Matcha can be a better fit than coffee when you want to cut back on caffeine without giving up your morning ritual.
A modest serving often provides less caffeine than brewed coffee, and it naturally contains L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea.
How much caffeine is in each cup?
A review of matcha research reports roughly 19–44 mg of caffeine per gram of powder. A drink made with 2 grams would therefore contain approximately 38–89 mg of caffeine.
For comparison, Health Canada lists an average of 135 mg in a 237 mL cup of brewed coffee.
These are estimates, not guaranteed amounts. Matcha powders vary, coffee strength depends on how it is brewed, and a café may use several grams of matcha in one latte. Cup size alone will not tell you how much caffeine you are getting.
What does L-theanine add?
L-theanine is part of what makes tea different from coffee. Research using measured amounts of L-theanine and caffeine has found benefits for certain attention tasks.
That is promising, but those findings do not establish that a cup of matcha improves focus more than a cup of coffee. The amounts in your drink may differ from the doses studied.
Claims that matcha always releases caffeine slowly or guarantees hours of energy without a crash go beyond that evidence.
Adjust the powder to suit your routine
If you want to try a lighter serving, start with around 1 gram of matcha and see how it suits you. A small digital scale makes it easier to keep the amount consistent than a heaped spoon.
Adding more milk or water changes the flavour and concentration, but it does not remove caffeine from the powder you have used.
For help balancing your drink, see our guide to how much matcha powder to use.
Give your sleep a say
Matcha can still cause restlessness or disrupt sleep, especially if you are sensitive to caffeine. Keep it earlier in the day if you notice that effect, and count it alongside any coffee or other caffeinated drinks you have.
Our guide to the best time to drink matcha can help you plan your cup.
