Green Tea
Green Tea is a part of daily Japanese life.
It is a popular drink that is consumed hot in winter or cold in summer.
Green Tea has some amazing qualities!
"Chinese Emperor Shen Nong first discovered green tea about 4700 years ago,who as legend says discovered it by accident?..He was boiling a pot of water when some leaves from the tea bush strayed into his pot”
Zittlau, Jorg (1999) Green Tea – for health and vitality,
Sterling Publishing Co, New York, USA, p13.
Why its different
There are three kinds of tea made from the tea plant: green tea, oolong and black tea..Green which is more lightly processed than the other varieties, is favoured in Japan.
Packer, Lester and Colman, Carol (2002) The Antioxidant Miracle, John Wiley and Sons,New York, page 181.
Japanese green tea
Green tea comes from two major sources, China and Japan.In each country the tea is processed differently, therefore changing the nature of the tea and its benefits to the drinker.
“In Japan, immediately after picking the leaves they are steamed. This stops the activity of the fermenting enzyme and the leaves stay green. When you brew Japanese tea the color is somewhere between lemon and yellow green”.
Zittlau, Jorg (1999) Green Tea – for health and vitality, Sterling Publishing Co, New York, USA, page 10.
Physical Components
Green tea when analysed chemically contains the following: “Polyphenols, Catechins, Falvanols, Caffeine, Complex sugars (Glycosides), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Carotene, Saponia, Flouride, Zinc, Selenium and Magnesia”
Udall, Kate Gilbert (1998) Green Tea, Fight Cancer, lower cholesterol, live longer, Woodland Publishing, Utah, USA, page 7.
Benefits
"Tea contains only half the caffeine of brewed coffee”
Packer, Lester and Colman, Carol (2002)
The Antioxidant Miracle, John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA, page 182.
Further reading: The Antioxidant Miracle:
Put Lipoic Acid, Pycnogenol, and Vitamins E and C to Work for You
The health benefits of tea include:
“acting as a strong antioxidant, protecting against cancer, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, working as antibacterial and antiviral agent and reducing blood sugar”
“Green Tea may be the most valuable substance you can take to protect your health”
Udall, Kate Gilbert (1998) Green Tea, Fight Cancer, lower cholesterol, live longer, Woodland Publishing, Utah, USA page 6.
Further reading: Green Tea: Fight Cancer, Lower Cholesterol, Live Longer
Recent research
“Green tea is one of the most promising of the cancer fighting foods”
Mitscher, Lester and Dolby,Victoria, (1998) The green tea book: China’s fountain of youth, Avery Publishing Group,Garden City Park, New York, USA, p53.
Further reading: The Green Tea Book
Cancer has been steadily gaining ground during the past few decades. In Japan however the numbers are much lower. The main reason for that difference is Green Tea
Zittlau, Jorg (1999) Green Tea – for health and vitality, Sterling Publishing Co, New York, USA, Page 53.
Further reading: Green Tea For Health & Vitality: Healthful Alternatives Series
"Supplementing the diet with antioxidants,
such as green tea’s polyphenols, lessens the likelihood of wrinkles”
Mitscher, Lester and Dolby, Victoria (1998) The green tea book: China’s fountain of youth,Avery Publishing Group, Garden City Park, NY, USA. P128
Product: Japanese Green TeaIto En, Japanese Green Tea, 16.9-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 12)
Photo: Fish auction - Tokyo
