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Health Benefits of Green Tea

All from the same plant

Green Tea is made from the same plant as Black and Oolong Tea, Camellia Sinensis, but retains higher levels of antioxidants than black tea because the leaves are not processed similarly. This doesn’t mean drinking black tea does not contain any health benefits, indeed there have been many studies supporting the benefits of black tea including reducing cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

Green tea and weight loss

One of the more topical health benefits of drinking green tea is the suggestion that consuming between 3 – 5 cups a day may help you ‘lose weight.’ Most studies referred to have been designed to test the effects of the antioxidant (catechin) either as a beverage or in the form of an extract. Results from studies performed to date suggest that green tea can help you to boost your metabolism and burn body fat., Experts agree the idea should not be to ‘lose weight as such but to burn excess body fat and increase muscle using a combination of regular healthy eating, weights, and exercise. As part of your healthy lifestyle, green tea can be a welcome addition to help you burn fat.

Burning fat, green tea research data

One study published in the Journal of Nutrition (1) examined the effects on 107 individuals consuming 625mg of catechin (about 5 cups of green tea per day) and a group who did not. The trial was over 12 weeks and was combined with 3 hours of moderate activity per week. The results showed that while the changes in overall fat levels between the two groups were similar, there was a significant reduction in abdominal fat for those consuming the 625mg catechin. In addition, it was found that levels of blood fats known as triglycerides were significantly lower too. As raised triglyceride levels can increase the risk of heart disease, this finding was a welcome bonus.

Green tea enhances metabolism

Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition supported findings that catechin found in green tea significantly enhances the rate at which individuals metabolize fat.

Other suggested health benefits associated with green tea

The effects of the high antioxidants of green tea are being studied and any search on these topics will yield information. I have listed the main suggested health benefits of green tea as follows:

provides protection against cancer – although experts state evidence remains inconclusive

helps prevent colds and flu symptoms
helps prevent cardiovascular disease
gives relief to menopausal symptoms

How much green tea do you need to drink?

Most experts suggest between 3 and 5 cups of green tea a day, The average cup of green tea contains between 80mg -100mg of catechin depending on the size of the cup and the strength of the tea.

Which green tea should you drink?

Quite simply, drink the ones you like! It’s important if you want to start drinking green tea as part of your healthy lifestyle that you find ones you enjoy. The quality of the tea is very important too. Here at Harrison Teas, we have a wide range of high-quality green and flavoured green teas. They all have different tastes so we’re confident if you try some, you’ll find ones you enjoy.

References

(1)Maki KC, et al. Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults. J Nutr 2009 139: 264- 270.

(2) Venables MC, et al. Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87:778-784

Khokhar S, et al. Total phenol, catechin, and caffeine contents of teas commonly consumed in the United Kingdom. J Agric Food Chem. 2002;50(3):565-70.

Nagao T, et al. Ingestion of a tea rich in catechins leads to a reduction in body fat and malondialdehyde-modified LDL in men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2005;81(1):122-129

Sun J. Enzymatic Therapy, Inc., Green Bay, WI 54311, USA. jidong@enzy.com. Morning/evening menopausal formula relieves menopausal symptoms: a pilot study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2003 Jun;9(3):403-9.

Anna H. Wu 1, Kazuko Arakawa 1, Frank Z. Stanczyk 2, David Van Den Berg 3, Woon-Puay Koh 4 and Mimi C. Yu 1. Tea and circulating estrogen levels in postmenopausal Chinese women in Singapore. Oxford Journals Life Sciences Carcinogenesis Volume 26, Number 5 Pp. 976-980.

Yokogoshi H, et al. (2001). Institute for Traditional Medicine (www.itmonline.org). Theanine effects on premenstrual syndrome. Amino Acid Supplements IV: Theanine. Subhuti D. Referencing: Proceedings of the Nogei Kagaku Kai, Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 2001;75:166

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What is Green Tea?

Green Tea is a very well-known form of tea. However, we ask the question more in the context of if all tea leaves are from a tea bush, how is green tea different from black tea or oolong tea or white tea? And in this context, it is the way the leaves are plucked and produced that results in green tea. The main difference is that the oxidization process of the leaves is halted – so they do not turn brown as with Oolong Teas or Black Tea. The leaves are plucked from the tea bush when they are fully open, sometimes left to wither for a short while, and then heat is applied to prevent oxidization, a chemical reaction that occurs between the moisture contained in the leaf and the oxygen in the air. The green tea leaves are then rolled or pressed to develop their unique flavors, before being dried and sorted.

Choosing Your Loose Leaf Green Teas

Green Tea Leaves are amazing in both their varied forms and the health benefits they give too. For the purposes of everyday serving, 3 – 5 cups of green tea a day is associated with health benefits, but which one should you choose? As the chemical structure of a green tea leaf is likely to be very similar from one to another, we would say the teas you should choose should be ones you really enjoy.

How To Infuse Loose Leaf Green Tea.

As with all tea infusions, we start with water.
Wherever possible, use fresh, filtered water. The water temperature to use should not be boiling but around 80 Degrees. Infusion times for green teas are also less than for larger leaf black teas within a range of 1 – 4 minutes, but for a medium strength, we would suggest around 3 minutes in general.

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Category: Green Tea