Hey
everyone…!! I’m gonna share with you my love for Green tea. I drink my green
tea every single day and I just love everything about it. So let us know why it
has much more benefits in comparison to black tea. Black tea is fermented to
give it dark color on the other hand green tea is made from unfermented leaves.
These leaves are simply heated after picking by either steaming or dry roasting
to minimize oxidation. Thus green tea holds maximum amount of antioxidants and
is highly regarded as ‘Health drink’.
What
are the different types of green tea? Some of the popular ones are-
1. Long
Jing (dragonwell green tea) - It is originated from china and is most popular
one.
2. Japanese
Sencha- It is known as everyday Japanese green tea which is consumed in Japan
andalso around the globe.
3. Matcha-
It is also Japanese green tea powder which is used in Japanese tea ceremony
4. Genmai
Cha- It is also known as popcorn tea
Which type of green tea is the best?
Generally
they are all good. It is important to know that a high quality green tea does
not have a storage life of more than six months.
So
if you have ever tasted a green tea and you don’t really like it? It tends to
be from an average grocery store which is much low in quality, heavily blended
and not very fresh. If you want maximum benefit from your green tea and
offcourse the best taste, try Japanese or Chinese green tea. You can find them in health stores. If not available, go for the brands available in India like Yogi, Organic India, TajMahal, Lipton, Tetley, Basilur, Twinings etc.
Always
choose powdered or loose leaf tea for maximum antioxidants over single tea
bags. Loose leaf tea is made up of whole bigger tea leaves and tends to be
fresher with short storage life. In contrast, the single teabags are made of
small tea leaves or tea finings which are quicker to brew but reduce the flavor
and health benefits. They tend to have much longer storage life which means
they are not as fresh and they will tend to loose nutrients. But offcourse
there will be some health benefits as well.
So
which Chinese or Japanese green tea to buy? Well, that depends on personal
taste and preference. Be open and keep exploring different types of green tea
and eventually you will find your favourite ones!! Let me know which ones is
your favourite.
Why
should we drink green tea daily? What are the benefits?
Green
tea contains a potent plant nutrient also known as epigallocatechin
gallate(EGCG). All the health benefits of green tea are attributed to this EGCG
component.[1]It’s a natural medicine and is stated to treat various diseases.
Benefits
1. Green
tea helps to burn fats and aids weight loss. Its active ingredient EGCG
increases the rate of fat burning in our body. It is recommended to drink 3
cups of greentea daily to increase our metabolic rate. However it is important
to know that green tea only increases our metabolism by an average rate of 4%
(80 calories a day).
So drinking green tea
alone will not help for significant weight loss. It is a combination of regular
exercises and healthy eating. However it is said that green tea helps to
maintain healthy weight and why not burn some additional calories even though
it’s a small amount because it will help towards your weight loss journey in
long term.
2. Green
tea targets abdominal fat. EGCG in the green tea activates the fat burning
genes in the abdomen to speed weight loss by 77%. So drinking green tea on
daily basis will help towards burning belly fat to a long time.[2]
3. Green
tea reduces bloating and improves digestion. It is a powerful diuretic which
helps to reduce bloating and avoid water retention. So if you take green daily
you will notice that you visit toilet more often to remove excess water and
toxins in your body. This actually helps to get flat belly. If you will really
bloated after a meal, try to drink a cup of green tea which will help your body
to digest food easily.[2]
4. Green
tea reduces bad cholesterol(LDL) and increases good cholesterol(HDL). Thus it
prevents cardiovascular disease which is currently the number one cause of
death in America.[2]
5. Green
tea improves dental health and reduces bad breath. Unlike coffee which gives
you bad breath, green tea does exactly opposite. The antibacterials and natural
fluoride found in green tea kills bacteria which causes cavity, tooth decay,
gum diseases and bad breath. So if you have a busy day ahead, you might want to
consider swapping your coffee with green tea.[3]
6. Regular
consumption of green tea promotes longevity and youthful skin. EGCG is 200
times more powerful than vitamin E to destroy skin damaging free radicals.
Hence consuming green tea on regular basis will kill free radicals, avoid skin
damaging, wrinkles and other signs of ageing. This is one of the Asian secrets
to younger looking skin.[4]
7. Amino
acids such as theanine in green tea can help with relaxation and concentration.
It really helps to keep you calm, creative and focused throughout the day when
taken in the morning with or before breakfast. Green tea is also a stress
reliever. So whenever get stressed out, instead of binging try to drink a cup
of green tea to calm yourself. You can even take a cup of green tea while
working or studying.[5]
8. Green
tea keeps our energy level stable by balancing the blood sugar level. This
prevents blood sugar spikes or crushes which can result in fatigue or
irritability or cravings for unhealthy food. Green tea drinkers tend to be more
in control of their cravings and it can help towards binge eating. So if you
are constantly craving for more food even when you are full, try to drink green
tea everyday and drink it with your meals.[6]
9. This
powerful drink may also reduce the risk of cancer. Cancer is caused by
uncontrolled growth of cells and it is one of the worst leading causes of
death. EGCG is known to prevent lung, breast, bladder, stomach and oesophagal
cancer by suppressing cancer growing cells. It is also said that drinking green
tea before and after cancer surgery significantly lowers its risk of
reoccurrence. So lets start drinking green tea, as Prevention is better than
cure! [7]
How many cups of green tea should I drink in a day?
There are lot many conflicting
opinions about this. The number of cup varies from 2 to 6 cups a day. 1cup of
green tea contains about 20-45mg of caffeine whereas coffee contains 95mg of
caffeine. If your body is sensitive to caffeine, restrict yourself to 1-2 cups
of green tea day.
Precautions
People
with heart problems or high blood pressure, kidney problems, liver problems,
stomach ulcers, and psychological disorders, particularly anxiety, should not
take green tea. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also avoid green tea.
People
with anemia, diabetes, glaucoma, or osteoporosis should ask their health care
provider before drinking green tea or taking an extract.
People who drink
large amounts of caffeine, including caffeine from green tea, for long periods
of time may experience irritability, insomnia, heart palpitations, and
dizziness.[8]
References:
- Mandel S, Weinreb O, Amit T, Youdim MB: Cell signaling pathways in the neuroprotective actions of the green tea polyphenol(-)-epigallocatechin- 3-gallate: implications for neurodegenerative diseases. J Neurochem 2004, 88:1555-1569.2. Koo MWL, Cho CH: Pharmacological effects of green tea on the gastrointestinal system. Eur J Pharmacol. 2004;500:177–185.3. S. Gaur, R. Agnihotri, Green tea: a novel functional food for the oral health of older adults, Geriatr Gerontol Int, 14 (2) (2014), pp. 238–2506. Hyun Min Kim and Jaetaek Kim: The Effects of Green Tea on Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, Diabetes Metab J. 2013 Jun; 37(3): 173–175.8. http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea
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