Showing posts with label health benefits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health benefits. Show all posts

Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea and Coffee

The Chinese have used green tea to treat disease for many centuries. Today, Western culture is beginning to appreciate the benefits of green tea.
Recent research has revealed some of the health benefits of using green tea including the possible prevention of rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cataracts and even cancer.
Studies have shown that drinking green tea helps you burn more calories. Green tea aids weight loss programs.
Green tea can help fight food poisoning, as well. It also helps kill bacteria that cause plaque and subsequent tooth decay. This gives your immune system a boost.

One of the best benefits of green tea is its ability to fight bacteria.
In addition, green tea can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol. It even helps slow the aging process!
Why is green tea so beneficial? It has to do with the way it is processed.
Steaming the leaves keeps the antioxidants intact. Fermenting oxidizes the antioxidants in the leaves and renders the antioxidant much less effective. Black tea and oolong tea are fermented, but green tea is steamed.
One thing is certain: more is better, so drink as many cups as you like! Recommendations vary from 3 to 10 cups a day. How much green tea do you need to reap all of the great benefits?
Even though green tea has lots of great benefits, many of us are not about to give up our morning cup of coffee. Guess what? No problem!
You will be glad to hear that new studies have shown there are some healthy benefits of coffee drinking.
Coffee seems to offset some of the damage caused by bad habits such as smoking or heavy drinking. Some smokers who also drink coffee have been shown to have less heart disease than other smokers. Some heavy drinkers who also drink coffee regularly have less incidence of liver damage than expected.
Besides the caffeine in coffee, there are other ingredients that are beneficial to our health.
Coffee contains antioxidants including quinines, chlorogenic acid and tocopherols as well as essential minerals such as magnesium. All of these aid glucose metabolism and may, as a result, reduce the risk of diabetes.
Animal studies published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry suggest coffee antioxidants boost the activity of enzymes which may protect against colon cancer.
Trigonelline is another beneficial ingredient in coffee which may help prevent tooth decay. Other benefits of coffee include reducing the risk of Parkinson's disease, helping relieve asthma symptoms and tension headaches, and inhibiting the formation of gallstones.
Now you can enjoy your morning brew with no sense of guilt!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Green Tea & Caffeine

So you've heard that green tea is good for you, and have considered trying some out to see what the big fuss is all about. If you have checked out what is on the typical grocery store shelf, you most likely have seen green tea bags of various descriptions. Sitting amongst these is usually a decaffeinated type as well. If one wants green tea but at the same time does not want the caffeine, most people would assume all they need to do is go for the decaffeinated version. Unfortunately, it's not quite so simple. What most people are not aware of is that the decaffeination process pretty much ruins the major health benefits associated with green tea. There are numerous reasons for this, but to understand why you need to have an idea on how green tea is processed. It all has to do with oxygen.
Decaffeinated green tea is just about unheard of in Japan, home of the world's finest green teas. There really is no place in the processing where a decaffeination process would work and not ruin the tea. This processing involves steaming, rolling, and drying, and takes about three hours start to finish.

Although it comes from the exact same species of plant (Camellia Sinensis) as black tea, it is picked and then process immediately to prevent oxidation of the leaves. Green tea, however, is not like that. This gives black tea its unique taste. When you drink regular English tea, those leaves have been exposed to oxygen and fermented that way on purpose. That is from contact with the air, or more specifically, the oxygen in the air.

Notice how it starts to turn brown? Think about what an apple looks like after it's been cut and sitting on the counter for an hour.
Quite often, the second infusion is greener than the first, although it won't be quite as aromatic or tasty. Since nearly all of the caffeine is in the first infusion, getting a quality decaf green tea is going to be better than the best decaffeinated green tea out on the market. As much of a shame as it seems to be to dump the first infusion (which has the most taste and best aroma), rest assured that the 2nd infusion of a high quality loose leaf Japanese green tea, preferably from the first harvest. That said, if it's a caffeine free cup of quality green tea is as simple as brewing an infusion, dumping it, and then re-brewing.

