Green Teas
Green Teas - Are They The Miracle Cure?
Every one has heard about green tea and all know about its benefits. But generally, we are at a loss for words when it comes to describing green teas and its benefits to other people. Let us indulge in an in-depth analysis about green tea and its benefits which include health and diet.
Green Tea is a pure variety that has undergone minimum oxidation during tea processing. Green tea is very popular in Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Middle East. Nowadays, it is popular in the west too, where traditionally black tea and white tea is consumed. The two most famous green tea varieties are originally from China and Japan.
Chinese Green tea - Chinese tea from 'Hangzhou', which means dragon is pan-fried and is flat in appearance. The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea for many centuries and they used to green tea to treat all health problems, from headaches to depression.
Japanese Green tea - In Japan, the tea is graded based on the quality and the parts of the plant used. You can get different varieties of green tea, priced according to quality in Japan. The very best Japanese green tea comes from the Uji region of Kyoto.
The specialty of this tea lies in the fact that it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is a powerful anti-oxidant. It also prevents the growth of cancer cells. It kills the cancer cells without damaging the healthy tissue. It is highly beneficial in lowering LDL, the bad cholesterol level and also inhibiting the formation of blood clots. These blood clots lead to heart attacks and strokes. In the year 1997, researchers from Kansas found out that EGCG is twice as powerful as a resveratrol. Resveratrol is a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking. That is the reason why the rate of heart diseases among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately 75% are smokers.
Other Benefits of Green Tea
New evidence about green tea diet is that it can help dieters. Research reveals that the combination of green tea and caffeine burns more calories than placebo or caffeine.
Green tea helps to prevent tooth decay and it also kills bacteria that cause dental plaque. There are a number of skin ointments and creams containing green tea extract that are being launched in the market. In addition, Tea green is know to:
- Reduce the risk of esophageal and other forms of cancer due to its significant antioxidant properties.
- Reduce cholesterol and cut down the rate of stroke in men, according to the American Medical Association.
- Suppress and reverse aging and also refresh the body with its high vitamin B content. It helps the human body to deal better with stress and also release more energy.
- Restrain bacterial growth and thus prevent diseases.
- Prevent cavities and tooth decay because of its rich fluoride content and help in preventing bad breath.
Oolong tea and organic green tea are also renowned for their tea health benefits.
Green tea Brewing
The quantity of green tea per cup should be around one teaspoon and it should be prepared at a temperature of 82-88 degrees centigrade and steeped for 2-3 minutes.
