Green tea has been used in ancient Chinese culture for thousands of years and was only drunk by the most fortunate of people. It was not until many years later that the public was allowed to consume the tea. Many teas can be found in China but it is said that green tea has the most medicinal and health purpose.
Todays biggest focus of green tea is the antioxidants that are found in the tea. By not fermenting the tea the antioxidants are kept in the tea to where as with other teas that are fermented they are lost. The traditional Japanese way of steaming the leaves stops the oxidation process. The Chinese use flat pans to dry the leaves to stop oxidation. By stopping the oxidation the tea retains its medicinal properties. Antioxidants are used by the body to keep are healthy cells from oxidizing premature and becoming unhealthy. They also help to keep free radicals from attacking and damaging healthy tissue.
Green tea has many health benefits people who drink at least two cups of tea a day are said to live longer. It helps in the prevention of different cancers, heart disease and liver problems. The Epigallocatechin gallaten antioxidant found in green tea is said to be 100 times more potent than vitamin C and 25 times stronger than vitamin E at protecting cells and DNA.
Antioxidants can be found in other areas such as to guard against food deteriation in the form of
Vitamin C
Citric Acid
BHA BHT EDTA
These are just a few of the antioxidants that are used for this purpose.
Another great advantage of green tea is it helps with weight loss. Researcher have found that drinking green tea can help with weight loss and increase metabolism beyond that of the caffeine properties in the tea.
Green tea can be found in most of the major tea brands such as Lipton, Celestial Seasonings and others. Lipton has gone as far as to create the AOX seal that lets you know of the antioxidants in their tea. There are many supplements but they have literature that has said that too much supplementation can be harmful.
Researchers have said that drinking two cups of green tea a day can give you enough antioxidants. Other research has noted that the polyphenols do not have a very long life span once the tea has been brewed so some suggest drink up to eight cups of tea a day.
Whatever amount of green tea you choose to drink you will get great benefit from drinking this ancient tea.