That's slightly less than regular black tea just a fraction of the caffeine in coffee. No, it is possible, but first it's important to know that green tea does not have high caffeine content, only about 30mg per cup. So does that mean one cannot drink decaffeinated green tea?
Based out of Japan, in addition to offering a wealth of information on the health benefits of green tea, O-Cha.com offers a large selection of loose leaf green tea, matcha, and tea brewing supplies. Kevin Moore is the founder of O-Cha.com, one of the internet's first and largest websites dedicated to Japanese green tea.
http://www.o-cha.com
Contact him at
kevinrm@o-cha.com

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Make the Switch! Coffee to Tea

Research shows that green and black teas have up to 8-10 times the antioxidants as fruits and vegetables which can add significantly to your health. The health benefit of drinking tea is chalked up to one explanation, antioxidants. Evidence shows by switching to tea you can add some significant health benefits. Having a hard time giving up your 4 cups of coffee each day?
Beware of doctoring up your tea with too much milk because this has been found to decrease the antioxidants. You can find these benefits in black, green, oolong and even iced teas! The research has found that regular tea drinkers - people who drink two or more cups per day - have less heart disease and stroke, lower cholesterol levels, and they may recover from heart attacks faster.
Don't despair coffee lovers! There are some teas out there that you may find match up to your love of coffee. For instance, Chai tea uses ginger and cardamom which overpowers the taste of the black tea but offers a rich, full bodied taste which is perfect for coffee consumers! Vanilla nut teas also tend to override the black tea taste for a richer flavor. Try some tea today to better your health!
©, 2005 Meri Raffetto
About the Author

Monday, November 24, 2008

Drinking Tea Can Actually Help You Lose Weight

The following are the ones that have some scientific research behind them. Although experts are divided on exactly how healthy green tea, there is no doubt that it has some health benefits.
Tea can help reduce your chances of getting heart disease by up to half, as well as fight dental plaque and cavities (although it will also stain your teeth if you don't make sure to drink plenty of water and brush regularly, so watch out). Firstly, green tea shares all the health benefits that are thought to come from black tea, except in a more effective form, as the tea is fresher.
Drinking tea also burns more calories than it contains, meaning that could potentially help you to lose weight if you drink enough of it.
Black tea will make it a little redder - it sounds too far-fetched to be true, but many women swear by it, particularly in India. Strangely enough, tea is also thought to affect the colour of your hair if you drink it in sufficient quantities.
Unfortunately, there is also no shortage of people willing to claim that green tea will help you with whatever condition is fashionable at the moment. For that reason, read this list with some scepticism - it's up to you if you want to believe in green tea, or if it makes you personally feel better, but little has been proven scientifically either way. Green tea has been mooted as a cure for cancer, Alzheimer's, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, cardiovascular disease and HIV. But if it worked, surely we'd all be drinking it by now?

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Cooking with Green Tea

Green tea has a very distinct flavor that many enjoy and cannot be easily emulated by anything but green tea itself. The other reason would be flavor. In fact most Asian countries have used green tea for cooking purposes for these very reasons.

It lowers cholesterol, is high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Well green tea is filled with a wide array of health benefits. Recently it has become popular to cook with such a thing.
This is why loose leaf tea is generally recommended. The stronger the tea is the more flavor and color will remain in the end product. When you do this keep in mind that you want the green tea to be strong.

This is probably the best way for someone who is experimenting with a recipe or this style of cooking. A very simple way is to substitute the water in a recipe with brewed green tea (at room temperature or as specified by the recipe). So now the big question, "How do I cook with green tea?" Well as I said earlier it's really very easy to do.
You may be surprised to find several already available. Simply go online and search for "green tea" and your favorite recipe. I see new ones popping up every day. You may also just want to look for green tea recipes.
A lot of green tea recipes will ask for green tea powder or matcha. This is ground up green tea leaves. Matcha specifically is ground up Gyokuro leaves and is used for tea ceremony purposes. You will find matcha generally more expensive than green tea powder, which can be made from almost any green tea. However you may find matcha worth the extra price for those specially recipes.
If you have never done it, I recommend buying green tea powder or matcha and trying it on some of your favorite recipes. You will find it amazing how much color and flavor one teaspoon of this stuff can provide.
John Newman is an author for Teanobi.com.
http://www.teanobi.com
Matcha

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Green Tea

Years of research reveal that green tea restrains the expansion of objectionable cell colonies, thus building it the healthiest tea obtainable. These antioxidants aid defend the body from accelerating aging and augmented danger of ailments. Fame of Green tea in the United States persists to develop, viewing that green tea is an innate foundation of antioxidants. Green Tea has long been esteemed in China for its involvement to good health.

