Understanding Green Tea
But nothing could be further from the truth. Other than water, green tea is actually the next most common beverage of choice. But when you consider the fact that green tea originated in China and then consider the population of China, it may not be that far of a stretch.
So if you are reading this article, you must at least be a little curious about what this “miracle” tea is all about and how it could benefit your life.
So to begin, I will start by telling you what it is and how it is made.
Green tea is a tea made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Other teas such as oolong, black, white and pu-erh tea are also made from this plant. The difference in all of these teas is the amount of oxidation (or fermentation) allowed.
Fermentation is the process of allowing the leaves to be exposed to air and/or sun. Green tea, unlike all the others, is preserved by either steaming or baking to completely prevent any fermentation. Not permitting the leaves to oxidize ensures that the cancer-fighting compounds in the tea stay intact; making it the top tea for its antioxidant properties.
All of the teas listed above contain the antioxidants known as polyphenols, but green tea contains the most potent forms, making it the hands down winner in cancer-fighting properties as well as many other health benefits.
The types of cancer green tea can play a role in preventing are:
• Oesophagus
• Stomach
• Bladder
• Colon
• Rectum
• Pancreas
• Liver
• Lung
• Prostate
Some studies have even shown that green tea can help slow or even reverse the process of stomach cancer and reduces your risk for it, if healthy, by 50%!
So, you’re probably asking at this point, how does green tea do all of these things? Well, as I explained earlier, green tea contains the most potent forms of the antioxidants known as polyphenols. What antioxidants do precisely is fight something called “free radicals” in the body.
To put it simply, free radicals are unstable molecules in our body, either naturally occurring through things like digestion and metabolism or by poor lifestyle choices (i.e. smoking). The molecules are considered unstable because they have an uneven amount of electrons. In order to rectify this, they steal one from a healthy molecule; in turn making that molecule unstable and creating a chain reaction of electron stealing free radicals.
That’s where antioxidants come in. Antioxidants can repair and prevent that cell damage. They actually take the free radicals and make them harmless. Therefore slowing down and sometimes even reversing the harm created by them. And all of this from a simple cup of tea.
So, how much green tea is needed to gain the maximum benefit? Studies have shown that to attain the required level of polyphenols, you should drink at least two cups a day, with the desired amount being between 4-5 cups daily.
A Japanese study found that men who drank ten cups of green tea per day stayed cancer-free for three years longer than those who didn’t. Another study found that to prevent rheumatoid arthritis (or reduce symptoms of those already suffering) one would have to drink a minimum of four cups a day.
In addition to the above mentioned benefits, green tea is responsible for helping with a number of other important health issues. Not only is it known to help fight off heart disease, lower cholesterol, reduce effects or prevent Chron's disease, prevent strokes and stave off dementia, but green tea is widely known as a promoter of weight loss. It does this by inducing thermogenesis (heat production) in the body. Thermogenesis naturally increases the metabolism therefore the body’s core temperature; so you’re burning fat!
So is too much of a good thing, a bad thing? It can be. Although the health benefits extremely out- weigh any negative effects, there are a few things to consider before becoming a green tea convert.
Although you can buy de-caffeinated green tea, most green tea contains it. So just as with any other caffeinated beverage, you should be careful if you have any physical ailments that prevent you from consuming too much caffeine.
Other side effects include:
• Nausea
• Abdominal bloating and gas
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Frequent urination
• Insomnia
Be sure to also visit valleygreentea.com.au for instructions on how to properly prepare your green tea for the maximum benefit.
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