Preventative medicine in the humble green tea leaf.Dating back 5000 years in China and India, to drink tea especially green tea, was an aid to benefit ones long term health. As with many of these traditional food sources, scientists are trying to unravel the scientific benefits of these beliefs. In Australia, the governments are allocating large grants to Universities for the purpose of understanding and scientifically value adding to the potential therapeutic use of food sources.
Green Tea Health BenefitsIf you want to get healthy, increase the blood circulation, enhance the energy levels and lose weight then you must read on. You can purchase green tea from anywhere for a range of prices. But have you considered making your own green tea.The benefits of drinking green tea include: • Promotes good heart health o Reduces heart attacks o Improves blood flow • Lowers cholesterol • Aids in weight loss • Assists to prevent sun damage to the skin • Improves the digestive system • Relaxes the body reducing stress • Helps protects against diabetes • Increases liver function and assists the removal of toxins from the body • Has antibacterial properties
This is a perfect solution for so many problems. Combine drinking green tea with a healthy diet and exercise will assist in providing solutions for so many health problems. Read this review to find out how you can make your own green tea and reap the benefits it provides
About TeaAll forms of tea orginate from the plant Camellia sinensis, but is divided into 4 main groups depending on when it is picked and the process it goes through.White teaYoung leaves of the tea bush are just steamed and dried. Called white tea as the young leaves are covered is white hair. When it is infused in hot water, it produces a pale yellow colour.Green TeaThe mature leaves are picked and placed in the sun to wither. They are then fried to prevent oxidation occurring. Leaves are then rolled to increase durability and regulate the release of the natural ingredients and flavours, and then dried. It is very high in essential nutients for your body. The process has been developed over centuaries to retain nutritional value. Regular consumption of green tea has a beneficial association with colorectal cancer risks. A six year study of about 70,000 chinese women and men resulted in data that indicated regular consumption of green tea was associated with 37 per cent reduction in colorectal cancer risks. Green tea is rich in polyphenol anti-oxidants. The best results were seen in women who consmed the most tea for the greater number of years.Oolong TeaThis tea has a similar process to green tea but is slightly more oxidised (fermented). Once the mature leaves are picked, the leaves are placed in direct sunlight to wither and soften. They are then placed in bamboo baskets and shaken, eventually being placed in the sun. This process is repeated until a certain percentage of oxidation is achieved. Oxidation is seen when the bruised leaves start to turn red. The tea is categorized depending on the amount of oxidation. Green oolong has 20% and Formosa has 60% oxidation. Oxidation ceases when the leaves are pan fried. Frying at high temperatures lowers the moisture content and assists in longer shelf life.Black TeaBlack tea is processed the same as Oolong tea but oxidation is completed, causing the leaves to turn black, providing a characteristic flavour. The withering process takes about 18 hours then the leaves are rolled. Once rolled, the leaves are placed in large cool humid rooms on trays to oxidize, causing the tea to mellow from the original bitter taste. When the desired aroma and flavour is reached, it is placed immediately into large hot ovens for firing. This causes the flavour to remain stable until it is infused in hot water.Level of antioxidants found in teaGreen teas contain higher levels of antioxidants than black tea due to the processes involved. Various studies have been conducted showing that when infusing the tea, about 80% of the catechins are released, where as instant ice tea has a very low amount, due to the manfacturing processes involved.The catchins act as inhibitors of cancer growth by scavaging the oxidants before cell injuries occur, reduce the size and the amount of chemical induced tumors occurring and assist in inhibiting tumor growth. (National Cancer Institute US website) There are varying studies on the potential benefits. What has occurred is that consumers are asking the scientific society to research these traditional methods to establish whether the food sources hold therapeutic uses as depicted in ancient medicines. Governments around the world are starting to provide funds into establishing knowledge of the benefits.
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