Green Tea the New Fountain of Youth, Myth or Truth?
"Feel Young Again, Smarter & Full of Energy"....
by Terry Clark
Table of Content
1. A Quick Guide to Processing and Preparation
2. The Best Way to Brew Green Tea - How to Get All Benefits and Total Pleasure
3. Bought Green Tea vs. Home Brewed - Which Is the Better Choice?
4. Can Green Tea Make You Smarter?
5. Different Green Tea Products - Discover Your Options to Make the Right Choice
6. Different Types of Green Tea - Explore a Huge Diversity
7. Do You Want to Stay Young Forever? Drink Green Tea for Anti-Aging
8. Does Green Tea Contain Caffeine and Is This Bad or Good?
9. Effects of Green Tea on Blood Pressure - Can It Prevent Hypertension?
10. Get Herpes Relief with Green Tea
11. Green Tea – Every Girl’s Best Friend
12. Green Tea - The Perfect Supplement for Gorgeous Hair and Healthy Scalp
13. Green Tea and Cancer
14. Green Tea Benefits during Menopause
15. Green Tea – Does It Help Combat Hair Loss?
16. Green Tea Diets - Can You Really Lose Weight?
17. Green Tea Extract - Learn All about The Making, Effects and Safety
18. Green Tea for Acne - Get Rid of Pimples Quickly, Safely and Effectively
19. Green Tea for ADHD
20. Green Tea for Allergies - Can It Be a Cure?
21. Green Tea for Arthritis - Can It Be the Ultimate Cure?
22. Green Tea for Asthma - Get the Relief You Need
23. Green Tea for Beauty - Do Not Miss Out on All Benefits
24. Green Tea for Belly Fat Loss - The Ultimate Solution
25. Green Tea for Better Sleep - Do Not Miss Out on All Benefits
26. Green Tea for Brain Protection - How You Can Avoid Dangerous Conditions
27. Green Tea for Cellulite
28. Green Tea for Cleansing
29. The Benefits Green Tea for Diabetes Treatment and Prevention
30. Can Green Tea Help Infertility?
31. Green Tea for Gastrointestinal Problems
32. Green Tea for Headache and Migraine - Find Effective and Fast Relief
33. Green Tea for Healthy Liver - Discover All Its Benefits
34. Green Tea for Men
35. Green Tea Really Helps Stress, Anxiety and Depression
36. Green Tea to Protect Your Eyes and Eyesight
37. Green Tea vs. Black Tea - Which Will Give You Greater Health Benefits?
38. Heart Health with Green Tea
39. Is Green Tea a Magic Bullet? Discover the Facts Behind the Myth
40. Is Green Tea Good for Your Child?
41. 5 Myths about Green Tea Debunked - Learn the Facts
42. Nutritional Value of Green Tea - What the Green Tea Nutrients Can Do for You
43. The Medicinal Properties of Green Tea - Enjoy a Range of Health Benefits
44. Slimming Down with Green Tea
45. Super Effective Weight Loss with Green Tea
46. The Most Beneficial Antioxidants, Vitamins and Minerals in Green Tea
47. True Health Benefits of Green Tea - How Green Tea Can Help You
48. Want a Healthy and Beautiful Smile? Achieve It with Green Tea
49. What Affect Does Green Tea Have in Your Body? What Happens And What You Feel
50. Worried about Cold and Flu? Boost Your Immune System with Green Tea
Resources
A Quick Guide to Processing and Preparation
You want to be healthy and beautiful. Most people think that the answer lies with pills and cosmetics, but this is not necessarily true. It is definitely a good idea to turn to the natural methods for maintaining your good health and looks. Drinking green tea is becoming increasingly popular due to the wide range of health benefits it offers. But do you know what it is and how it should be consumed? Read on to find out what green tea is exactly.
Green tea is made from the leaves of the plant Camellia Sinensis. The black tea is also made from them. The difference lies in the processing of the two. When the Camellia Sinensis leaves are picked for the production of green tea, they are processed with a technique called firing. The fresh leaves are immediately heated or steamed after picking. Then they are dried. This is generally how green tea is made, even though in some cases further processing is necessary.
Black tea is made in a slightly different way. The fresh Camellia Sinensis leaves are dried using a technique called withering. With this method, the leaves are broken and rolled before they are dried. In this way, a chemical process called oxidation occurs. This does not happen with green tea. As a result, green tea preserves most of its beneficial chemical compounds - antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Black tea, on the other hand, does not.
