Learn health benefits of green tea; how to brew hot green tea or make refreshing iced green tea.

13 Health Benefits of Green Tea

Copyright 2005 Arina Nikitina


Green tea has been enjoyed by people in China and Japan for thousands of years. Over time it has become widely known in the West.

A lot of people nowadays have heard that green tea benefits the overall health, but not a lot know why exactly. Believe me, after learning all the health benefits of green tea, I still get a completely different feeling every time I drink it. I not only enjoy the taste of it but I also get the moral satisfaction of knowing that I am doing something right and extremely healthy for my body. I want you to have exactly the same feeling I have - so here are the benefits that you will get while sipping a delicious cup of green tea.

Green tea contains anti-oxidants that:

1. Helps to prevent cancer.

The is some strong evidence that green tea included in your daily diet can reduce bladder, colon, esophageal, pancreas, rectum, and stomach cancer by up to 60%. An antioxidant known as "epigallocatechin gallate" (EGCG for short) is at least 100 more times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at protecting cells from harmful influence.

The amazing thing about EGCG is that it not only inhibits the growth of new cancer cells; it also kills some of the existing cancer cells without harming healthy ones.

2. Green tea lowers "bad" cholesterol (known as LDL) and improves the ratio of "good" cholesterol (known as HDL). This explains why tea-drinkers can eat almost twice the foods containing cholesterol as those who don't drink green tea, but still have an equal cholesterol count.

3. Green tea stops the unnatural formation of blood clots which, if not taken care of, will cause thrombosis. It takes on added importance if you consider that thrombosis is one of the main causes of strokes and heart attacks.

4. Drinking green tea reduces high blood pressure by repressing angiotensin II which causes constriction of the blood vessels causing high blood pressure.

5. Green tea also lowers blood sugar (polyphenols and polysaccharides are the two main antioxidants that are especially effective in lowering blood sugar). This helps prevent and relieve Type two diabetes.

6. Green tea protects the liver against toxins like alcohol and chemicals in cigarette smoke.

7. Green tea also promotes oral health by suppressing plaque formation and destroying the bacteria that forms plaque. It also destroys bacteria that causes bad breath so, after eating something sweet, I suggest you drink a cup of green tea.

8. Green tea reputedly destroys free radicals that cause aging.

9. Green tea also boosts your immune system function (because of its high concentration of polyphenols and flaveboids).

10. Green tea has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Recent studies show that green tea inhibits the spread of disease and speeds up recovery from cold and flu. It also kills seven strains of food poisoning bacteria including clostridium, botulus and staphylococcus (which makes it a good treatment for diarrhea).

11. Green tea helps your body to maintain healthy fluid balance and relieve fatigue and stress often caused by dehydration.

12. It blocks the main receptors that produce allergic reactions.

13. Green tea also stimulates metabolism, the calorie burning process, and is widely being used as an important part of a healthy diet.

It is important to know that black tea, even though it comes from the same plant as a green tea, will not give you the same benefits. Black tea, during the fermentation process, loses most of its medical benefits.

The best way to preserve all the disease-fighting nutritions is to drink your tea freshly brewed. All the decaffeinated, ready-to-drink bottled or instant teas will give you very little natural health compounds. It is better to let your tea steep for about 4-5 minutes before drinking it.

I hope that after reading this article you will include a cup of green tea in your daily regime. After all, it is rare when something so good for our health can also be so delicious.

About the Author:
Arina Nikitina is the owner of the website GreenTeaSecrets.com, where you'll find a lot of free information about green tea, learn how green tea can benefit to your health and how it can help you lose weight.

Brewing Green Tea How to Brew Green TeaThe folks at the Salada Green Tea site have information on the use, history and health benefits of green and black tea. Here are their recommendations for brewing hot green tea: With green tea, less is the rule. While regular black tea should be brewed using only freshly boiled water, green tea should be brewed at a lower temperature. This will allow the subtle taste of green tea to be fully enjoyed. By the Cup: Bring fresh cold water to a boil. Remove the kettle from heat and allow the water to cool for one minute. Using one tea bag for each cup of tea, pour water over green tea bag and steep 2-3 minutes. Remove the tea bag and stir. Serve green tea plain, or sweetened with honey or with a slice of orange or a dash of nutmeg. Try one of our green tea flavors, like mandarin orange or apple & spice for a change of pace. Because of its delicate nature, green tea is not generally served with milk. By the Pot: Rinse the teapot with hot water and then follow the same directions as above. Directions for brewing iced tea: By the Glass: Pour one quart of boiling water over four green tea bags. Steep for five minutes. Remove the tea bags and pour into tall glasses filled with ice. Add sugar or other sweetener as desired. Flavored green tea bags such as mandarin delight or apple & spice make delicious iced tea. To add Color: Use four green tea bags and two regular black decaffeinated tea bags and follow the same directions. How to blend, brew, and appreciate more than 120 varieties of green tea. Up-to date information on the health benefits of drinking green tea. Recipes for cooking with green tea and making green tea bodycare products. Rich green tea history, poetry, lore, and tradition from around the world. Pictures and descriptions of green teas, tea paraphernalia and locations of tea origins plus many practical recipes involving green tea; any one of which makes this worth the price of the book. Green Tea: Nature's Miracle Heath Drink by Jim O'Neill "Camellia Sinensis" or Green Tea is rich in Catechins, which are antioxidants. The best variety is said to originate from tea farms in China, especially those protected from pesticides. It is best to drink pure green tea without preservatives or other artificial flavors. Teas have been found to have powerful effects on levels of cholesterol in the blood stream and on your health in general. Green tea in particular can also help in battling cancer. In Japan, it was discovered that drinking 10 or more cups of green tea daily delays the onset of cancer by some nine years among women and about three years in men. Another source of good green tea is the high-grade tea sold at Japanese Tea Online. These are delicious teas and contain large amounts of polyphenols and flavoniods (catechins which are also immune system boosters), and natural vitamins and minerals. Catechins destroy free radicals. Green tea also has carotenoids, chlorophyll, polysaccharides natural vitamins C and E, manganese, potassium, and zinc, all essential to your health. Pure green tea is said to be 100 times more effective than vitamin C from other sources, and 25 times better than vitamin E from other sources. You may find green tea mixed with other medicinal herbs in leading drug stores, but rarely can you find pure green tea sold alone. Green tea is usually sold in tea bags, but modern processing has made possible its liquefied form in bottles, and also its powdered form in sachet packages, without damaging its health and healing benefits. Green tea and other natural food supplements carry micronutrients that feed your immune system and strengthen your body cells. When the immune system becomes stronger, tissue and cell repair is enhanced in a way that the body retains the ability to heal itself; thus, ailments and even serious diseases are healed. It is not the food supplement itself that heals, but the empowered immune system. A Japanese monk, Eisai, wrote in 1211 AD that (green) tea is a miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health. "Tea has the extraordinary power to prolong life. Anywhere a person cultivates tea, long life will follow." Eisai further wrote that tea in general was known as an elixir that created the "immortal" mountain dwellers. In the 16th century, European explorers were said to have found that tea, especially green tea, was used to treat fever, headache, joint pains, and stomachaches and some other health ailments.Green tea, according to modern nutritionists and herbal medicine experts, can help prevent high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, heart ailments, skin diseases, and lung ailments. It actually delays the aging process. It eliminates distress by refreshing your mind and body. About The Author: Jim O'Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: mrgymfitness/minicourse