The Place of Green Tea in a Healthy Diet

January 1, 2010 by ChineseTea  
Filed under Chinese Tea For Weight Loss

Green tea’s claims of extraordinary health benefits often sound miraculous, and it is easy to assume that they are exaggerated or even completely made up, but since scientists have begun testing out some of these claims they have been finding more and more evidence that there is something really beneficial in green tea. One stunning report from a British lab claims that it may even be able to prevent the plaques and deposits that cause Alzheimer’s disease from forming in the brain.

Green tea also has some more mundane benefits, but which nevertheless could make it a worthwhile addition to your life. It contains a chemical called L-theanine, for example, which is reported to boost your immune system and help you ward off viral infections. You can even get the same effect just by gargling with green tea.

If you are trying to lose some weight then green tea could be of help. It has been proven to increase the metabolic rate, making you use up more calories, and also to help oxidize and get rid of fat. Unlike many diet supplements, green tea will not make your heart beat faster, so it will not have the same detrimental effects on your heart. Green tea is a natural way of increasing the amount of energy you use which alongside healthy eating and exercise can help you to lose any excess weight.

Green tea can easily be fitted into your everyday life, perhaps instead of your usual cup of black tea or coffee. If you are not keen on the taste of green tea you can still benefit from its healthy properties by taking it in the flavorless form of pills or capsules. Many different brands are available. They are usually recommended to be taken up to two or three times a day.

As the scientific evidence for the benefits of green tea accumulates, adding to the traditional belief in its medicinal properties, green tea becomes an increasingly desirable addition to a healthy lifestyle, whether you are interested in its preventative properties or are looking for some shorter term benefits as you embark on a new diet.

Snacking On Green Tea Mints

December 26, 2009 by ChineseTea  
Filed under Chinese Tea For Weight Loss

The idea behind green tea mints is that the health benefits of green tea should be made readily available to everyone- including those who may not enjoy or want to drink green tea itself.

It is the antioxidants in green tea that are believed to be responsible for its healthy effects. Antioxidants have been demonstrated to protect the body against many harmful effects, and it is known that green tea has a very high antioxidant content. People who have high levels of antioxidants in their diet appear to have reduced rates of a number of serious conditions such as arthritis, heart disease and even cancer. There is also believed to be a beneficial effect on the immune system, and on the level of cholesterol in the blood.

There is a high demand for green tea products from the health conscious consumer. Taking green tea in the form of a mint is a simple and tasty way to make sure you are getting your daily “dose” of green tea antioxidants. Some brands are even sugar free and produced through Fair Trade.

Green tea mints come in smart little tins that slip easily into any pocket or handbag. This means that you can keep your mints with you when you are traveling or when you go to work, so that you can have one whenever you feel like it, and make sure that you get some of those antioxidants whatever you are up to. This is much more convenient than drinking green tea. These compact tins are also incredibly stylish, and can be re-used to hold any number of little objects once all the mints are gone, for example paperclips or hair pins.

As well as the pure taste of green tea in mint form, you can choose from a range of other flavors that are ideal if you are not a big fan of green tea itself but would like to get some of the health benefits of it. Some of the most popular options are tangy lemongrass and fruity pear flavored green tea mints.

Tiny, tasty little green tea mints are both a delicious, guilt-free snack and a great way of getting the health benefits of green tea.

Green Tea Benefits

December 20, 2009 by ChineseTea  
Filed under About Chinese Herbal Teas

So, do you want to have some added benefits by drinking your favorite beverage? Well, if your beverage of choice happens to be tea you are in luck. Green tea happens to be one of the best teas for you. But, how exactly is green tea made? Well, first the leaves of tea are put into alcohol or something along those lines, and then the leaves are set out to have the remaining liquid evaporate. This makes the extract. The extract is what has all of the beneficial parts in it.

So, why exactly should you be drinking green tea? Well, green tea has a lot of one nutrient called photochemical. This is a substance found in nature that is full of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants help the body defend against anything that may harm the body. The stuff that harms the body is often called free radicals.

