Health and Your Life

The three main types of tea are green tea, oolong tea and black tea. All come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. Herbal and fruit teas come from plants and fruits, and are not tea in the strictest sense of the word. The difference between green, oolong and black tea is the method by which the tea is produced. With black tea, the Camellia sinensis leaves, are plucked and left out long enough to fully oxidize before drying. In the case of oolong tea, the leaves are only partially oxidized and dried, but in the production of green tea the leaves are steamed, rolled and dried before the oxidization process can begin. Thus, with green tea, a more significant part of the nutritional and enzyme content of the leaf is left intact.

The Benefit of Green Tea

The benefit of green tea to one's health has been increasingly documented by modern scientific research. Many of these health benefits occur because green tea contains high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols or flavonoids. These compounds are most prevalent in green and white teas, but are also present in varying degrees in Oolongs and black teas. Green tea flavonoids show antioxidant activity. Antioxidants impair the ability of free radical cells to harm the molecules that make up our bodies. We all know that fruit and vegetables are good sources of antioxidants, but recent scientific research have shown that one or two cups of green tea has the same 'radical scavenging capacity' as five portions of fruit and vegetables. Of course, we should all eat plenty of fruit and vegetables every day, but why not top up our antioxidant intake by also drinking green tea!

Green tea offers many health benefits. Recent medical studies suggest the benefit of green tea includes the following :

• Boost the immune system
• Reduce levels of cholesterol
• Reduce high blood pressure
• Lowers blood sugar
• Promotes digestive and respiratory health
• Provides antibacterial properties
• Prevents tooth decay
• Treats acne and other skin conditions
• Displays anti-inflammatory properties in treating arthritis

Green Tea Weight Loss

Another potentially huge benefit of green tea is aiding weight loss. In fact, green tea weight loss is already attracting huge attention. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published the results of green tea weight loss research conducted over 6 weeks in which a group of healthy men were given green tea extract whilst other men in the study received none. Calorific use was measured daily, and the results concluded that the men taking the green tea extract burned more calories than the men not given the extract. Other studies show very similar results. More research needs to be conducted in this area but the signs so far are encouraging.

Anyone for green tea?!!