However with the advancement of time, today people of west use green tea, realizing its several benefits. For many centuries people of China used green tea for treating various diseases.
Let us take a look at the benefits of green tea:
Green tea has many health benefits, and it can be used for avoidance of the diseases: Cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, High Cholesterol, Cardiovascular Disease, cataracts, Infection, and Impaired Immune Function.
The green tea leaves augments metabolism in the body there fore consumption green tea helps you burn more calories. Green tea helps in weight loss course.
Green tea can help in fight food poisoning. It also helps kill bacteria that cause plaque and succeeding tooth decay. This boosts your immune system thereby increasing the resistance power.

Green tea has the capability to fight bacteria and this can be counted as one of the chief benefits of green tea.
In addition, green tea can help lessening blood sugar level and cholesterol level in your blood.
Therefore a cup or two of green regularly can help in maintaining fresh breath. Some element is present in green tea that stunts the growth of bad odor causing bacteria. Also green tea helps in getting rid of bad breath.
If you are a chain smoker and also you consume around six cups of green tea a day then the propensity of risk caused due to the toxins emitted by cigarette smoke is reduced to a great extent.
It can be used to treat minor cuts, rashes and also can be treated to cure sunburn. The green tea also has benefits for antiseptic purposes. If you have freckles or blemishes on your face you can apply the green tea to get rid of the spots. With the help of green tea you can freshen up your face and apply around your tired eyes to get soothing feeling.

Green Tea also contributes to maintain your beauty.
Green Tea is organically grown and the customary drying method used with Green Tea prevents the tea from the harmful effects of fermentation.
Some supplements are comprised of low strengths of the active polyphones, whereas others go as far as using un-standardized green tea leaf powder. Products of green tea are available in different strength levels.
It acts as a influential antioxidant, which has been identified to assist prevent cancer, pull through from the harmful cholesterol, and guard against harm caused by free radicals. It has been confirmed that green tea is stuffed with health benefits.
Tea is one of the foremost selling fresh drinks, only after water. People who have depended on costly anti-oxidant products are finding that Green Tea is very cost-effective and organic. It has been reported by National Cancer Institute that Green Tea has Cancer avoiding aptitudes and components for fighting against insert fresh life to the market.
Put in green tea to a vigorous, balanced diet and exercise schedule for general fitness. However you manage to incorporate green tea in your diet, as well as it on a standard basis will help you receive utmost results.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Green Tea: What a Difference a Date Makes

However did you know that Green Tea has a fairly short shelf life, and to get the greatest benefits it should be drunk as quickly after picking as is possible? The object of consuming Green Tea is to derive the greatest health benefits that the brew has to offer.
The actual shelf life of Green Tea will generally be up to six months after harvesting, when exposed to open air.
Indeed there are certain varieties of Green Tea which will be deemed spoiled after four months from harvesting.
So freshness becomes a problem However with the popularity of Green Tea soaring worldwide it now travels perhaps many thousands of miles from the harvest site before it reaches the customer. Keeping Green Tea fresh for consumption in the countries in which it is harvested, although needing care is fairly simple as there is usually no great time-delay in transportation.
When transporting Green Tea on long journeys most companies, but not all, seal the tea in packages filled with a nitrogen gas, which replaces oxygen and prevents the Green Tea from oxidisation.
When sold in packages the Green Tea should be sealed in a bag from which the oxygen has been removed. The contents of the bag should then be used within two months so as to have the Green Tea at its freshest.
There is much difference between a Green Tea which has been exposed to air for much of its life.
You should always read the packaging before purchase to make sure of the harvest date of the Green Tea: the better providers have no problem in giving this information. Sometimes you take a risk in the purchase of your favourite flavour of Green Tea, in that some degradation has happened prior to your purchase due to the exposure to oxygen.
Remember, by purchasing the freshest you will be getting a greater helping of the wonderful benefits Green Tea has to offer.
Mike Linder is the author of the definitive guide to all green teas and their health benefits.
http://www.benefitsdrinkinggreentea.com

