green tea

According to legends, tea was discovered by a Chinese emperor about 5,000 years ago. This Chinese emperor was boiling water to the belief that it can become more potable and safer to drink. When suddenly a large gust of wind took over and blew the leaves into the water that’s boiling. By the combination of water and leaves, a brown mixture was fashioned. Reluctantly, the emperor discovered the mixture making a very fragrant aroma. The moment he tasted it, he described it to be agreeable. From that moment on, green tea was born.

No matter how accurate this legend is, what’s important is that green tea have become one of the most popular drink in China. Drinking green tea made several discoveries regarding health benefits. Aside from green tea becoming an antioxidant, it is also claimed that it can help with cancer prevention, heart protection, arthritis prevention and liver protection.

Cancer prevention

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases man has ever known. It has killed a lot of lives in many forms and is continuously killing more. With the discovery of green tea being able to help in cancer prevention and treatment, a lot of studies are trying to support every claim. It is said that through drinking green tea, cancer has shown significant evidences of diminishing cancer cell results. Preliminary investigations have proven that green tea can prevent the growth of cancer cells in organs like the digestive system, urinary bladder, and the pancreas.

Heart Protection

Antioxidants in green tea are one of the main reasons why people are being enticed by it. By reducing incidences of increased cholesterol level in out body, it therefore reduces the body to experience hypertension and cardiac diseases. Studies also show that green tea can help minimize thrombosis formation which is also an associated factor to heart disease. When thrombosis goes into blood circulation, there will come a time when the thrombus will block the way of the blood that is supposed to go to the heart and this will compromise the heart with blood supply. Preventing thrombus formation is one very important effect of green tea.

Arthritis Prevention

Some say it’s impossible for green tea to affect bone diseases but the tea have proved them wrong because reports have it that green tea can prevent arthritis. Not only can green tea prevent arthritis from occurring but also eliminate the painful symptoms being contributed by the problem too. According to research, green tea has a component that has the ability to reduce inflammation. Research also suggests that antioxidants have the capacity to delay any arthritic process that might occur and minimizing irritable symptoms as well.

Live Protection

Because liver is another agent responsible for metabolism, it is greatly affected by green tea. There is strong correlation of bonds between liver function and antioxidants. When the liver does it job, it filters the body from toxins and washes it away through excretion.

Toxins are referred to harmful substances that we gather through daily living like digested food, breathed air, consumed water, alcohol intake and even remnants of cigarette smoking. What green tea provides the body is stimulating and strengthening the immune system making the liver more capable of filtering every single substance that can be dangerous to the body.

Green tea is categorized in many forms. Aroma and flavor is based on the cultivation and processing of green tea. Below are the different kinds of green tea to give you further information.

Hoji-cha – using a high temperature, over-sized leaves are roasted. Upon roasting, Hoji0cha has a very distinct small that is recognizable even from afar. Leaves are darkish brown, after brewing, the liquid looks similar to black draft beer. Preparation of Hoji-cha is crucial to keep the aroma even after brewing. A large earthenware pot is used with large numbers of tea leaves inside it.

Konacha – also known as powdered tea, Konacha is considered as the most delicious and delicate green tea. With its reasonable price, anyone can enjoy its marvelous taste and enticing aroma. Agari is another term given to Konacha which is drank with Sushi and is very much popular in Kanto District.

For preparation, use cloth or paper tea bags or a tea strainer for making Konacha. To thoroughly enjoy Konacha, boiling water must be poured into the pot very quickly.

Gyokuro – leaves of Gyokuro are picked or cultivated from trees that are under shade. Once shooting leaves begin, you’ll notice an entire field covered with reed shade. Because spread straws cover the field, cultivators had the capacity to control photosynthesis to a level that maximizes vitamins to the desired quality. These are done to add up to the nutrition aspects of the tea. With high amino acid level, Gyokuro has richer taste; lesser tannin makes it taste more refined and a bit milder.

Sencha – deriving its name from the way it is drunk, Sencha is steamed first. Then, it is hand-rubbed and afterwards, dried. Sencha is considered as the most popular green tea that comprises about 80 percent of tea production in all of Japan. The tree, wherein leaves are taken from, are not covered to accumulate an increased level of caffeine, amino acids, vitamins and tannin. Leaves of Sencha are beautifully thin shaped and have a glowing shade of green. Rubbing is the secret in Sencha’s true taste. Upon pouring, Sencha has a distinct yellow color that has an aroma that is refreshing and light with a slight taste of bitterness and sweetness going together in harmony.

