Green Tea and its benefits

Green tea is made from the dried leaves of Camellia sinensis, a perennial evergreen shrub. 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. Green tea has always been, and remains today, the most popular type of tea from China where most historians and botanists believe the tea plant originated throughout all of Asia.

Types of Green Tea products in market:

• Green Tea Extract: It usually comes in a concentrated liquid form, and can be added to everything from drinks, to bread, to a relaxing bath. It is a very versatile green tea product, but some would consider the taste of it a little too strong, so be sure to dilute it with each use.
• Green Tea Diet Pills: One of the most popular uses for a green tea product is that of a dietary aid. It has been shown in a number of medical studies that certain properties of green tea can aid the body in burning more calories, and therefore aid in weight loss. Since not everyone has the time or inclination to drink a cup of green tea during the day, green tea diet pills might be a great alternative.
• Green Tea Gum: This product is usually found in the dietary aid aisle of the grocery store, or perhaps behind the counter at your local health food supplier. In addition, for those who don't really enjoy the taste of green tea, this green tea product is often infused with other flavors such as mint or even strawberry.
• Green Tea Mints: This is for those who want the convenience of green tea gum, but enjoy a harder form of candy; there is an alternative tea product. Green tea mints offer a great way to slowly ingest the beneficial properties of green tea.

How it is formed: There are basically four different types of tea: white tea, green tea, oolong tea, and black tea.  All tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. However all of them are different because they are processed differently. To make green tea, the leaves are picked and preserved (usually by steaming or baking) to keep them from undergoing the process of fermentation (or oxidation).  It is this lack of oxidation that makes green tea good for you.  The green tea leaves keep the rich polyphenols that give green tea its antioxidant properties.

Health Benefits:

1. Green tea is particularly rich in health-promoting flavonoids (which account for 30% of the dry weight of a leaf), including catechins and their derivatives.
2. Green tea has an anticancer and antioxidant effects.
3. Just one cup of green tea supplies 20-35 mg of EGCG, which has the highest antioxidant activity of all the green tea catechins.
4. Green tea drinkers appear to have lower risk for a wide range of diseases, from simple bacterial or viral infections to chronic degenerative conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, periodontal disease, and osteoporosis.
5. Tea is a healthier choice than almost any beverage, including pure water, because tea not only rehydrates as well as water, but provides a rich supply of polyhenols protective against heart disease.
6. Drinking green tea lowers risk of death due to all causes, including cardiovascular disease.
7. Protects against Coronary Artery Disease.
8. Thins the Blood and Helps Prevent Blood Clots.
9. Minimizes Damage and Speeds Recovery after a Heart Attack.
10. Minimizes Damage to the Brain after a Stroke.
11. Lowers Blood Pressure and Helps Prevent Hypertension.
12. Recent studies have also identified two mechanisms through which green tea works against breast cancer.
13. Green Tea prevents Brain Tumors in Children.
14. Protects against Kidney Disease.
15. Green Tea Provides Bone Benefits Similar to Calcium or Exercise.
16. Promotes Fat Loss and helps to lose weight.
17. Protects against Cognitive Decline, Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease.

How to select and store: Whenever possible, ask for a sample of prepared tea before buying.

Loose Tea: To test for freshness, tightly squeeze a small amount and smell the aroma. The freshest, most flavorful tea will smell sweet and grassy.

Tea Bags: To test tea bags for freshness, remove the tea from one bag, place the empty bag in a cup, pour hot water over it., and let it steep for 2-3 minutes. If the result takes like plain hot water, the tea itself is likely fresh. If the tea bag water tastes like tea, the tea is old, and the paper has absorbed its flavor.

Store: Dark glass or ceramic containers are best to store Tea; tins often leak as their seams are soldered. Use a small container just large enough to accommodate the amount of tea; tea exposed to the air in a half-empty large container will continue to oxidize. It's best to store tea in a dark, cool, dry cupboard. Tea stored in the refrigerator is vulnerable to moisture and odors from other foods and the water condensation that occurs when frozen tea is defrosted can ruin it.

Quick Serving Ideas

Brew green tea with thinly sliced ginger and lemon, or sprigs of spearmint. Add one teaspoon of honey per cup, stir and serve hot or use half the amount of hot water (or twice the amount of tea), allow the tea to brew and cool, then pour over ice cubes.

Make a green tea chai by brewing green tea in hot vanilla soy milk and topping with a dash each of cinnamon, black pepper, ginger and allspice.

One bag of green tea contains 0 calories, approximately 0.06 mg of caffeine, and 80-100 mg of polyphenols, 25-30 mg of which are epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). So you must try green tea for health benefits and it even helps you to relax. However large amounts of green tea should be used cautiously in pregnant women, as caffeine crosses the placenta and has been associated with spontaneous abortion, intrauterine growth retardation, and low birth weight. But we can see the benefits are endless, so who is up for a cup of green tea

(Sources: whfoods.com, nlm.nih.gov, davidhayden.com, greenteainformation.org)