Matcha Antioxidants: What are they and why do they matter?

Matcha is a ritual deeply embedded in Japanese culture that has now evolved into a widespread daily beverage and cultural staple in many countries, including the US. 

If you haven’t heard of ceremonial matcha, let us introduce you to it. Ceremonial matcha is the green tea best known for its bold green color and grounding umami taste. But what makes this powerful Japanese tea so unique is that it is considered one of the best sources of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) antioxidants.

Green tea antioxidants: Green tea vs Matcha vs Ceremonial matcha

Green tea and matcha come from the same tea family, but they differ in terms of their taste, quality and their antioxidants, which are the powerful compounds responsible for many of the health benefits associated with drinking green tea.

Green tea: Is commonly available as loose leaves, tea bags, or powder. Created using only part of the tea leaf, its associated health benefits come from polyphenol antioxidants. 

Matcha: is a powdered form of Japanese green tea loved for its distinctive green color and umami taste. Made using the whole tea leaf, it delivers its health benefits via EGCG antioxidants and L-theanine catechins.

Ceremonial matcha: The highest grade of matcha, treasured for its vibrant green color and superior umami taste. This matcha tea uses shade-grown leaves, making it the green tea with the highest level of EGCG antioxidants. It is this form of matcha that we use to ensure that Ancient + Brave’s Ceremonial Matcha + Collagen provides more antioxidant units than an entire pack of blueberries or spinach!+

EGCG and catechins: Matcha’s evidence-backed antioxidants explained 

So, what are these antioxidants, and why do they matter? 

Catechins are a type of polyphenol, which are natural antioxidants found in plants. Various studies have shown that they have benefits for human health, including neutralizing free radicals to help protect against cellular damage.**

EGCG is the acronym used for epigallocatechin gallate, the most powerful of all the catechins. It's unique to green tea, and especially concentrated in matcha, thanks to the way matcha is grown and prepared. 

You see, unlike other teas, matcha is made from whole, powdered green tea leaves, so you’re consuming the entire leaf rather than just steeped extracts. 

Here’s a summary of the science-backed benefits of this remarkable matcha antioxidant:

+ Fights free radicals and helps protect cells from oxidative damage**

+ Supports metabolism and healthy weight regulation**

+ Enhances cognitive performance and reduces neuroinflammation**

+ Promotes skin health by reducing UV damage and improving elasticity**

+ Reduces chronic inflammation, a key contributor to aging and disease**

+ Ceremonial-grade matcha: Your antioxidant powerhouse

These incredible benefits for whole-body health are one reason why we’ve chosen to use  ritual with ceremonial matcha from Uji, Japan in our Matcha + Collagen.

Carefully crafted to bring you a superior umami taste alongside unrivalled antioxidant benefits, this energizing rise ritual now delivers more than a 10% increase of EGCG.+

*Please note, when we say our ceremonial matcha contains 9,440 ppm of EGCG, we’re talking about concentration - specifically, how much EGCG is present in a given amount of matcha powder.

Evidence-backed matcha: Inside our antioxidant testing process

“If you’re looking to support your daily antioxidant intake, ceremonial grade matcha is a true powerhouse. When it comes to supplements, quality sourcing and thorough testing are important, which is why Ancient + Brave’s Ceremonial Matcha + Collagen really shines as a daily matcha ritual that is both thoughtfully formulated and nourishing.” Erin Ogden, Dietitian and Nutrition Consultant, Ancient + Brave

And don't just take our word for it.

As part of our ongoing commitment to bringing you the purest, most effective wellbeing rituals, we commissioned independent lab testing with Knight Scientific to benchmark the total antioxidant capacity of our Ceremonial Matcha + Collagen powder. 

Using Singlet Oxygen Quenching Antioxidant Testing, a robust test that simulates oxidative stress in the body, our lab results revealed a high score of 2,773 ABEL-RAC™, validating Ceremonial Matcha’s polyphenol density, antioxidant capacity, and evidence-based benefits.

These scores indicate high antioxidant capacity, which means that every serving of Ancient + Brave’s Ceremonial Matcha + Collagen provides more antioxidant units than an entire pack of blueberries or spinach.+ After all, your trust and your well-being deserve nothing but the best.

Read more about the benefits of matcha here.

References

Jakubczyk, K., Kochman, J., Kwiatkowska, A., Kałduńska, J., Dec, K., Kawczuga, D. and Janda, K. (2020) ‘Antioxidant Properties and Nutritional Composition of Matcha Green Tea’, Foods, 9(4), p. 483. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7231151/ (Accessed: 3 December 2025). doi:10.3390/foods9040483

Knight, J., Knight, R. and Armstrong, K. (2007) 'ABEL®-RAC Antioxidant Scores for Quality Control of Ingredients and Quality Assurance of Products', Cosmetic Science Technology, pp. 203.

Kochman, J., Jakubczyk, K., Antoniewicz, J., Mruk, H. and Janda, K. (2021) ‘Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review’, Molecules, 26(1), p. 85. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7796401/ (Accessed: 3 December 2025). doi:10.3390/molecules26010085.

Nagle, D.G., Ferreira, D. and Zhou, Y.-D. (2006) ‘Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG): chemical and biomedical perspectives’, Phytochemistry, 67(17), pp. 1849–1855. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2903211/ (Accessed: 3 December 2025).

Nishitani, E. and Sagesaka, Y.M. (2003) ‘Determination of catechins in matcha green tea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography’, Journal of Chromatography A, 1017(1–2), pp. 167–172. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021967303011336 (Accessed: 3 December 2025). doi:10.1016/j.chroma.2003.08.033.