Maccha – this came from Gyokuro shaded leaves. Although, the process of hand rubbing isn’t included in the preparation. Leaves are only dried and steamed. Deep green and foamy thick appearance would let you think of how bitter the taste would be but that wouldn’t be the case because Maccha has subtle bitterness and mellow sweetness. Maccha flavor is deepened because of its preparation that is stone-ground resulting to a powdered state that contains all vitamins and nutrition needed by the body.

Yanagi – also know as river willow, Yanagi is a product of fallen rubbing products which came out flat and turned into numerous folds. Because of their appearance that looks like a willow leaves after rubbing, that is where Yanagi derived its name. it has a less lingering and lighter taste compared to Sencha. And also compared to Sencha, Yanagi leaves are naturally longer.

These assorted kinds of green tea are drank preferably that is basically based on the nutritional content that drinkers can benefit from or sometimes, just because of the aroma and taste.

More and more people are getting hooked up with green tea. Especially those that belongs to the category that is a bit larger than life. Green tea has been proven to loosen that weight gaining body. Overweight is becoming a problem in major growing countries. As a person grows heavier and bigger, their risk for acquiring a disease is incredibly higher. But because of the impressive effects of green tea, gaining weight can no longer be a health threat.

Measure of gaining weight

There are a lot of reasons why people exhibits unwanted weight gain. First, because of their lifestyle. With someone who has the capacity to buy every single food on earth, gaining weight is easy. A person’s lifestyle can definitely predict how healthy a person is. If the person’s lifestyle is rich, he will have all the money in the world to engage in bad eating habits like increased consumption of alcohol, junk foods and fatty foods.

Another reason for gaining weight is lack of exercise.

Without physical using up of excess fats in your body, there is a great possibility for them to be stored and not to be used up ever again. Exercise is very crucial for people, especially bigger ones. Exercise can lower the risk of a lot of diseases thus, keeping your body fit and at the same time working healthy.

Mental problem is another factor researchers are looking into why people suddenly gain weight. One very good example is depression. When a person is depressed, instead of crying her heart out, she gobbles up everything inside the fridge. Which can be very unhealthy.

Modern solution to chubbiness

Today, for someone to get slimmer, a lot of people are resulting to surgery. Surgical procedures that costs a lot are oftentimes the last resort of really big people who wanted to be small in an instant. Liposuction is one type of surgical procedure that answers to fat reduction.

Green tea to the rescue

Yes, the above stated solution can be very effective but people go into the risk of having major or minor side effects. There is a better way to eliminate those fats naturally. And the answer is, green tea. This is a different kind of tea which have numerous benefits aside from being a reliable fat burner. By incorporating green tea to every meal, a person taking it will experience soothing effects. There are three things that fat burning green tea can do:

1. Increase Calorie Burning

Usage of green tea can accelerate the metabolism of calories inside the human body. This processing is called as thermogenesis. What green tea does is that it increases the heat inside the body thus, increasing metabolism and resulting to calorie burn-up.

2. Diminishing Appetite

Green tea aids in controlling one’s appetite. When a person’s appetite is controlled, the result will be, not wanting to eat. Nutrients that compose green tea signals to the brain and stomach that makes a person lose his appetite thus resulting in lesser food intake.

3. Energy levels are elevated

Green tea can shoot positive signals to the mind that enables the improvement of positive mental attitude. Because green tea compounds act on almost all systems in a human’s body, it tends to put the mind in a relaxed and positive state that make the body feel more balanced and in sync.

For more than millions of years, sciences have been finding effective ways of preventing and treating every kind of disease. Diseases that are categorized under those that can be cured only through Divine Intervention. There have been so many discoveries on how to treat a particular ailment and many alternatives have already been developed. It comes from eliminating heartburn by using brown sugar through the intake of corn syrup for controlling nausea and other remedies. But nothing can beat green tea as one of the most effective home medicine.

Green tea is not just your typical beverage. It’s more than a liquid being coordinated with every meal. With these trying times, it had become an integration to remedies of body illness'. For most people who consume green tea, they believe that it is a kind of miracle drink. It benefits almost all of the body’s functions. From teeth to skin care, green tea has already been a kind of general measure for preventing certain diseases.

To prove that green tea has become an essential part of a person’s health, below are just some of the many benefits of tea when it comes to health.