So green and black tea come from the same plant, but due to the specific processing green tea preserves its nutrients. You can buy the dried and processed product in a number of different forms. You can opt for the standard tea bags, which contain green tea. It is possible for you to get it in leaf form. You will find the dried leaves in a package. You can also get a brewed green tea beverage which is ready for drinking, or you can take green tea in the form of nutrition supplement pills.
There are different types of green tea that you can choose from on the market. They differ in terms of properties and taste. It is up to you to decide on the right green tea for you, depending on your preferences and requirements. Some of the most popular types of tea which can boast a wide range of health benefits and subtle taste include the traditional Macha and Sencha, popular in Japan and Longjing, which is typical for China.
Traditionally, the leaves of green tea are brewed in a specific way and the drink is then served. You will not regret it if you choose this form of preparation and serving instead of the standard tea bags. Of course, you will have to devote some time and effort to brewing. Green tea is prepared through steeping. Hence, you have to fill a tea strainer with the dried tea leaves. One teaspoon of green tea is enough for serving one cup. You have to be careful when boiling the water. You should bring it to the state right before boiling. Generally, the temperature of the water should not be more than 180 F (80 C). You have to place the tea strainer in a cup and then fill the cup with the hot water. You should steep the green tea leaves for no more than 2 or 3 minutes. Otherwise, the tannin present in the leaves will be released and the tea’s taste will become bitter.
Serving green tea is often ceremonial, especially in Japan. You do not have to go to such great lengths. Still, in order to get the best taste and most beneficial results, you should let the brewed beverage cool down for a couple of minutes, before it is ready for consumption. Then you can enjoy its fresh and mild taste.
Scientists have found evidence that the consumption of green tea by the peoples of Southeast Asia has begun some 5,000 years ago. The drink is still extremely popular in these countries and is now gaining popularity in the West. You should definitely consider tasting green tea and drinking it on a daily basis. This will allow you to enjoy its numerous health benefits to the fullest.
The Best Way to Brew Green Tea - How to Get All Benefits and Total Pleasure
Preparing and serving tea is more than just an everyday task in Asian countries. It is an entire ceremony. Thanks to the careful preparation of green tea, all its nutrients are better preserved. It is important for you to know how to brew the drink in order to get all its healthy benefits as well as the incomparable flavor. The preparation process is not rocket science and anyone can do it at home. The utensils you need are found in every home, so this should not be a problem either.
The best way to brew green tea is through steeping. This might sound way too common, but the key is in the details. In order to get the best results, you have to have the right ingredients and the right utensils. It is up to you to choose the green tea that you want to prepare. It is better to opt for loose leaves rather than tea bags. The former are usually fresher and have more beneficial nutrients.
The water you use for steeping the leaves is also important. The best choice is spring water. It is not abundantly mineralized, but it still contains a sufficient amount of minerals. These will add to the taste of the tea. Moreover, they will aid the processing of the beneficial green tea nutrients in your body.
You can use any type of kettle to boil the water for the green tea. You also need a tea strainer or a small sieve in which to put the dried leaves. You should use a porcelain tea pot for steeping. Any other type of container might affect the flavor of the drink. If you are making tea for yourself only, you can do the steeping in a tea cup.
The first thing to do when preparing green tea is to measure the amount of dried leaves that you need. The best choice would be to have 5 grams of leaves per 8 ounces of water. Generally, you can use one teaspoon of leaves for preparing one cup of tea. Still, keep in mind that the amount will depend on the leaf form. For instance, if the leaves are very small a teaspoon will probably contain a little bit more than 5 grams. If the leaves are larger, the quantity will measure be a little bit less. That is why, if you want to be precise you can consider using a scale for measuring the exact amount you need.
The next step for brewing green tea is to prepare the water. This has its specifics as well. You should bring the water to the point of boiling and then stop the process. It is easier to notice the moment when you are using a standard kettle, but you might have to get a little bit of practice, if you have an electric appliance. In any case, the temperature of the water should be between 170 and 180F (77 to 82C). Once the water is ready, you can pour it into the cup or teapot. Let it cool down for a minute or two. In this way, the water will reach the perfect temperature for green tea, which is between 160 and 170F (72 to 77C).
The next step is to put the tea strainer with the dried leaves in the water. The steeping time is crucial for the flavor of green tea. The different varieties require different steeping times. Some leaves need to be steeped for just 30 seconds while others need 6 to 7 minutes. If there is no indication regarding the steeping time on the package of the tea, you should steep the leaves for anywhere between 2 and 3 minutes.
