What is Green Tea?
Green tea is a type of tea that is harvested and preserved very quickly. Black tea is allowed to oxidize after it is picked, but green tea is immediately heated up to prevent this oxidation process. You can see this oxidation process happen on an Apple that is been sliced (The brown of the apple). Green teas are usually processed using a type of source such as steam or dry heat. This process is completely different than the other key types. Green tea is extremely popular in Japan and parts of China. It is only become more popular within the last decade for its antioxidant and health benefits.
What are the Benefits of Green Tea?
There are some great reasons why Asian countries have been drinking green tea for thousands of years. Not only does green tea quench the thirst, but it also has many antioxidant properties which can ward off cancer as well as protect your cardiovascular system. Antioxidant Booster – Green tea is loaded full of antioxidants. Antioxidants are called this because they protect your body against the oxidizing process. They help you fight off disease and help slow down the aging process. The main types of antioxidants in green tea are called Catechins and polyphenols. These antioxidants stop the inflammatory response which is associated with damaged DNA, cancers, and other diseases. These antioxidants also help actors dilators to the blood vessels, which helps lower blood pressure and reduce the chance of clogging of your arteries. Green tea tends to have more antioxidants than other teas such as black tea. This is because green tea goes through very little processing which allows the antioxidants to remain intact.
Heart Health – Green tea has a great ability to lower your blood cholesterol. It is also very beneficial at helping the body burn harmful forms of fat. Since these are two of the main contributors to heart disease, studies have shown that green tea can prevent heart disease from forming. The more green tea you drink in a day, the better the effects. Some Japanese studies have shown that if you drink at least 4 cups of green tea a day, it can lower your chance of developing heart disease by over 50%. Liver Health – Green tea is also a great detox or for the liver. In studies, green tea has been shown to protect the liver from toxic substances such as alcohol. Green tea can also protect the liver against inflammation. There are many other types of foods that help cleanse the liver, but green tea is a big player in the cleansing process.
Digestive Aid – This next reason to drink tea hits closer to home. A point in my life I had extreme acid reflux and had gas pains often. I noticed when I drink green tea, these symptoms would subside significantly. After doing more research, I discovered that green tea is very well known at reducing intestinal gas and is also good at treating inflammation of other digestive disorders such as ulcers and other diseases such as Crohn’s disease. As stated earlier, it is also good at helping with acid reflux. Cancer Prevention – Asian countries that drink a lot of green tea tend to have significantly lower cancer risk than other countries that do not drink green tea. Studies have shown that green tea has great potential to fight off many forms of cancer. Green tea can lower your cancer risk anywhere from 20 to 50% depending on the type of cancer. Weight Loss – more studies need to be done on how effective green tea is on weight loss, but is thought that the Catechins that are found in the green tea create a thermogenic response in the human body. This helps the body burn calories at a faster rate. More green tea that is drank, the higher the body’s metabolic rate.
Immune System Booster – Green tea acts as a general immune booster. Many of the chemicals in green tea have been used for thousands of years to reduce the symptoms of flu and colds. Evidence is also piling up about how green tea can slow the aging process by boosting the immune system. How to Make Green Tea? If you purchase or green tea from a grocery store, then it’s very likely that the green tea is in its own individual packages. These store-bought green teas are very convenient for the person on the go. All you do is steep the tea for 3 to 4 minutes and then drink and enjoy. The quality of green teas and grocery stores can vary greatly but are almost always inferior to buying loose green tea. You can purchase higher-quality teas at any specialty tea store. I highly recommend you do this as it can be much cheaper and higher-quality than what you get at the stores. If you get loose green tea, you’re also going to need to purchase a Tea-ball. These are essentially a metal ball with little holes. You put your loose tea within the ball and then steep it like you would any other store-bought tea. You can usually purchase these items at specialized tea stores as well. Leaving the Tea-ball in for 3 to 5 minutes is usually enough to get all the antioxidants extract into the tea.
But I hate The Taste of Green Tea! Some people do not enjoy the taste of green tea because it tends to be bitter and grassy flavor. I personally enjoy the taste of green tea and I drink it completely straight with no added sugars or other substances. If you find you don’t enjoy the taste of green tea, a good solution would be to put a bitter honey in it to sweeten the green tea up. I highly discourage putting milk in green tea! The lactose in the milk can damage some of the antioxidants in the green tea. If you have to drink it with milk, find a milk that is lactose-free.
Things to Consider Before Drinking It surprises some people that green tea has a significant amount of caffeine. Granted, the caffeine level is about one third the amount of a coffee, but if you’re drinking six or 7 cups of green tea a day then you will feel the caffeine’s effects. It is especially important for people that are sensitive to caffeine to be careful with the amount they are drinking. Drinking green tea before bed and keep you awake because of the caffeine level. Some people find green tea soothing and it helps them sleep, while others have a very difficult time falling asleep. If you are sensitive to the caffeine and it keeps you awake, try not to drink green tea and hour before you are planning to go to bed