Green Health?
Walking the aisle of your local supermarket, you will see an increasing variety of teas available - from the traditional varieties of Earl Grey and English Breakfast to fruit teas (black tea with fruit flavoring), herbal teas and the increasingly popular green tea. In terms of ‘regular tea’, there are three main types – Black, Green and Oolong. They all come from the same tea bush, but are processed in slightly different manners. Fresh tea leaves are picked, rolled, fermented and then dried to produce the black tea. Oolong tea is processed in the same manner as black tea, but only partially fermented. Green tea is produced in the same way, except the leaves are first steamed to remove the enzyme that causes the tea to go black during the natural fermentation process. This removal of the enzymes effectively means that the leaves do not ferment, but are just dried.
Long scorned by the health industry for its negative health properties including its tannin and caffeine content and its diuretic properties, tea is making a resurgence following extensive studies by the tea industry to counter the negative claims.
Following this research, the rest of the world is finally catching on to what the Japanese and Chinese have known for centuries; Green tea is good for your health. As well as tasting good, it can be utilized for a variety of health reasons.
Reports that green tea is anti-carcinogenic are based on epidemiological studies of sections of the Japanese and Chinese communities that drink green tea as part of a daily cultural habit, and show lower rates of many types of cancer, especially stomach cancer. This is due to the presence of polyphenols in the green tea which react with the cancer cells. These polyphenols are also a powerful antioxidant, stimulant, astringent and antibacterial agent, known to kill the food poisoning bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus and the acne causing bacteria - Bacterium acne. It is also a diuretic (as is coffee and black tea), and an anti-tumor agent. If you drink a cup of green tea after your meal, this will help to prevent gum disease and cavities by killing the polyphenols that cause these diseases. It will also assist to lower your blood pressure and blood sugar and has been shown to be highly beneficial to the heart by helping to prevent the oxidation of LDL (good) cholesterol. Green tea has also been proven to prevent the onset of or progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis providing you drink four cups a day. There is a fine line with this however, as five cups a day has been shown to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. So, as with all things in life there is that fine balance….
There are three main grades of green tea: The premium graded Mat-cha used for tea ceremonies, the medium grade Sen-cha and the more common Ban-cha. For the adventurous, there are also Genmai-cha which is Ban-cha mixed with roasted rice, Hoji-cha which is lightly roasted Ban-cha and Kuki-cha which is green tea made from the stems and twigs.
To ensure the maximum health benefits from your cup of green tea, make it with hot water (90ºC - 100ºC) and never use boiling water. Use 1 teaspoon of loose tea per 1 cup of water and allow it to steep for 4 – 5 minutes. Remember that decaffeinated green tea does not have the same beneficial properties as ‘natural’ green tea and adding milk negates all of the green tea’s beneficial properties.
Green tea, as with all things in life, must be taken in moderation.