These free radicals are really just something that has an electron that is missing its pair. When an electron is missing its pair, it becomes unstable. This causes the electrons to make many fast reactions, called chain reactions, which are not good at all for the body. Anti-oxidant that is in the green tea help making these reactions stops. These Anti-oxidants can also help with headaches, poor digestion, and cholesterol. Also, studies have proven that these anti-oxidants not only help but also make more room for more anti-oxidants.

There is another thing that green tea helps with and that is metabolism. Metabolism is what helps digest the food and use the energy from the food. It also helps in weight loss. Green tea also contains caffeine, which many people may believe is what helps the metabolism speed up. But that is not the case. In fact caffeine usually raises the heart rate. But with green tea it is just the opposite. The green tea does not raise the heart rate but does raise metabolic rate.

Some other benefits that have been discovered is the aid in treating acne, raises the immune system and can fight plaque, and even helps fight cancer.

So, now you are probably thinking that you should go and buy some of this green tea. Well, since there is actually some caffeine you may want to ask your doctor if you should be drinking the tea. But generally the caffeine levels should be fine.

You can usually purchase green tea at about any retail store, or even your local pharmacy.

So, go out and find some green tea and start living healthier.

Can Tea Help to Prevent Cancer?

December 13, 2009 by ChineseTea  
Filed under About Chinese Herbal Teas

Tea has long been held to have medicinal benefits among Asian and Indian communities. As far back as the 12th century, it was being written about in the “Book of Tea”. This work, by a Zen master, describes how tea was believed to influence some of the major organs in the body, perhaps most importantly the heart. Green tea was also commonly drank to promote healthy urinary function, to cure indigestion and beriberi, and even to improve the functioning of the brain. Tea was considered to be a universal health drink that could treat many diverse symptoms.

Tea drinkers today can turn to more scientific evidence to validate the health benefits they may be getting from their green tea. There have been numerous attempts to substantiate the traditional medicinal role of tea, although the work from the lab has not yet been mirrored by the results from human trials. The most interesting finding, above the potential impact of green tea on cholesterol levels and mood disorders, is the discovery of a possible activity against cancer.

Cancer is caused by genetic mutations which affect the controls that normally regulate cell growth and division. If there are mutations in enough of these regulatory genes, then there will no longer be limitations on the division of affected cells. They will multiply uncontrollably.

Experiments in mice have discovered a beneficial effect on the size of tumors in many parts of the body, including cancers of the skin, liver and stomach, which have been found to shrink when the animals are given tea. This can either be in a solution of water or as its direct pure form. Green tea has even been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on unborn mice exposed to it through their mothers.

Preventative powers have also been attributed to tea, which could be important for medicine due to the large numbers of regular tea drinkers, and the ease with which tea can be bought. There are around thirty tea producing nations, and many more that import tea from them. Tea is considered to be the most commonly drunk beverage around the world. The preventative ability of tea is again thought to work against many forms of cancer. This includes lung and breast cancer, as well as various cancers of the digestive system.

The reason why tea should have this effect on cancer development is as yet unclear. One theory involves the antioxidant catechins which it contains. Antioxidants are believed to reduce the damage which is done to DNA by oxidants that are produced through enzymatic activity in the body. Green tea, especially, is known to contain high levels of catechins. According to initial laboratory tests, these antioxidants could be preventing the damage that causes cancer, reducing tumor growth and making tumors less likely to develop.

The antioxidant theory of cancer prevention is currently the most popular. Studies into antioxidant activity have been conducted in many labs. While the evidence is clear that antioxidants can help prevent damage to cells, and that tea contains antioxidants, evidence that incontrovertibly links the antioxidants in tea with an activity in the body of the tea consumer that prevents gene damage has not as yet been forthcoming.

Despite the encouraging evidence that has so far been gathered, there is as yet little proof of a role in cancer prevention for human tea drinkers. Conflicting results have been found by different studies. It may be that the uncontrollably varying environmental factors such as diet and chemicals in the home could be masking the effect of green tea by causing wide variation between human trial participants in their exposure to cancer-causing factors in their everyday lives. A large study in the Netherlands, for instance, found no evidence of a link between tea and cancer prevention. In China, however, researchers found that men who drank tea had a significantly reduced rate of stomach cancers when compared with those who did not take tea.