Thursday, October 9, 2008

My Mythical Journey to Gourmet Tea Bags

Though the actual level of increased health benefits may be in question, there are very few who will refute the statement, "It is a good idea to drink tea." Whether it is the cancer fighting abilities, the immune system strengthening, the weight loss assisting, the headache relieving, or any of the other superhero capabilities possessed by this beverage, drinking tea is beneficial to your health.
There is nothing new to that statement. And in regards to other blurbs surrounding the quote, there is a general consensus that teas such as Jasmine Green Tea, and Rooibos tea contains Anti oxidants that help fight dangerous free radicals in our bodies that can cause cancer and prematurely age our skin. And there are standard tea bags on the market, and there is a small selection of gourmet tea bags, that for one reason or another are gourmet.
To find the answer to this, I began walking down the main street of Tea Town, USA. So if all of this is at least somewhat true, then the next question might be, how can I let this information best help me (with as little disruption to my life as possible).
My footsteps were stopped as I enjoyed a cup…Such exotic names, and a mesmerizing color, I remained stunned and unaware. Perhaps only a sailor to these sirens, I listened to their song. I was interested in drinking tea, and the description was intriguing. Upon first arrival, I ran into a couple muses who promised a pretty package and a sweet taste.
Forward, I moved on. Though not completely sure what the future would hold, I was confident it was better than where I was. But as a drought hit, the buzz subsided, and my eyes wandered to the horizon.
I thought I was where I wanted to be, drinking tea (plus the tea bags had a nice smell ). My only knowledge of my location was what was told to me. With my first step, I found myself in darkness.

As I walked in, I kept my eyes open, ready for any ghosts there may be. I could not shake the feeling that there was something missing. Big buildings with even bigger names thoroughly saturating a market. As I continued on, I found I was in a City with a solid infrastructure.
As I slowly moved closer, the darkness began to fade revealing the truths about my surroundings….Nothing but Dust. Onward I pushed. Down a side alley I viewed a small window, allowing in rays from the now rising sun.

I began looking for a light. But as I decided to stay, the weather became stormy, as a harsh and bitter taste was left in my mouth.
Though at first I was not phased by the discovery, the seed was planted as I sat by the window soaking in the light. And as another storm began, the rains soon followed, conceiving the birth of a tree. As this tree quickly grew, the foundation was cracked, exposing the inside to the sun. With the revealing of the light, so to did the site of leaves covering dust… And as I looked at this, I remembered where I was, Tea Town, USA.
This green world of tea, a plateau hidden from time. Finally, I was where I wanted to be. I quickly dusted myself off, and ran for the hills, arriving in a field of green.
All was fine until one day I began to wander and wonder as I a questioned the distance of the fields. I explored down towards the valley, and I started to notice a change in the color as I entered into a small town neighboring my new village.
The Gourmet Tea Bags are easy to use, easy to clean, and most importantly provide an increased level of health benefits… With this Classic looking bag, I had finally found my choice. A Tea Bag that contained the high quality tea I found to be the best. And as I remained, and lived in peace, it was in this small corner of the globe. A mixture of high quality teas of different colors and tastes.

I had found my balance. High quality teas were not just whole green leaves, but also Red Bush teas, and black teas, and aged teas, white teas, floral teas.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

