Green tea is praised for its abundance of health benefits. Green leaf tea is part of the Camellia Sinensis plant just as the other varieties. It preserves its natural green color because it does not go through the processing black and oolong teas go through. The advantages of green tea are in the powerful antioxidants. The best green tea comes from China and Japan. The Japanese use a steaming technique to preserve the leaves while the Chinese pan fries the leaves. Each method offers a unique composition to the flavor characteristic.
With our collection you will notice we use a Sencha base with most of our blends, which is a Japanese steamed tea. It offers a pleasant, clean, and refreshing aroma with a sweet vegetal finish; perfect for blending. The misconception of green tea is that it is naturally bitter, which isn't the case. If not properly prepared green tea can become bitter. We strongly recommend steeping all varieties of green tea between 170-180 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
Different studies have shown that green tea provides a lot of health benefits. There are 4 important types of tea - green, black, white and oolong. All of which are extracted from the leaves of a plant known as Camellia Sinensis. The plant was originally grown in China and India. Chinese literature dating more than 4 centuries ago refer to the use of tea. Although the plant thrives in different climates, the best leaves are taken from the ones grown at high altitudes where they mature relatively slowly to provide more nutrients and better flavor.
What Makes Green Tea Unique?
The main difference between the various types of tea is the way they are prepared. While the other types of tea are prepared from partially fermented or fully fermented leaves, the leaves used to make white and green tea are not fermented at all. The tea leaves are picked and immediately sent to be dried or steamed to prevent fermentation. Green tea has the highest contents of polyphenols, which are chemicals with powerful antioxidant properties. These chemicals are also partly responsible for the slightly bitter taste of the tea.
There are different forms of polyphenols and the ones primarily found in green tea are called catechins. The most active compound, which is also the most common, is called apigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). These antioxidants eradicate the free radicals that result in different types of cancer.
Health Benefits
According to the National Institutes of Health, green tea helps in improving thinking and mental alertness. It may be used to help prevent a variety of diseases, including stomach disorders, osteoporosis (bone loss), headaches, vomiting and diarrhea. It is also good at enhancing weight loss.
As all tea from the Camellia Sinensis naturally contain caffeine, green tea only produces a small amount. Because of the shorter steeping time and lower water temperature less caffeine is extracted. In fact green tea has about 30mg of caffeine compared to a staggering 130mg from coffee. Most people do not even feel the stimulant. It could also be because green tea also contains theanine, a natural relaxant that counteracts the stimulating effects of caffeine.
Brewing green tea is a delicate process that requires expertise to retain the great flavor and medicinal properties. It requires little processing so the leaves do not lose their color. Cultivation modes determine the best processing methods to use.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