Oral Indication

Green tea is said to have certain compounds that can kill bacteria in a person’s mouth, thus eliminating high chances of cavity accumulation. Cavities can be good source for halitosis or bad breath to form. Before that happens, drink green tea. With just a few green tea gargles, you can protect your teeth from having tooth decay. Of course you have to lessen or eventually get rid of sweets to totally protect your teeth from destruction.

Green tea has the properties of fluoride which can strengthen gums and teeth and aiding in the prevention of decay formation. Commercialized green tea mouthwashes are being sold that comes in different tingling and intriguing flavors.

Skin Indication

Regarding skin diseases, green tea is said to have exhibited positive outcomes in treatment and further care of skin. Two of the most irritating skin diseases are being discussed – eczema and acne. If you have acne, you can use it as an astringent that can be combined to other elements to produce concoction and is applied to the skin with a cotton ball. It is an alternative to expensive astringents and toners. Should you choose to drink it instead, the effect will still be the same but you risk yourself in taking the caffeine too. Mixing green tea with other ingredients like olive oil can help treat eczema.

Medicinal Indication

There have been a lot of intriguing knowledge about the medicinal contribution of green tea to the body. It is said that daily intake of green tea can provide further prevention for easy-accumulated diseases and infections. Because of the free radicals that are circulating around a person’s body, it has become more prone to disease but not until the discovery of antioxidants which helps in flushing out free radicals inside the human body. Free radicals can cause terrible cell damage which can affect the body negatively.

With these benefits mentioned, no wonder a lot of households trust the wonderful effects of green tea. It has proven a lot of medical result that are exceptionally elaborate and more so, being effective in almost all aspects of health and fitness.

Do you want to shed off those extra pounds you're carrying? Do you want to have a healthier looking body? Nowadays, people are so into diet fads, such as the high protein low carbohydrate diet that they don’t know that this is not very healthy for the body. It may slim you down, but you will put so much strain in your kidneys and liver that the insides of your body may not be as healthy as you might think it is. If you really want a healthy body and also a slimmer one, then eat the right kinds of food and drink green tea.

Yes, that's right, green tea. For thousands of years, the Chinese and the Japanese have been drinking this miracle brew because of its medicinal properties. Only recently, this tea has been introduced to the west and it definitely was a great hit. Today, you will see all sorts of people drinking green tea. From the elderly, to middle aged people and even teens, almost everyone is now drinking this miracle tea.

So, what's so good about it and how can it help you lose weight?

First of all, green tea is known to contain natural antioxidants that helps fight cancer. And, if that's not reason enough for you to drink this tea, then another reason is that it helps overweight people to lose weight.

If you are overweight, then you will definitely want to drink this tea as it has properties that naturally help the body burn fat and at the same time, keep the body healthy.

The great thing about this tea is that it has essential vitamins that helps raise the metabolism rate of your body. This means that you will be able to burn fat much more efficiently and convert it in to energy. Aside from maximizing your body's efficiency to burn fat and convert it in to energy, it will obviously make you more energetic and more active.

So, if you are feeling really tired or you feel that you need an extra boost of energy, then you will want to drink green tea. By doing so, you will be sure that you will feel the difference. You will feel as if you need to do something physical, such as exercising and you will feel as if you are so full of energy that you can spend all day at the gym having an intensive work out.

Because you will have a higher metabolism rate, you will be able to burn more fat much more efficiently. Combine exercise, then you will definitely be able to lose weight much faster. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that drinking green tea will make you slim overnight. You still need to work hard and exercise. You have to remember that this brew will not burn fat by itself. However, it will give you that energy that will allow you to burn fat through exercise.

Another great thing about this tea is that it helps keep the bad cholesterol out. It will mean it will lower the risk of stroke and heart disease for a healthier body that can withstand rigorous exercise.

This is how green tea works. If you want to lose weight the natural way, then eat right, exercise and drink at least four cups of green tea a day.

To experience the utmost health benefits, green tea is preferably brewed rather than fermented. Fermentation is most likely used in black tea but never in green tea. There are basically three important reasons why brewing is used in green tea.

Reason # 1 – Brewing doesn’t eliminate the important nutrients, vitamins and components that comprises green tea. On the other hand, fermentation wastes there components leaving other beverages with nothing but the idea that it is tea and people can get something from it.

Reason # 2 – Brewing can bring out the best in catechin and theanin for these two elements contribute to a lower level of caffeine in your green tea.

Reason # 3 – Enhance taste and aroma. Indeed, brewing has a very enticing smell that can’t be found in fermented beverages.

