Matcha Collagen Latte

Natural Beauty, Nutrition, Superfoods

This matcha and collagen latte is packed with health benefitsâ€”oh and it's darn tasty too!

Joy McCarthy • September 5, 2023

As much as I love infusing a cup of tea to drink (which I do more than once per day), I love drinking a matcha latte with my breakfast a few times per week when I’m not drinking a tea. You are correct if you guessed that I’m not a coffee drinker. It has just never vibed well with my body despite the fact I love the taste and smell of coffee.

Matcha has so many health benefits that make it truly a superfood.

Let’s take a look at some of the health benefits of matcha.

It’s very high in L-theanine which is an amino acid that affects brain function by relieving stress, improving mood and helping to maintain a good sleep as long as you don’t drink it right before bed! It counteracts the negative effects of caffeine to help you feel calm.
Low to moderate doses of caffeine do have benefits. The amount of caffeine per 1/2-1 teaspoon serving of matcha is anywhere from 40-175mg. We all know the drawbacks of too much caffeine, but just the right amount provides increased energy, alertness and ability to concentrate. For me, matcha is the sweet spot of caffeine, not too much, just right. If you are really sensitive, than matcha may not be for you.

Matcha is very high in EGCG which is a polyphenol that has potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and metabolic benefits. It’s great for protecting the skin from the sun’s damaging rays. It has also been found to boost neurohealth markers like NGF and BDNF.
It can lower blood glucose levels and aid in blood sugar balance. I have personally noticed this. When I wore a glucose monitor for about two weeks, I noticed my blood sugar would drop more rapidly after a meal if I drank this matcha latte. This is because those polyphenols I just mentioned may inhibit starch digestion and minimize the release of glucose from the food you eat. That’s definitely the case for me.

The only drawback can be the cost, but if you’re used to buying a latte or coffee at a cafe than making it yourself will be cheaper! The brand I’ve got on an Amazon subscription is this certified organic brand from Canada, Soar Organics. I have tried many different brands of high quality matcha and this is by far my favourite. It doesn’t need to be sweetened. It has a pleasant smell and earthy taste.

Helpful tips when preparing matcha.

All green tea, white tea and matcha is very high in phytonutrients that can easily be destroyed by high heat. Do not add matcha to scalding hot water. You’ll burn it and it will taste bitter. Therefore, I set my kettle to the lowest temperature. If you don’t have a kettle with this option, you can simply bring it to a boil, open the lid and let it cool down for 5 minutes.

Use a proper bamboo whisk to mix match and water. Do not use a wire whisk, you’ll end up with little powdery balls of matcha. This is a big pet peeve of mine. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve paid 7 bucks for a matcha latte at a cafe, only to have powdery matcha in my teeth (blegh!). The ONLY place in Toronto I would get a matcha latte is Nutbar or Arvo Cafe – they do it right. Otherwise it’s at home, preferably made by my hubby, he’s the best at frothing the milk.

Buy good quality matcha. There are different grades of matcha, there is organic and non-organic. All the ones I’ve tried from Soar Organics are great. They are my favourite brand of matcha.

What about collagen?

A few times per week I add about 5-7g of collagen to my latte. Most brands have a scoop that is the equivalent of 5-10g. Most of the research on the benefits of collagen are around 10g per day. However, I notice benefits at half that amount which means your jar or tub of collagen will last twice as long as most brands have a dose recommendation of 10g!

A little more background on collagen

It is the “glue” that holds our body together and supports our tissue’s elastic quality. Being the most abundant protein in the entire body, you’ll find collagen in your blood, bones, joint cartilage, ligaments, muscles and skin. It is literally a building block. Speaking of skin, collagen makes up 90% of the dermis of the skin. This is essentially the scaffolding of the skin. This helps the elastic quality of your skin and not surprisingly, one of the most compelling research points about collagen is just how amazing it is for gorgeous, healthy, hydrated and youthful skin.

I’ve been taking collagen for about 5 years now and the biggest difference I noticed within about 2-3 weeks was that my skin became more hydrated. However, all the research into collagen peptides are pretty impressive (beyond skin health) so it’s worth trying out.

You can buy collagen that has no flavour or odour either so when you mix it into drinks, all you can taste is the goodness of all the ingredients in the latte, while getting all of the wonderful benefits of the collagen! I use Bend Beauty, Great Lakes, Organika or Genuine Health. They are all good quality.

Let’s get to my yummy recipe for this creamy, smooth, matcha latte!

You can watch a video of how to make this yummy Matcha Collagen Latte right here.

Drinks