GABA Tea - The Japanese Secret

GABA supplements are popping up in health food stores everywhere and consumer demand for GABA products is increasing every year. The human enzyme that functions as a natural tranquilizer? Have you heard the buzz about GABA?
They were attempting to preserve various foods and in the process discovered that tea leaves exposed to nitrogen increased the natural levels of GABA 10 fold. GABA tea was discovered by Japanese scientists more than 20 years ago. With all this fanfare, little attention has been paid to GABA tea - an all natural source of GABA.
The Japanese value GABA tea for its calming properties and it has been found to have numerous health benefits including lowering high blood pressure. Since then, GABA tea has become a standard part of the Japanese diet.
This is puzzling to Su Chiu Kuei, the owner of a GABA tea production facility in Taiwan. However, unlike that other Japanese gift to health - green tea - GABA tea has not caught on in the western world.
"GABA tea has more health benefits than green tea," says Su, "and is also more flavorful. By all rights it should be more popular than green tea."
Even though GABA tea has been a staple of the Japanese diet for more than 20 years, most people in the United States have never heard of it. There is a lack of awareness about GABA tea in western countries.
That is unfortunate, because GABA tea is particularly suited to combating the #1 scourge of the American lifestyle - high blood pressure.
Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that GABA is an excellent treatment for high blood pressure. Because of its inhibitory function it causes the muscles lining blood vessels to relax which in turn increases blood flow.
It has no side effects and is non-addictive. GABA is increasingly being prescribed as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical tranquilizers. The same inhibitory function is responsible for GABA's role in anxiety reduction and stress relief.
It is even served to children to stimulate mental alertness thus giving them an advantage in school. Because of these health benefits, many Japanese include GABA tea as part of their daily diet.
What is GABA tea?
Su Chiu Kuei explains the procedure for making GABA tea: GABA tea is an all natural product.
The tea is shaded for about 10 days prior to harvest - this has been found to increase levels of glutamic acid even more. Premium quality tea has more glutamic acid which is the precursor to GABA. "We start with high grade tea.
This procedure produces the highest concentrations of natural GABA." The temperature must be kept above 40 degrees Celsius for the duration of the processing. The tea leaves are exposed to this nitrogen-rich atmosphere for about 8 hours. "The fresh tea is placed in stainless steel vacuum drums and the oxygen is removed and replaced with nitrogen.
The Japanese government has strict standards on GABA tea, and the GABA tea produced in Taiwan meets or exceeds these standards. Not only does Taiwan produce some of the best tea in the world, it also has the facilities and technicians for making GABA tea. Taiwan is an important supplier of GABA tea to Japan.
How does it taste?
"Everyone I've served it to has come to enjoy the refreshing taste," says Huang. "It is quite different from other tea, although there are similarities to black tea." The initial surprise, though, quickly turns to enthusiasm as the tea has a pleasing taste and can be enjoyed either hot or cold. According to Huang Tien Ming, a well-known tea expert in Taiwan, most people are surprised by the taste of GABA tea.
More
information about GABA tea
can be found at
http://www.allGABAtea.com
.
All GABA Tea.com
is dedicated to promoting the use of GABA tea. The website
has many articles about the health benefits of GABA tea and information about buying GABA tea.
Permission for reproducing this article in print media may be obtained by contacting This article may be freely reproduced on the Internet on the condition that the hyperlinks remain intact.
media@allgabatea.com

Monday, September 8, 2008

Does Green Tea Taste Like Grass?

Realising what had happened, he took some of the leaves from the tree home with him, and so invented tea. When he came back, the emperor was upset, but still decided to drink the water - only to find that it now tasted excellent. Suddenly, a freak gust of wind put out his fire and blew leaves from a nearby tree into the emperor's hot water. According to Chinese legend, green tea was invented by an emperor who was out in the forest, and had just boiled a kettle of water on his campfire.
It is known to have been consumed as long ago as the 9th century in Japan, and has long been a social drink and a status symbol, as well as a drink that is considered to have a wide variety of health benefits. Whether that's true or not, there is no doubting that tea has a long and noble history in China and many other Asian countries, and most of the tea they consume has long been either white or green tea.
While this means that green tea doesn't stay fresh for very long, it also means that it has a much fresher taste than black tea, and many believe that it is much better for you. Black tea is first dried out and then fermented so that it will last longer, while green tea's treatment stops after the drying stage, while the green colour of the leaves is still present. The difference between green tea and Western black tea isn't that they are different plants - they are both made from camellia sinesis, the tea plant - but that the leaves are treated differently after they are picked.
The first time you taste green tea you will probably think that it somehow tastes ‘green', or grass-like, but it is hard to describe. The best way to figure out whether you'll like it or not is to just give it a go.
John Gibb is the owner of
Green tea advice
, For more information on green tea check out
http://www.green-tea-guidance.info

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Does Green Tea Help With Fat Loss?