If you wanted to have a good green tea, brew it. Although, if you keep on wondering why you’re green tea tastes a bit strange compared to other great tasting brewed green tea, maybe there’s something terribly wrong with how you prepare your tea.

Brewing green tea is easier contrary to what people think. To learn more on how to brew the best green tea, read the instructions below.

Step 1 – Water

Choosing what kind of water to use is a very important detail that you have to take note of. Ideally, manufacturers would prefer brewing green tea using soft mineral water or natural water. If you can’t afford purchasing bottled water daily, you can take into consideration tap water. Here, you would know how tap tasteless water can be converted into one soothing beverage. If you’re planning to use European bottled water, don’t. It’s because this kind of water are considered as hard water that is not suitable for brewing green tea.

Step 2 – Chlorine-free

Chlorine must not be mixed with the process. To remove it, just leave your water in your pot for a couple of hours before finally boiling it.

Step 3 – Boiling process

Depending on how much water you have put will be the time it will boil. The more water, the more time it will take to boil. When you have noticed that the water is already boiling, take off the lid of the pot and let it boil continuously for a few minutes more.

Step 4 – Temperature

It is said that correct temperature of boiling water will vary on the kind of tea that you are about to use. This is the moment when extraction of polyphenols take place.

Step 5 – Steep

Let your tea leave steep for about three to five minutes. With longer steeping time, the polyphenol level increases while if steeping time takes only for a couple of seconds, it will result to bring about more caffeine in the tea. The moment the caffeine content in your green tea is increased, it will result to a decreased polyphenol content which is one of the main reasons why antioxidants are made.

There is an additional knowledge regarding brewing.

Tea leaves

Research shows that it is better to brew green tea leaves that are smaller because of the fast infusion. Choosing large leaves or ones that are tightly curved can have a longer infusion time.

Teabags or loose leaves?

It is more advisable to use loose green tea than green tea teabags. Loose green tea enables polyphenols to freely float inside your cup of green tea instead of locking them inside your teabag.

During ancient times, the Chinese have studied and proved the medicinal properties and benefits of green tea. It is found that green tea has many health benefits compared to other food or drinks. It is used by the Chinese people to cure simple headaches to depression. Green tea had been used as medicine for 4,000 years proving only that it is one of the most common remedy among many illness.

Facts about Green Tea

• Reduces the risk of having cancer by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells especially on the colon, pancreas, rectum, bladder, esophagus, and stomach without harming healthy cells

• Helpful for those who have rheumatoid arthritis

• Reduce the risk of having hypertension and elevated blood pressure

• Reduces the cholesterol level in the body

• Increases metabolism

• Helps body to fight viruses and bacteria by improving the defense action of the immune system

• Reduces the process of thrombosis which helps reduce heart attacks and strokes

• Green tea also helps destroy free radicals

• Helps in reducing fatigue and stress due to its calming action

• Fights cardio vascular diseases

• Green tea is also known for its antibacterial anti viral properties

• The secret of green tea is its catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin (EGCG) which is a powerful anti oxidants

• EGCG is twice as powerful as reservatol whose action is to lower the incidence of heart disease

• Green tea comes from Camelia sinesis plant

• What sets green tea apart from other tea is the way it was processed, green tea leaves are steamed which prevents the important contents from being oxidized

• By contrast other tea brands are made from fermented tea leaves; as a result the other components are converted into other compounds that are not as effective as that of green tea

• New evidence suggests that green tea helps dieters by eliminating fat from the body and helps the body burn more calories compared to caffeine or a placebo

• Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay

• The bacterial actions of green tea can help prevent food poisoning

• Wide variety of beauty products now contains green tea are available in the market that claims to have great effect in beauty and wellness

• Green tea capsules are now available in health stores for those who don’t want to drink tea

• A cup of green tea contains caffeine level of 20 to 70 milligrams

• There are several kinds of green tea that are available in the market they differ on the amount of caffeine content

Harmful effects

To the present study and research green tea have proven a lot of benefits and medicinal properties but when it comes to harmful effects of green tea had been reported to contribute to insomnia or difficulty of sleep experienced by users. Green tea is advised to be taken at least 3 to 4 cups daily and not to be taken as substitute for water.

Caffeine is the ingredient found in green tea that contributes to sleeping difficulty but its caffeine contents is less compared to that of coffee and black tea. Other components of green tea must also be controlled for it can contribute to liver problems.

For pregnant mothers and for under medications it is important to ask your doctor before consuming the beverage for some components of green tea might have reactions with other compounds found in medications.