The ancient Chinese proverb goes: “It’s better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one.” The Chinese people had been using green tea for at least 4,000 years. Since the ancient times, they’re aware about its medicinal benefits in treating everything from depression to headaches.

The green tea is made from the same tealeaves, the Camellia sinensis, that is used to make our typical cup of black tea. The only variation is that the properties between these two are in the drying or manufacturing stage. The green tea is not fermented to achieve its high potency, keeping antioxidants intact and to be absorbed by the body when the beverage is consumed. The fresh leaves are rolled immediately preserving its vegetative or herbaceous properties than blacks or oolongs. It produces greenish-gold liquor that is generally lighter than other teas.
The secret lies that the green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, in particular epigallocatechin gallate, powerful antioxidants that combats the body’s regular metabolic process that is often accelerated by pollution, sunlight and smoking. The thermogenic properties contribute to the progress or growth of fat oxidation by its caffeine content per se. It controls thermogenesis, a process when the body generates heat or energy by increasing the metabolic rate above normal caused by sympathetic activation in times of stress. The healthy brew is complemented by high levels of theanine, polyphenols and a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals.
Green tea and the “French paradox”

Relativity was being made between the results of drinking green tea and the red wine. French are fond of eating rich fat diet compared to Americans, but the French have lower incidence of heart disease. Researchers were amazed that it was because of high concentrations of resveratrol in red wine that restricts the negative effects of smoking and the fatty diet.

For many centuries, Asian cultures believed that green tea possesses medicinal properties beneficial to human health. Our modern science has just discovered that this is true. They had proven that the health benefits have been long connected with drinking green tea. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of the epidemiological study showing the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women was trimmed down to 60 percent. Another research indicated that it lowers cholesterol levels and improves the ratio of the good cholesterol than the bad, and limits the range of abnormal formation of blood clots. Researchers from the University of Purdue concluded that a certain compound in green tea limits the extent of cancer cells growth without harming the healthy tissue.

What’s the health “miracle” behind the green tea?

The green tea has been reported to have many health benefits than any other food or drink. Summing up just a few of the medical conditions that drinking green tea is esteemed to be helpful:

1. cancer
2. rheumatoid arthritis
3. high cholesterol levels
4. cardiovascular disease
5. infection
6. colds and flu
7. impaired immune function

The other benefits of the green tea
Sometime in November 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition had published results of a study done at the University of Geneva in Switzerland that those men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than the other subjects given caffeine or placebo.
Green tea has bacteria-destroying abilities that helps fight bacteria causing dental plaque and helps prevent tooth decay in the same manner that it also prevents food poisoning. What we also have now available in the market skin preparations containing green tea from deodorants to creams.
Does green tea have any harmful effects?
It may be true that it may have a negative side effect, but to date, the only known effect is insomnia because of the green tea’s caffeine content that is lesser than coffee. Reportedly, for every six to eight ounces of tea, there is about 30 to 60 milligrams of caffeine than over a hundred milligrams in eight ounces of coffee. Caffeine is water soluble and about 80 per cent is extracted when the tea is steeped for about 20 to 30 seconds. There’s not much difference in the taste at all, which means that you can still enjoy without the majority of its natural caffeine.