So, does green teal help with fat loss? After all, we get
disappointed time and time again from so-called miracle fat
loss supplements, products and training routines.
Have you had your green tea today?
Let's set aside all the wonderful health benefits for
now and take a look at green tea strictly as an aid
to fat loss. Does green tea help with fat loss and if so, how well?
A lot of studies (both human and animal) have shown
green tea has great potential for ramping up your
metabolism and burning fat off your body.
One study (see below) looked at the potential for green tea to stimulate thermogenesis and fat burning.
This study had 10 healthy men
spend periods of 24 hours in a metabolic testing chamber.
During these test sessions they took either
1) green tea extract that contained 150 mg of caffeine and 270 mg of
epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG - the key active ingredient
of green tea)
2) 150 mg of caffeine or
3) a placebo.
So what were the results? There was no difference in
thermogenesis between the caffeine group and the placebo
group.
The green tea extract increased 24 hour metabolism
by 4% compared to the placebo group. In this case, that
translates into about 80 calories a day.
What does this mean for fat loss? It means green tea
can definitely be used as an aid in your weight loss efforts.
A metabolism increase of 4% is significant. Now, that leads
me to the other side of weight loss products and supplements.
While green tea can play a real role in your weight loss
efforts, because of the way these products are advertised,
people have unrealistically high expectations of what these
products can do for them.
If you have a resting metabolic
rate of 2,000 calories per day, taking green tea can help
you burn an extra 80 calories a day. This isn't a lot
but does equal 7 pounds over a years time. And this is 7
pounds for doing nothing.
If you take a real fat loss aid like green tea (and there
are many weight loss products that don't work at all - that's
another entry), have an understanding of what you can expect.
And remember, you must have a complete fat loss plan in place.
If you've been gaining weight and are eating 100 more calories
a day than you burn and you add green tea, guess what? You
won't lose weight, you'll just slow down your weight gain.
Put an effective fat loss training program, consisting of
a weight training routine, high intensity cardio and proper
nutrition. Then, adding a quality supplement like green
tea may help accelerate your fat loss efforts.
And don't forget, unlike a lot of the weight loss programs that
don't even work, taking green tea has numerous health benefits above
and beyond the fat loss aspect.
Green Tea Study - (Dulloo AG, Duret C Rohrer D, Girardier L, Mensi N,
Fathi M, Chantre P, Vandermander J, Efficacy of a green tea extract
rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-hour
energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5)

Sunday, August 17, 2008

TsuNoni - Green Tea Meets Noni

East Meets West
Asian cultures have realized the medical benefits of green tea for centuries. Those who drank it lived longer, healthier lives. Now science has discovered the reason behind the green tea phenomenon. Polyphenols, the antioxidants in green tea, can actually help lower cholesterol and promote healthy heart function. Plus studies show it is a great weight loss aid, helping to boost metabolism and suppress appetite. Given the amount of green tea needed to deliver these health benefits, it is almost impossible to drink enough in our busy lives.
Unfortunately, the awful taste and foul odor prevent most of us from drinking it. Those in Noni are actually a form of dietary fiber, promoting proper digestion and enhancing your immune system. Those in Noni are different than the typical sugar type.

Those in Noni are different than the typical sugar type. The polysaccharides in Noni are different than the typical sugar type. Extensive research has finally unlocked the secret of Noni. Polynesians rubbed this tropical fruit on burns and sores to relieve pain. Across the ocean in Polynesia, Noni is used for its' health-regenerating properties.
Green Tea Meets Noni
These two bitter ingredients actually become a tasty and powerful blend, known as TsuNoni. However, just the opposite occurs. When combined, one would think green tea and Noni would make an unpalatable combination.
In fact, this synergistic result is so rare, TsuNoni was issued a patent. When separate, Noni contains 11 mgs of antioxidants per gram and green tea has 88 mgs per gram. But when combined, lab studies prove these super-foods deliver 47% more antioxidants per gram. This 1+1=3 combination packs over 400 mgs of polyphenols and 70 mgs of polysaccharides per serving. TsuNoni is a healthy, effervescent fusion that tastes absolutely amazing.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Chinese Green Tea

For most people, the Chinese green tea is a stuff of legends. It has been known to be very beneficial to human health and has been talked about and written about because of its countless positive effects for thousands of years.
800, Chinese tea was brought to Japan by monks who studied Buddhism in China. It is believed that in A.D. The fame of the green tea did not stay at one place for long. Green tea leaves when boiled smelled and tasted so wonderful that Shen Nung even urged his people to drink it.

