Every day, more people shift to natural ways of living and eating, which simply implies that more natural foods and herbal supplements find their way into our local grocery stores.
This is great, but it comes with one challenge: deciding the right product for you. In fact, it is even more challenging to differentiate the health benefits of similar products.
Matcha and Sencha green teas are similar products that offer a wide range of health benefits but tend to have slightly different nutritional profiles.
While the two types of green tea are derived from the same plant species—Camella sinensis—they not only differ in how they are grown and processed but also have varying nutritional benefits.
Before delving deeper into these differences, let’s highlight some of the Sencha and Matcha green tea benefits.
Sencha and Matcha Green Tea Benefits
Both being green teas, Sencha and Matcha contain epigallocatechin-3-gallate (or EGCG), a polyphenol that is believed to be responsible for the many health benefits of green tea.
The two green teas also boast of amino acid, L-Theanine, which plays a critical role in calming the nervous system and can cross the blood-brain barrier.
Some of the benefits that you stand to gain by drinking these green teas include:
- Prevention of heart diseases
- Have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits
- Destroys viruses and bacteria
- Prevents certain types of cancer
- Protecting the body against arthritis
- Protecting the brain against neurodegeneration and damage from conditions such as stroke
- Protects against diabetes
- Boosts immune system
In a nutshell, Sencha and Matcha have a plethora of health benefits that often attract tea drinkers. However, because they are grown, processed, and consumed differently, one could be inherently better for you than the other.
Knowing a few differences between the two teas is, therefore, worthwhile.
Sencha vs. Matcha
Growth and Processing
The first difference between these two green teas is their texture and shape. While Sencha often comes in rolled loose-leaf form, Matcha is a fine, stone-ground powder.
Secondly, the two teas differ in terms of the conditions in which they are grown: loose-leaf Sencha is often grown in direct sunlight, while Matcha is grown in the shade just before they are harvested.
Additionally, when brewed, most of the nutrients in Sencha are filtered out by an infuser or tea bag. On the contrary, matcha tea powder is neither brewed nor infused.
The leaves are stone-ground into a fine powder, which means that the entire leaf (and all its nutrients) is consumed.
Nutritional Profiles
Matcha tea powder often boasts more vitamins B6 and beta-carotene compared to Sencha. On the flip side, Sencha has higher amounts of vitamin C and E.
Additionally, sun exposure increases the amount of Catechin or EGCG in green tea leaves. Therefore, Sencha has more catechin than Matcha.
Grown in the shade, Matcha boasts more caffeine and L-theanine than Sencha and other types of green teas. L-theanine is known to enhance the production of alpha waves in the brain and is often associated with mental alertness and relaxation.
It also influences serotonin and dopamine production. This good balance between L-theanine and caffeine in Matcha allows it to generate steady energy devoid of the jitters or crashes that you are likely to get with coffee and other energy drinks.
Our Favorites
What are our favorite brands for that extra jolt of green tea goodness? We’re glad you asked! Here are our two all-time winners:
Organic Green Matcha Tea:
- PURE, FIRST-HARVEST EXCELLENCE - Each batch of AprikaLife Ceremonial Grade Matcha arrives from Mie Prefecture's Japanese tea fields after stone-grinding to preserve the natural sweetness and smooth flavor of organic green tea leaves.
- CERTIFIED QUALITY & TESTING - AprikaLife's premium matcha meets rigorous Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and USDA Organic certifications, plus traditional grinding methods to preserve natural tea compounds.
- NATURAL WELLNESS BENEFITS OF L-THEANINE - AprikaLife's first harvest tea leaves provide nature's ideal balance of L-theanine and pure matcha energy. Our premium ceremonial grade delivers smooth, focused benefits from spring-harvested leaves.
- FRESHNESS & PURITY - Our matcha maintains peak freshness through vacuum-sealed packaging and refrigerated storage. Each batch undergoes testing for heavy metals, radiation, and over 250 chemicals. Plus, it contains no artificial additives!
- EXCEPTIONAL PURITY STANDARDS - AprikaLife's organic Japanese matcha begins with premium Yabukita tea leaves selected at first harvest peak. Our pure ceremonial grade powder transforms traditional tea moments into extraordinary experiences.
Organic Green Sencha Tea:
- JAPANESE ORGANIC GREEN TEA BAG - 18 COUNT, BIODEGRADABLE TEA BAG
- USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC AND NON-GMO - USDA Certified Organic Green Tea and Non-GMO Verified
- PURVEYORS OF JAPANESE GREEN TEA: Yamamotoyama has been a purveyor of the highest quality green tea for over 330 years. Japanese Organic Sencha Green Tea is a Yamamotoyama proprietary blend of leaves harvested from our very own tea gardens and deep-steamed to brew a fresh, classic green tea with floral notes
- In Japan and many other places around the world, green tea is still celebrated for its vibrant color that holds antioxidants, l-theanine and catechins. It is still considered an elixir of health, available to the people
- KOSHER CERTIFIED, GLUTEN FREE, SUGAR FREE, ZERO CALORIES, ZERO ARTIFICIAL COLORS OR FLAVORS
Summary
Sencha and Matcha are very healthy beverages to consume and are full of minerals, polyphenols, amino acids that are beneficial to your health.
Hopefully, we have covered much of what you need to know about the benefits and potential nutritional differences between the two types of green teas. Did you know that you can even include herbal teas in your beauty routine?
Now you can relax and make yourself a cup of Sencha or Matcha tea and reminisce about the journey that these versatile teas made from the fields to your lips.