Historically Green Tea leaves have been used across Asia as a remedy to aid poor digestion, releive body aches and pains, prevent headaches and offer a tonic for general improved health.
Little processing is required to produce a good green tea. Normally the leaves are dried immediately after harvesting or briefly treated with steam prior to natural drying. Some types of tea that are also lightly roasted. Because of this natural processing, the leaves are able to keep their green color and importantly they keep the extremely valuable ingredients that contribute to their much recorded healing properties. Green tea leaves contain some caffeine, tannins, essential oils, proteins, vitamins, minerals and trace elements such as fluoride, zinc and potassium.
Green tea is naturally found to be rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are used by the body to protect cells from free radicals (unstable molecules found in our cells) damage. Too much damage, over time, could lead to diseases which includes cancer. As part of our body cell renewal, antioxidants attach themselves to free radicals and this results in the neutralization these molecules. Drinking green tea frequently has been linked (confirmed by research) with the prevention of cancer; it lowers high blood cholesterol, prevents harmful blood clotting and acts to minimize the risk of strokes.
Enjoying Green Tea on a regular basis is a very useful tool for arthris sufferers because of its anti-inflammatory effects.
The invigorating effects of the caffeine in Green Tea can also help to improve concentration.
Green tea is also antibacterial. The tea contains the trace element fluorine whichs helps to fight tooth decay. It is suggested that just one cup of tea a day will be beneficial in the prevention of decay. Green tea is also ideal after dinner as a palette cleanser.
Many Alternative Practitioners prescribe green tea in order to help their pateints to cleanse the body. A must in all types of detoxification diet. Happily it contains no calories, no carbs and is known as the 'fat eater' in Traditional Chinese Medicine due to its cholesterol-lowering properties.
Green Tea is fantatic for quenching your thirst, and can be enjoyed at any time of the day - either hot or cold. Sometimes lemon juice is added, or the tea is poured over ice to produce a really refreshing drink.
If you are unsure about the Preparation of The Tea (and don't like teabads): Use one level teaspoon of the green tea leaves per cup. Boil some water and then let the water sit for a couple of minutes - to cool slightly. Pour the water over the tea and leave the tea to brew.
Brewing the tea for 2-3 minutes will give you a mild tasting but highly stimulating tea.
Allowing the tea for a longer 4-6 minutes produces a less stimulating and a more stronger tasting tea.
Important: The caffeine in green tea may cause heart palpitations in some sensitive people. To reduce the amount of caffeine in your tea, put one teaspoon of leaves in your cup, pour a little bit of hot water over it and allow it to stand for 30 seconds then strain. Now use the leaves to prepare your tea as usual - or of-course buy non-caffeine Green Tea, which is available in many health food stores.
About the Author
Keith Woolley is Chief Scientific Advisor to Boots Herbal. The following resource gives valuable info on Green Tea Capusules such as Solgar Green Tea
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