It was said that while boiling some water for drinking, some leaves fell into his pot from a tree nearby. According to legend, the first person to ever taste Chinese green tea was the Emperor Shen Nung in 2737 B.C.
What makes this green tea different from all other teas?
Chinese tea is produced from Camellia sinensis, the same plant where the oolong and black tea are derived. Yet, even though they all come from the same herb, the Chinese green drinnk truly stands out as an exceptional health drink. So what makes it different?
The difference lies in the method by which this tea is produced. Oolong and black tea leaves are traditionally oxidized and then dried while the Chinese green tea leaves are steamed and then dried. This method of producing green tea actually preserves most of the beneficial antioxidants present in it.
Chinese Green Tea for Health
While it is already common knowledge that green tea has several health benefits, modern scientists were able to provide several concrete proofs of the positive effects of Chinese tea. Its antioxidants are said to be the ones responsible for making the tea very beneficial.
It was also discovered that this healthy tea can have an anti-inflammatory effects and may provide protection against cardiovascular diseases. Recent findings show that the antioxidants in Chinese tea can reduce cholesterol levels in a person; can improve how blood vessels function; and can reduce blood lipids.
Chinese Green Tea for Weight Loss
In their study, they investigated the weight loss benefits of Chinese dieting by observing the interaction between the caffeine in green tea and a compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). According to the researchers of the University of Geneva, green tea has thermogenic properties which aid much in weight loss. Significant findings were made that pointed to the benefits of such a tea in weight loss.
The tendency of Chinese green tea to enhance metabolic rates has given people reason to believe that this tea has weight loss benefits as well. When these two substances in the tea react, thermogenesis of the body increases by four percent.
Drinking Chinese tea allows the body to burn an additional 70 calories a day, a feat that weight loss enthusiasts would relish. The results of the research showed that green tea drinkers have a better propensity for weight loss. Another study concerning the weight loss benefits of Chinese dieting system was also conducted.
Today, Chinese green tea is widely available as a beverage and as an ingredient for weight loss products.
Cathy Freeman is a green tea lover and you can join her at her website
http://www.green-tea-time.blogspot.com/
to discuss
Chinese Green Tea
and other ideas about this healthy beverage.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Wu Long Tea - Lose Weight Naturally

It is reported to work amazingly well in boosting metabolism, which in turn burns calories without the harmful side effects of man made diet aids Asians have known about the powerful effects of this tea for centuries and it is becoming more and more popular with people all over the world. If you are looking for.
What is Wu Long Tea?
Wu-Long (or Oolong, wulong etc.) is a partially fermented tea, which is processed between the black and green tea families. The tea leaves are dried in sunlight and allowed to partially oxidize (20-80%) until leaf edges redden. This gives oolong a bit more body than Green Tea but slightly less body than Black Tea.
Wu-Long Tea is a Natural Calorie Burner
Basically Wu Long tea will help you burn more fat, especially after a meal,
A substance called "Polyphenol" in Wu-Long tea is known to effectively control obesity.
Specifically, "Polyphenol" is reported to activate the enzyme that is responsible for dissolving triglyceride. It has been confirmed that the continuous intake of oolong tea contributes to enhancing the function of fat metabolism and to controlling obesity.
Other Benefits of Wu Long Tea
There are also many other health benefits reported which are currently being studied at the University level in the US and overseas regarding Wu Long Tea. Some of the other health benefits reported are : Blocks carbs, promotes great skin, reverse the signs of aging, promotes healthy teeth, powerful antioxidant, and strengthens the immune system.
Conclusion
You may want to look into Wu Long Tea as a way to lose weight and slim down. If you are interested in looking at specific research that backs these claims up visit the links below.

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