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Miracle of Green TeaAn Introduction to Green TeaBy Sean Paajanen, About.comHave you ever thought about breaking from your everyday black tea routine, and trying some green tea? Perhaps you thought it was too exotic, or were unsure how it would taste. It's time to get out of your tea rut, and brew up a cup of green tea. It tastes great, is easy to make and is just packed with healthy stuff. What is green tea? What exactly is the difference between green tea, and the comfortable black tea you are used to? Well, it all comes from the same plant (Camellia sinensis), but the difference is in the processing. Green tea is dried, but not fermented. The shorter processing gives green tea a lighter flavour than black tea. It also helps keep all the beneficial chemicals intact, which is why green tea is so good for you. But what does it taste like? Don't expect green tea to taste like your regular tea. All the different kinds of green tea have different flavours, but they do have a taste in common. The flavour of green tea can be described as: fresh, light, green, or grassy. Some varieties of green tea are have a bit of sweetness to them, and some are a little astringent. Green tea is not usually served with milk or sugar, but you can decide that for yourself. Too many kinds to choose from! If you really want to experiment with good green tea, you may need to look beyond your grocery store. While most supermarkets will carry a few brands of green tea (usually in bags), there won't be much selection. If your city has a Chinatown area, you'll probably find some amazing green teas there, or you could try mail order. Some types to look for: sencha, gunpowder or Dragon Well. I've got a list of the top types of green tea. Grocery store packaged teas might just be marked 'green tea', without any distictive variety given. You might want to avoid these types of tea, as they will likely be blends of poor quality. How do you brew green tea? Just the same as you would brew any other kind of tea, whether you have bagged tea or loose green tea. One thing to watch out for: don't use fully boiling water. Green tea is more delicate than black, so you want to keep the water a little cooler. Brewing when your water is just about to hit the boil is good. The Miracle of Green Tea "Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one." (Ancient Chinese Proverb) Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years. Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol. To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
What makes green tea so special? The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke. Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers. Why don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases. Other Benefits New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo. Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market. Harmful Effects? To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee. We Accept  |
