Matcha and Bee Pollen Skin Benefits Demystified and How to Eat Them!
There’s been a lot of ‘buzz’ about bee pollen and matcha. As always, some of it’s true and some of it’s not. No food or product is going to be a magical cure, but bee pollen and matcha certainly have some incredible qualities and we highly recommend adding them to your diet.
Make sure you buy your matcha powder and bee pollen from a trusted local store (see our suggestions at the end of this post). Quality is important for nutritional value and we recommend opting for organic. These ingredients are pricey, but last a long time since you only use very small quantities at a time.
Before we explain why these are fantastic for your health and skin, here is a delicious smoothie recipe that incorporates both of these superfoods.
No 'Matcha' Smoothie Ingredients
No 'Matcha' Smoothie
Ingredients
2 cups lightly packed baby spinach
4 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh ginger
2 frozen bananas
½ Avocado
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons matcha powder
1 ½ cups coconut water
Dash of cinnamon
1 tablespoon bee pollen
Optional: Chia seeds, nuts (any kind), flax seed
Serve over ice cubes if you like (or blend them in if you want a thinner smoothie)
Bee Pollen
So what is bee pollen anyways? Well, bee pollen is the food of the young bees, and it is extremely nutrient dense. Bee pollen is extremely nutrient rich, carrying some of the healthiest anti-oxidants and proteins for your skin such as zinc and silica. Here are some interesting claims/facts from trusted sources.
Treats and Prevents Acne
'According to Dr. M. Esperrois of the French Institute of Chemistry, bee pollen has a natural antibiotic effect that suppresses acne. It also contains high concentrations of nucleic acids, the building blocks of RNA and DNA. The acids help rejuvenate acne-damaged skin by reducing inflammation and increasing cell growth and turnover.'
Prevents aging
Not only does it prolong youthfulness by providing long-lasting energy, it also prevents and reverses physical signs of aging. “Known for years as a nutritional superfood that boosts energy and eliminates allergies, bee pollen has now emerged as a nutrient dense 'skinfood' that reduces wrinkles, increases firmness and heals stubborn skin conditions” (Read more: Bee Pollen Buzz)
Nutrient dense
Bee pollen is richer in proteins than any animal source. It contains more amino acids than beef, eggs, or cheese of equal weight. About half of its protein is in the form of free amino acids that are ready to be used directly by the body. (Read more: Food Matters)
Matcha
Matcha is often known as a replacement for caffeine. While it does have energy boosting qualities, it also has a range of other health benefits of interest to us. Specifically, it can help repair damage to your skin from within. We all known green tea is packed with antioxidants, so think of matcha as the concentrated version of that.
One cup of matcha = 10 cups of regularly brewed green tea in terms of nutritional content
Like green tea, matcha comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, however, it can have 137 times more antioxidants than regularly brewed green tea.
Matcha is rich in catechins, a class of plant compounds in tea that act as natural antioxidants.
Other potential benefits range from helping with weight loss to preventing cancer.
You can also expect long lasting energy without the crash associated with caffeine. As explained on Dr. Oz's website: ‘Since matcha tea has both regular caffeine and also the amino acid theanine, it produces a relaxed but alert mental state, boosting alpha waves in the brain. These alpha waves provide a pleasant clarity, so your energy boost is sustained over time.’ (Read more: Doctor Oz)
Where to buy?
If you don't have a local food store you trust, we would suggest amazon. Read reviews and do some research. Here are some of our go to picks.
Organic Bee Pollen
CDN$ 50.38
This organic bee pollen is pricey but worth it. 23 reviews, 5 stars!
Organic USDA Matcha Powder
CDN$ 27.00
An Amazon bestseller with 642 reviews and a 4.7 star rating.