Green tea is touted as the healthiest drink and for good reasons. Green tea originated in China; the book “The Classic of Tea”, written in 618- 907 AD, is considered a landmark book in the history of green tea.
WHAT IS GREEN TEA?
Green tea, like other teas is made from the leaves of a plant called Camillia Sinensis. Unlike black tea, what makes green tea so special is that it’s gone through minimal oxidation and processing. After harvesting, the leaves are quickly steamed or pan-fried to prevent oxidation. This preserves the green color and natural compounds, which means that all the goodness of those leaves is present in higher amounts in green tea.
So, what are the compounds in green tea that makes it such a potent health drink? It contains a type of polyphenol called catechin. There are a lot of different kinds of polyphenols and their amazing benefits, and we’ll talk about them some day, but a sub-category of catechin (pronounced cate-kin), which is highly researched is epigallocatechin gallate; in short, it’s called EGCG. It’s EGCG which is an extremely powerful antioxidant that reduces free radicals in our cells.
Before I start sharing the benefits of green tea with you, please know that green tea is not a panacea (pa·nuh-see·uh). All those people who tell you that it will fix all your health issues are not telling you that there are a lot of other factors that contribute to a healthy life. At the same time, green tea sure can be one of those things to incorporate in your daily routine.
BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA
With that important point out of the way, let's look at some scientific reasons why green tea is such a powerful drink.
Protects cardiovascular health:
Firstly, green tea is packed with antioxidants which reduces oxidative stress and inflammation in the human body. EGCG is associated with reducing blood pressure, cholesterol, and the accumulation of plaque in blood vessels, and we all know that these are major risk factors for heart disease.
Promotes weight loss and burns fat:
When combined with caffeine, EGCG is associated with lower body fat and weight. The good news is that a minute amount of caffeine is present in green tea naturally. Something that I was excited about green tea, when I was reading one of the research papers, was that it leads to loss of fat from the abdominal area; so, if we combine it with exercise, we can expect bigger results. EGCG also increases your metabolism rate.
Boosts Focus and Brain Health:
Another interesting benefit that may come with green tea consumption is that it improves neurological cell function. Apart from caffeine, green tea also contains an amino acid called L- Theanine. There’s around 10-30 grams of caffeine present in tea naturally, enough for you to do that focused work and increase reaction time and memory. At the same time, L-Theanine in green tea lowers stress, increases dopamine & serotonin levels; so, it has that beautiful balance- it gives you that calmness at the same time, and you don't get that jittery feeling that some of us get by consuming too much coffee.
There’s research coming in that green tea might be helpful in reducing cognitive decline and a few diseases such as Alzhimer’s disease. We still need more research on that though.
Lowers the Risk of Certain Types of Cancers:
I'm particularly interested in what kinds of food reduce our probability of getting cancer; green tea is one of them.
Although there's mixed evidence about the relationship between consumption of green tea and lower risks of some cancers, it was found in some studies that consumption of green tea showed reduction in lung, ovarian, breast, liver and prostate cancers.
Assists in Oral Health:
Lastly, you’ll be happy to know that green tea improves oral health. Green tea contains fluoride in minute quantities, and it might aid in better oral health.
If you’re interested in reading those research papers that I was talking about earlier, below are the links.
HOW MUCH TO CONSUME?
Now, you might wonder how much green tea you should consume to get the benefits. The optimal amount of daily green tea intake for heart health benefits will differ from person to person. In general, evidence suggests that drinking three to five cups of green tea daily, along with a healthy diet, is associated with a 41% lower risk of dying from all-cause mortality.
HOW TO PREPARE GREEN TEA?
When preparing a cup of green tea, please make sure that it’s not boiling water but the temperature of the water is around 85’C. You can enjoy green tea as an iced or hot beverage. It is typically prepared by brewing the tea in hot water at 85- 90 degrees Celsius or 185- 194 degrees Fahrenheit; that’s just below the boiling point.
Steep your green tea for at least 3 to 5 minutes; depending on the type of green tea, brewing it longer than that can make your tea bitter.
Now, if you’re someone who doesn’t like the taste of green tea or is struggling to get used to its taste, please try flavored green tea; I personally like the flavored ones such as rose green tea, jasmine green tea and mint green tea. Lately, my favorite one is this ahwagandha and cardamom-flavored one; this one is with hibiscus, cinnamon and clove has multiple benefits; it has this beautiful maroonish color.
When you buy these flavored green teas, please make sure that it’s not the flavoring agents or colors that were added to the tea, but it has that actual material, e.g., this rose green tea actually has rose petals in it, and it gives that cooling taste to it.
PRECAUTIONS
Let’s talk about a few precautions that you must take when consuming green tea.
Green tea comes in different forms such as tea bags, loose leaf, pills and liquid form. I would suggest that you do not take green tea in a pill and liquid form as it can have an insane amount of EGCG and other chemicals as it will put a lot of pressure on your liver and kidneys, and anything in moderation is good, right?
Select a high-quality tea from a reputable company please. Look for information on the product label about when and how the tea was processed and packaged. Also, make sure that it’s organic.
It’s okay to use tea bags, but make sure that it’s not the char, that powdery green tea, that was used to make those tea bags; that’s actually low-quality green tea. It should not look like this, but like this. I personally use tea bags from this Indian company called teabox, especially when I’m on the go, and this video is not sponsored by them. There are many such companies, including a few boutique ones where you can get good-quality green tea.
The other thing that I want you to be aware of is that green tea from certain countries can be loaded with toxic chemicals such as lead, aluminium and arsenic. So, be very sure about the quality of green tea that you’re consuming.
Now, please make sure that you’re consuming green tea in-between meals and have a gap of at least an hour as green tea can hinder the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B1 and iron.
It can also inhibit the absorption of certain medications, such as beta-blockers or blood thinners, potentially reducing their effectiveness. For this reason, it’s important to talk to your doctor before making green tea a part of your daily beverage routine, especially if you’re taking medications or have any underlying health issues.
Overall, green tea has a multitude of benefits which are backed by science. I hope that you’ll make it your preferred beverage!
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