher anxiety in the group that drank matcha.

   D) Better sleep on days when people drank matcha.

Words That Go Together

Loading vocabulary activity...

Words That Go Together

Match each word with the words it goes with:

1. Give

2. Enter

3. Have

4. Grow

5. Pick

6. Mix

a) powder

b) leaves

c) tea plants

d) a crash

e) the body

f) energy

Discussion Builder

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. Matcha can have less caffeine than coffee, ________ people may still feel awake after drinking it.

    because / but / so

  2. Some people choose matcha ________ they want energy without feeling shaky.

    because / but / and

  3. The studies in the story show mixed results. ________ we still need more research on matcha.

    Also, / Because of that, / For example,

Sentence Unscramble

  1. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

    A. in the afternoon B. I usually choose C. tea D. because E. coffee feels F. too strong G. for me.

  2. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

    A. than B. Matcha may be C. a large cup D. of coffee. E. a better balance F. for some people

  3. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

    A. I write down B. after tea C. or coffee. D. For example, E. each day F. how I feel

Discussion Questions

  1. Would you like to try matcha? Why or why not?
  2. What do you usually drink when you need energy?
  3. Can we get good information from social media? Or is it mainly opinions?
  4. Do you choose drinks by taste, price, or effect on your body?
  5. Matcha is very green. Is color important when choosing food and drink?
  6. Do you like strong coffee or energy drinks that have a lot of caffeine? Why?
  7. What can a person do to calm down when they feel shaky?
  8. Do you prefer being in shade or being in sunlight? Why?
  9. What kinds of tea have you tried?
  10. Some matcha drinks have a lot of sugar in them. Can they still be healthy?

Answers

Think Ahead: b

Listening: (1) calm, (2) slowly, (3) leaves, (4) caffeine, (5) anxious, (6) responds

Main Idea: Matcha may give some people calmer energy than coffee, but scientists still need more research.

True or False:

  1. True. The story says many people online claim matcha caffeine enters the body more slowly than coffee caffeine.
  2. False. The story says people mix matcha powder into hot water and drink the whole leaf.
  3. False. The story says the matcha group felt a little less anxious, but stress levels did not change.

Multiple Choice: B, C, A

Vocabulary:

  1. Give: energy
  2. Enter: the body
  3. Have: a crash
  1. Grow: tea plants
  2. Pick: leaves
  3. Mix: powder

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Contrast. 2) Reason. 3) Result.

  1. but
  2. because
  3. Because of that,

Sentence Unscramble:

  1. I usually choose tea in the afternoon because coffee feels too strong for me.
  2. Matcha may be a better balance for some people than a large cup of coffee.
  3. For example, I write down how I feel each day after tea or coffee. Alternatives: For example, each day I write down how I feel after tea or coffee.

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