In addition, you might want to do some research on the sort of tea you are using. Another option is to rely on the trial and error method. The brewed green tea should have a very gentle taste much like pure water. It should not be bitter. If it tastes bitter you should reduce the steeping time until the drink tastes right.
After the seeping is complete, your green tea is ready for serving. It is best to let the beverage cool down for a couple of minutes before you drink it.
Bought Green Tea vs. Home Brewed - Which Is the Better Choice?
The health benefits of green tea are widely known. It reduces your risk of heart disease, brain disease and cancer. It has an anti-aging action. It can kill viruses and bacteria in your body. It can be safely said that consuming green tea is the best natural way for preserving your good health. But there are so many products on the market claiming to offer all the wonderful health benefits. Which is the right one? Is it better to rely on bought tea or to brew your own drink at home? It is worth taking into account the pros and cons for each type of product.
Traditionally, green tea is prepared through steeping the dried leaves in hot water. This is how the drink has been prepared and served for thousands of years in China and later on in the rest of Southeast Asia. This is how the people there consume the beverage to this day. Many researchers believe that the smaller number of Southeast Asian people that suffer from heart disease and other conditions like arthritis is due to the lifelong consumption of traditionally prepared green tea.
More importantly, the brewed drink is used for most trials on humans. Basically, the health benefits of green tea that researchers reveal are based on studies carried out with the traditional brewed beverage. Another important discovery which gives advantage of home brewed green tea over bought products is that the catechins - the most beneficial antioxidants in the drink - are most abundant in the freshly prepared beverage. The catechin molecules are very active, so once the drink is prepared they begin to bond with other molecules. In turn, as the time passes their concentration in green tea is slowly but steadily decreasing.
Based on all these facts, it can be said that the home brewed tea is better. However, this does not mean that the bought products do not contain sufficient amounts of catechins and other beneficial antioxidants. Quite the opposite, several studies have found substantial concentration of favorable nutrients in some ready green tea drinks. The main problem with bought green tea is that it contains other ingredients, apart from green tea, which can reduce its beneficial effect and even be harmful to you. The sweeteners are commonly present in the ready beverages. These automatically increase the calorie count, which equals zero in home brewed green tea. This means that the weight loss aiding properties of green tea are diminished significantly.
The presence of artificial preservatives in bought green tea is not uncommon. Even though some manufacturers use ascorbic acid, known as Vitamin C, not of them all rely on this natural chemical compound. Usually, the artificial preservatives are not harmful to the body, since they have a very small concentration in the drink. However, when you consume the ready-made green tea product on a daily basis as recommended, these chemical compounds might compile in your body and you might experience a negative side effect.
Some bought green tea products contain larger amounts of caffeine than the traditional home brewed beverage. This is not necessarily a problem if you are a healthy individual. On the contrary, you might experience an even more beneficial effect. However, for some people, such as children and the elderly, the higher concentration of caffeine can have harmful effects, like increased pulse, higher blood pressure and insomnia.
The main advantage of bought green tea over home brewed is that it is much more convenient to use. You do not have to go though boiling the water and steeping the leaves. All you have to do is open the bottle or can and enjoy the drink. The taste should be pleasant, even though it will not be the same as the one of the home brewed beverage. If you get a bottled or canned drink, make sure it is fresh and unsweetened.
Overall, you should definitely consider drinking home brewed green tea. It has a higher concentration of the beneficial catechins. Its taste is traditional. It also has the incomparable green tea aroma. Still, when you cannot steep some leaves at home, you can readily get a bottled drink. The important thing is to be aware of its properties, its beneficial effects and its potential side effects.
Can Green Tea Make You Smarter?
You have probably heard about the powerful chemical compounds in green tea. You know that they can protect you from getting cancer and from heart disease. The antioxidants even slow aging and this is yet another great benefit. But can green tea make you smarter?
You have probably never asked yourself this question, because it seems impossible for a single plant to have such an all-encompassing effect. The truth is that green tea can stimulate brain activity. In turn, this allows you to concentrate, become more alert and think more clearly.
Your brain can work on different wavelengths, depending on the physical and emotional state you are in. When your brain is on alpha wavelength it is in a more relaxed and more alert state at the same time. When you are stressed, the beta wavelength takes over. In this state, it is harder for you to focus on a subject and to think clearly.
Green tea contains a powerful substance, an amino acid called L-theanine, in very large quantities. This amino acid affects the activity of the neurons in the brain which are responsible for the transmission of nerve signals. The effect is beneficial because the alpha brain wave activity is increased. Basically, green tea stim