Since the evidence is currently so inconclusive, the FDA does not support the claim that drinking tea can have any beneficial effects in reducing cancer or in preventing heart disease. A similar position is adopted by many governmental bodies and academics, but the debate still continues in scientific circles. Some researchers have directly attacked the FDA’s position, stating that they found an important reduction in fatal heart conditions in those who regularly drank at least three cups of green tea a day. The search for a medicinal effect of tea continues, with the possibility of a treatment in the form of pills or a cream containing green tea being investigated now.

The Many Flavors of Chinese Tea

December 10, 2009 by ChineseTea  
Filed under Popular Chinese Teas

What do we know about Chinese tea other than it is brewed and delivered to us in a teapot and a tea cup or both. Even when served to us steaming hot at a Chinese restaurant, our education of the tea that we are drinking doesn’t go much beyond that of our cup. We only know that we get this flavor only at this restaurant and we like it with our meal while we are here.

The making of Chinese Tea goes back over 4,000 years and was made for medical purposes back then. The Chinese has a long history of taking herb combinations to find cures for their many illnesses. As time went on, the Chinese used their tea for enjoyment and hospitality rather than for their medical needs.

The Chinese once used their teas as the beverage in their culture’s social rituals. The rich flavor is now enjoyed all over the world, not just socially but for the pleasure of that unique flavor.

Their are eight different types of tea thought about when you refer to Chinese Tea. You have flowered teas such as oolong and jasmine. Other teas within the mix of thousands of combinations are compressed tea, black tea, yellow tea, green tea, white tea and red tea. The Chinese were the first to come upon these types of teas and their variations.

Chinese tea is not just pleasurable for social advents or with a meal it may also aid in increasing your immunity and lowering your blood pressure.

If you like a variety of Chinese tea you may find it at your local grocery. Chinese tea is usually sold in loose tea or you can find it already packaged in a tea bag. If your local grocery is limited on the different flavors of Chinese Tea, visit an Asian market. The Asian market carries large varieties of Chinese tea whether you like loose tea or a flavored tea in a tea bag. They will be sure to have the flavor your looking for in a Chinese Tea.

For a rather busy or a very hectic day; brew yourself a cup of your favorite flavored Chinese tea and relax. There is nothing like ending a hectic day with your favorite cup of Chinese Tea.

Finding the Perfect Bulk Green Tea Online

December 5, 2009 by ChineseTea  
Filed under Popular Chinese Teas

The array of bulk green teas available on the market today can be somewhat bewildering. It can be an overwhelming task, trying to work out which type will suit you best. It is always a good idea to shop around and get an idea of what is a good price, and where you can find the packet sizes that you prefer. Finding a reputable company that will provide good service and a high quality product will be worth the effort.

The major benefit to buying green tea in bulk, rather than in separate tea bags, is that the tea you receive has been through one less process. It has not had to be separated and packaged into bags. You will also find that you can measure the exact strength of tea you require, whether you are making a pot or a single cup, rather than being restricted to measuring by the bag.

Green tea is now available which can be brewed using an automatic coffeemaker, without losing any of its flavor. You can also use it, when bought in bulk, to make ice tea. High quality green tea will produce a tea that will keep fresh for at least a week in your refrigerator, and taste good at room temperature too.

There are some delightfully packaged green teas available online, which would be ideal if you are looking for a gift for a fellow tea-lover. Particularly interesting are those which are printed in Japanese, giving a hint that these are authentic, somewhat exotic, green teas. You may also be able to find one of the teas with bilingual English and Japanese text, just in case you need a little help reading the directions.

The Japanese may have mastered the aesthetic art of tea boxes, but whether you are buying green tea from Japan or elsewhere, there is one thing you need to make especially certain of- that the packaging is secure enough for the mail. Most good online tea retailers will use boxes that cannot be cut or torn apart during delivery. This is the token of a good online service.

