Love Matcha? Add This Fruit To It For Even More Antioxidants

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Add This Fruit To Your Matcha For Even More Antioxidants, Study Shows

Author:

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN

May 13, 2026

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

By Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Texas Christian University and a master’s in nutrition interventions, communication, and behavior change from Tufts University. She lives in Newport Beach, California, and enjoys connecting people to the food they eat and how it influences health and wellbeing.

Image by Martí Sans / Stocksy

May 13, 2026

Love it or hate it, matcha is a daily go-to for many. It’s brimming with beneficial green tea antioxidants and just the right amount of caffeine (with l-theanine to balance it out even further). Now, you can find matcha lattes in a variety of flavors—vanilla, lavender, strawberry, ube, rose, coconut, and the list goes on. 

Well, what you pair matcha with (and the temperature at which it’s brewed) can actually impact the antioxidant potential of the beverage. A new study just found that adding strawberries to matcha1 may offer a unique boost. Here’s what you need to know. 

About the study 

For this study, researchers were interested to see whether adding strawberry powder to matcha changes how its beneficial plant compounds behave when brewed at different temperatures.

Their thought was that strawberries would: 

• Make the mixture more acidic
• Help protect catechins from breaking down with heat
• Contribute more beneficial compounds to the brew (including anthocyanins and vitamin C)

To test this hypothesis, they compared pure matcha with a blend containing 15% strawberry powder, then prepared both using cold (41°F), warm (158°F), and near-boiling (212°F) water to reflect different real-world preparation methods. From there, they measured a range of plant compounds, including polyphenols and catechins (the key antioxidants in matcha), as well as vitamin C and anthocyanins from strawberries. 

They also tested antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity using standard lab tests. It’s important to note that these findings come from in vitro testing, meaning they reflect chemical activity in a controlled laboratory setting and not necessarily how the body would absorb or use these compounds after drinking the tea.

RELATED READ: A 2-Minute Vanilla Cold Foam That’s Perfect For Matcha

Adding strawberries when brewing came with some perks

Brewing temperature and the addition of strawberry powder impacted the final brew.

• Strawberry changed the chemistry of the tea: The blend created a more acidic environment than matcha alone, which appeared to help stabilize certain heat-sensitive compounds.
• More catechins were recovered in the blend, especially with heat: At both 158°F and 212°F, the matcha–strawberry mix showed higher levels of catechins compared to pure matcha, suggesting improved extraction or preservation under warmer brewing conditions.
• Antioxidant activity was highest in the hot brew: The 212°F strawberry–matcha blend showed the strongest antioxidant activity in lab assays, outperforming plain matcha under the same conditions.
• Anti-inflammatory activity peaked at a moderate temperature: The strongest effect showed up at 158°F, indicating that different beneficial compounds may be optimized at different brewing temperatures.
• Cold brewing preserved heat-sensitive nutrients: When cold brewing, the blend retained higher levels of vitamin C and anthocyanins, compounds that are known to degrade with heat.

What this really suggests is that there’s no single “best” way to brew matcha. Different temperatures may simply highlight different beneficial compounds. Colder brews appear to be slightly better at preserving heat-sensitive nutrients vitamin C and anthocyanins, and warmer temperatures seem to enhance the extraction and measured activity of antioxidant-rich compounds catechins (which is enhanced by the addition of strawberries).

How to get the benefits of strawberry & matcha

The good news is the strawberry-matcha combo is also delicious. Matcha is known for being a bit, well, grassy, on its own. And adding some strawberries (fresh or freeze-dried powder) is an easy way to sweeten things up without added sugar. 

• Warm or hot matcha latte with strawberry powder: Whisk matcha into warm water or milk (around 158°F for a gentler brew), then stir in strawberry powder. This mirrors the study’s formulation and blends the flavors evenly throughout the drink.
• Cold matcha with strawberry puree: Prepare matcha with cool or room-temperature water, then swirl in fresh strawberry puree for a naturally sweet, vitamin C–rich addition that keeps heat-sensitive compounds intact.
• Matcha strawberry smoothie: Blend matcha powder, fresh or frozen strawberries, a protein source (Greek yogurt or protein powder), and your milk of choice. This is an easy way to combine both ingredients without worrying about temperature.
• Overnight oats: Mix matcha into your oat base and top or swirl with strawberries (fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried). The oats mellow matcha’s bitterness while strawberries add natural sweetness and antioxidants. I personally use about 0.5-1 teaspoon of matcha per ½ cup of dried oats. And this protein powder adds just the right amount of creaminess, vanilla, and cinnamon to round it out (plus, 25 grams of protein of course).

The takeaway 

Matcha is already a great source of antioxidants, and adding just a bit of strawberry may help take it to the next level (although this was a lab and not a human study). Just be cautious, as some flavored matchas also have heaps of added sugar. Don’t be afraid to ask the barista about the sweetness level.