Betty Brews

Health Benefits of Green Tea

Originally cultivated in East Asia, Green tea has played a role in traditional medicine for more than 4,000 years in Indian and Chinese cultures. Due to scientific and population based studies, the importance of drinking Green tea is making a popular appearance in the Western world.

Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea, camellia sinesis, but what makes green tea different is that it undergoes less processing compared to black tea. Green tea leaves are plucked and briefly steamed making the leaves soft and pliable; the leaves are then set out and dried with hot air. Steaming the green leaves prevents oxidation that happens during the processing of black tea. Oxidation refers to the fermenting or browning of the leaves, just like a cut apple that begins to turn brown after it sits for a while.  The oxidation process in black tea takes up to three hours, but for green tea, the short method of steaming or pan frying prevents the leaves from fermenting and changing color. Naturally, since green tea does not oxidize, it contains beneficial health components and a higher concentration of antioxidants. The antioxidants in green tea help fight free radicals, which are compounds that change, damage, or even kill the cell structure. Free radicals can cause early aging, illness, or disease.

Listed below are some of the many health benefits of green tea found in The Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database:  

·         Keeps arteries healthy, helps fight high cholesterol, and an aid in preventing heart attacks

·         Holds antibacterial properties to fight foreign intruders of the body

·         Reduces redness and inflammations of the skin associated with acne

·         Found to improve bone health and prevents tooth decay

·         High in Vitamin C and boosts the immune system

·         Known to reduce the risks for skin, lung, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancer

·         Used topically to soothe sunburned skin

·         Works as an appetite suppressant

·         Boosts metabolic rate resulting in weight loss

·         Contains anti-aging properties by reactivating skin cells that were almost at the end of their life cycle

Green tea is not a miracle drink, but numerous studies have given evidence of the many benefits of drinking green tea. Teaming this drink with a healthy diet and regular exercise routine may produce greater results. In tea drinking cultures, the recommended amount is 3 or 4 small cups a day.

 Compared to black tea, some claim green tea has a bitter flavor; however, adding lemon, raw honey, pure maple syrup, or stevia can naturally sweeten and give a better taste.  

Freshly brewed tea is best; tea in a can or a bottle has less antioxidants and usually contains high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners. Loose tea leaves are ideal, but if buying by the box, check that the ingredients read “100% natural green tea leaves.” Many popular brands of herbal teas have additives such as food coloring, preservatives, and artificial flavors.

Betty Drinks Tea

I am a huge herbal tea drinker. If you drink herbal tea, you win all around because not only do they taste great and offer a variety of flavors, but also provide several health benefits.

Tea of the week: Earl Grey

Earl grey is an English tea, named after Earl Charles Grey, Britain's Prime Minister in the 1800s. Earl Grey is lightly spiced black tea with a fruity flavor of Bergamot, a citrus fruit originally from Asia, but now cultivated in Italy. Bergamot has several health benefits all on its own. The following are health benefits from the fruit that is extracted and mixed with the black tea leaves to produce Earl Grey tea.

One benefit is that bergamot is full of antioxidants. These antioxidants attack free radicals that age the body. In this sense, Earl Grey helps your body and skin look younger, helps fight off infections (even known to cure  urinary tract infections), and helps build your immune system.

The bergamot in Earl Grey is also known as a mood booster that soothes mood swings, depression, stress or anxiety.

Also, bergamot helps improve the digestion system. It aids in reducing indigestion, painful stomach aches, colic, and nausea.  The tea has been used to treat intestinal parasites as well.

Earl Grey is known in the past to reduce fever.

Bergamot has disinfectant properties and natural fluoride which helps fight tooth decay and gum disease.

Recently, a study in the UK shows those who drink 2-4 cups of Earl Grey a day reduced high cholesterol and chances for heart disease; also weight loss was a plus from drinking the tea.

Senior citizens claim they have better memory patterns when drinking the tea regularly. Earl grey also contains ECGC, which inhibits beta-amyloid production, a toxic protein known to infests the brains of Alzheimer’s victims

The citrus flavor of Earl Grey mixed with the smoothness of the black tea makes it an energizing and revitalizing tea—a common tea for breakfast; however, its soothing properties makes it appropriate for enjoying at any time of the day.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2109601/A-cup-Earl-Grey-doctor-away-Fruit-extract-help-lose-weight-lower-cholesterol-prevent-diabetes.html