The prices you will find for bulk green tea online are not always indicative of the quality. Do not try too hard to find a bargain, or go for the highest price without reading the description and whatever product reviews are available. But remember that when you do find that great tea which comes without the huge price tag, you can be happy that quality is not a number. Don’t worry that you are paying less than what you believe you should for a good green tea. You will have found the perfect online brand of bulk green tea.

The 8 Classes of Chinese Tea

April 13, 2009 by ChineseTea  
Filed under About Chinese Herbal Teas

Tea is one of the most popular beverages in Chinese culture, and is considered one of the most important necessities of the day. The Chinese have thousands of varieties of tea. Each of the teas can be classified by how it is produced, by its quality, and preparation methods, etc. There are eight “classes” into which each tea can be grouped. These eight classes are compressed teas, flower teas, yellow teas, white teas, red teas, black teas, oolong teas, and green teas.

Compressed Tea

Compressed teas are excellent because they can be stored for a very long time, even decades. These use black teas as the base, which is then steamed and compressed. The compressed tea can take the form of bricks, cakes, columns, and more. Each of them has the characteristics of black tea because that is the base.

Flower Tea

Flower tea is one of the unique types of Chinese tea. Flower tea is exactly that, tea made from dried flowers. There are also “scented teas” that have floral aromas added to a green or red tea base. These types of teas have light to medium flavors. The aromas are medium to strong.

Yellow Tea

Some experts agree that the yellow tea class is the least common type. These teas have yellow leaves and are yellow in color. Yellow tea is normally mild. Some say it is quite refreshing.

White Tea

Some consider this to be a subclass of green tea. White tea, like green tea, does not get fermented during its processing—the tea leaves are simply withered and then roasted. It has low caffeine content.

Red Tea

Red tea is aptly named for its distinctive red color. Red tea is a fermented tea, like black tea, yet has a lower aroma and medium flavor. You can find red divided into three categories. These are Kung Fu, Ted, and Small Species.

Black Tea

Black tea is probably the most full-bodied of the Chinese teas. Black tea is withered, fermented for a long time, and then it is roasted. Black tea leaves are totally oxidized once processed.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is in the middle between green tea and black tea. It is half way fermented. Oolong tea is sometimes called Qing Cha by the Chinese. A standard oolong tea is green with red edges.

Oolong tea is simply withered and spread out before it is slightly fermented. After that the tea leaves are fried, rolled up, and roasted.

Green Tea

Green tea is probably the most natural tea. It is simply picked, dried, and gently fried so that it does not smell too much like grass. Green tea does not get fermented during processing. Some experts say that green tea is the most medicinal of all Chinese teas. Roughly fifty percent of all Chinese tea is green tea. The aroma ranges from medium to high. The flavor of green tea runs from light to medium.

Wonderful Chinese Green Tea

April 13, 2009 by ChineseTea  
Filed under Popular Chinese Teas

If you haven’t tasted green tea lately, you should. It is a great tea for cooling down on hot summer days. Green tea is probably one of the most popular of the Chinese teas. Green tea fights off inflammation and leaves you feeling cool. Some even say it fight off a fever.

People all over the world know about the benefits of wonderful green tea. It has been known since ancient Chinese culture to have medicinal properties. The Chinese use green tea to fight off a wide range of illnesses, including headaches and depression. The Chinese have used green tea as a medicine for four thousand years, according to Nadine Taylor. You can read more about it in her book, “Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life”.

Many scientific researchers are uncovering the health benefits of drinking green tea, both in Asia and across the West. The results of an epidemiological study from 1994 indicate that drinking Chinese green tea lowers the risk of esophageal cancer by nearly sixty percent, according to the Journal of National Cancer Institute. In fact, researchers at Purdue University in Indiana report that compounds in green tea prevent the growth of cancer cells.

Not only has green tea been implicated in the fight against cancer, it has been shown to have positive effects on cardiovascular disease, and high cholesterol. Green tea has also been noted to have positive effects on reducing rheumatoid arthritis, and improving immune function.

