Types of Tea

Green Tea

Today, more than ever before, green tea (or it’s botanical name, camellia sinensis) seems to be the miraculous ingredient to staying healthy! From weight loss to keeping your nail growth vigorous, green tea is seen as the updated version of the fountain of youth. According to wikipedia, green tea is a “true” tea that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea is listed to be popular in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East. Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where traditionally black tea is consumed.

Have you ever seen the Snapple commercial with the man on the plane? He’s so enthused to hear what’s behind making green tea, then suddenly has a daydream where this Asian elderly explains it all to him like grasshopper’s confidant. Here’s how green tea is made, ladies and gentlemen: according to the world’s healthiest food’s website, green tea is the least processed and thus provides the most antioxidant polyphenols, notably a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to green tea. This wondrous miracle tea is made by being steaming the freshly harvested tea leave for a brief amount of time, then rendering them and preventing them from fermenting and changing color. After the steaming process is complete, the tea leaves are rolled and spread out and “fired” (dried out with hot air or pan fried in a wok of sorts), until they are positively crisp. The result is a green-yellow tea, which holds a “slightly astringent flavor close to the taste of the fresh leaf.”

Okay, so we have the facts as to how this tea is made; now, all we need is the beneficial facts on how to lead a happy and healthy life. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, green tea can help with atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, cancer (bladder, breast, colorectal, esophageal, lung, pancreatic, prostate, skin and stomach) as well as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, liver disease and even weight loss. In “treating” cancer, the cancer-protective effects of green tea have been reported in several population-based studies. For example, cancer rates tend to be low in countries such as Japan where green tea is regularly consumed, states the Medical Center.

The beneficial facts for liver disease, according to the University of Maryland, says that population-based studies have shown that men who drink more than 10 cups of green tea per day are less likely to develop disorders of the liver. Green tea also appears to protect the liver from the damaging effects of toxic substances such as alcohol.

According to jananesegreenteaonline.com, green tea contains high concentrations of catechin polyphenols. These compounds work with other chemicals to intensify levels of fat oxidation and thermogenesis, where heat is created in the body by burning fuels such as fat. Drinking Japanese green tea regularly will increase your metabolism and help burn fat safely and naturally.

The recommended dosage of green tea for adults is 3 cups per day. With all of this information, may you stay healthy and prolong your life. Spread the word!