What is so special about Green Tea?

One of green teas best attributes is that it is rich in catechin polyphenols. It is particularly high in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is an anti-oxidant that has been shown to fight and kill off cancer cells. It can do this without harming the healthy tissue. EGCG has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, and prevents the abnormal formation of blood clots, otherwise known as thrombosis. Thrombosis is a main trigger in stroke and heart attacks.

It has even been found that the French Paradox, which is essentially that the French have a diet high in fat intake and yet have lower rates of heart disease than other cultures, has been associated with green tea. It has been widely accepted that the French paradox was due to their high intake of red wine, which contains the health beneficial substance, resveratrol. This potent polyphenol has been shown to combat the effects of smoking cigarettes, and also fights off the bad effects of a high fat diet. What’s more, is that green tea, in a 1997 study, was found to contain twice the amount of resveratrol than does red wine. To add more evidence to the powerful affects of green tea, despite the fact that approximately 70 percent of Chinese men are smokers, they have a lower rate of heart disease than Americans.

More Benefits

More benefits are beginning to be uncovered about the wonderful green tea. One claim is that green tea helps one lose weight. One study showed that men given a combo pack of green tea and caffeine had higher metabolic rate and burned more fat than men given a placebo and caffeine.

It has even been said to fight tooth decay and food poisoning. This is due to some natural antibiotic properties found in Chinese green tea. Its antibacterial effects extend outside of the body to the skin as well. One can even find skin creams, deodorants and blemish fighting creams that contain green tea.

Losing Weight with Pu-Erh and Oolong Tea

April 13, 2009 by ChineseTea  
Filed under Chinese Tea For Weight Loss

Chinese tea has long been considered an excellent diet aide. Many dieters consider a cup of diet tea standard with every meal. They believe it stimulates metabolism. Tea is low in calories, and is healthy when drunk with no added sugar or other ingredients.

Some expert scientists believe that the caffeine in tea is what increases body functionality and helps to burn extra calories. Tea does contain healthy polyphenols which have been noted as fat-burning substances. For this reason, Chinese teas have widely become known for their weight loss effects.

Although most types of Chinese tea are great for losing weight, two in particular are excellent. These are Pu-erh, and Oolong. These two are probably the best known Chinese teas for weight loss.

Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh Tea is gaining popularity in Western culture. Green tea has been the most popular tea lately, but pu-erh is quickly gaining on it. The Chinese have long thought of Pu-erh tea as a tea with medicinal properties.

Pu-erh varietals have been known since ancient times. One is even said to be more than 2, 00 years old. Pu-erh comes from a small leaf tea bush. The leaves on this ancient variety are processed in a different manner than one would process green tea. They need to be oxidized, similarly to how the leaves on the oolong bush are processed. The leaves are removed from the bush, and either dried loose or compressed. The leave can be compressed into what is called “bricks, “tea cakes” or “Tuochas”. Tuochas are so named because they look like little birds nests. This can be a sign of beauty for some Chinese tea drinkers. Tea cakes can be aged in dark places such as caves to strengthen their natural earthy flavors.

Pu-erh tea has some benefits that is greatly known for. These are decreasing blood cholesterol and improving the metabolism of fat. This tea can also be “double fermented” in order to enhance some of its special enzymes and microbes. This is done to increase is content of these ingredients known to be essential for one’s well-being.

In addition to these benefits, one cup of Pu-erh tea has been shown to stimulate weight loss when drank with every meal. It stimulates one’s metabolism and aides one’s body systems.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is another well-known semi-fermented or oxidized tea. It has a lovely flowery note and intense characteristics. Different varieties of Oolong can range in color from bright to dark. When it is fully-dried, the traditional rich flavors known for weight loss are locked in. This unique drying process will enable the stimulant qualities to come through, which are good for weight loss when added to a well-balanced diet.

Both Pu-erh and Oolong teas are becoming more widely available as they become more well-known for their weight loss qualities. One should be able to find both varieties more and more as they increase in popularity.