Quite a simple question I thought, worthy of a simple answer so I thought. Well yes it should be but in todays market but the sheer choice of tea is much bigger and for the inexperienced buyer perhaps the best place to start would be a specialist tea seller or a good deli where you can get the right advice about green tea itself.

It’s hardly surprising that the knowledge we posses about the benefit to our health from drinking tea has been around since the ancient Chinese first discovered tea leaves and started cultivating it commercially. They too recognized this plants unique properties that helped alleviate and treat a multitude of conditions. That situation has not changed and many of us today have re-aquainted ourselves with green tea extract benefits. 

Let’s just touch upon just one of these benefits here and hopefully after this you can do some of your own research simply and just as easily as I did. Well, there’s been a lot said and written about green tea and weight loss for one. The whole weight-loss arena is quite controversial and full of claims and counter claims, too many to probably cover here. 

Some claims attached to it though are that it has an important antioxidant ingredient which acts upon our metabolic rate. This essentially means how quickly our bodies burn calories our body gets from the food we eat. Reports suggest that by drinking green tea our metabolic rate increases substantially, thereby burning calories at a much faster rate, which in turn will shed those unwanted pounds that bit quicker. 

Even so, the often quoted advice of eating a balanced diet backed up by some daily exercise remains, like taking a walk. As a side note I also found an excellent, naturally derived nutritional supplement that contains this all important green tea extract. Some of us can’t always brew a fresh cup of tea as it’s not always practical, because of the way we work or live. This way I could still manage to derive those health benefits safely, knowing I was taking a step in the right direction. What’s stopping you from doing the same?

These are no new discoveries where green tea and health are concerned as even the ancient Chinese knew about it’s healing and regenerative properties long before us. Many such health claims concerning green tea still hold true today and numerous studies worldwide have attested to the benefits of drinking tea.

Perhaps the most important health claims its being linked to in modern times involve diseases of our modern age, which includes Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes and conditions like Obesity. This article will take a brief look at some of the information being put forward with regard to that last point.

The weight loss industry is certainly big business and whenever a new product seems to offer us a way of shedding those unwanted pounds we eagerly try it. It seems that the properties in green tea help to increase our bodies metabolic rate, which is how we burn those calories when carrying out our daily lives. By raising the rate at which we burn calories the theory is that you burn more by doing the same, normal things you do anyway. 

No one is saying sit back, drink several cups of green tea a day and watch the weight vanish as with most things, weight loss is part of a much bigger picture. Lifestyle, food choices and exercise need to be considered plus medical advice where necessary. 

Interestingly enough, certain studies involving groups who drank green tea, in some cases for as long as three months, have shown conclusive, positive results so that looks promising.

The actual substance within green tea that seems to influence weight loss is something known as Catechins, and there’s also additional evidence to suggest that this can reduce the levels of bad cholesterol.

So, go ahead and see for yourself, but before you rush out to the kitchen for your teapot you can also get green tea extract within some multi-vitamin supplements, which is how I prefer to take my cuppa!

It was the ancient Chinese and Indians who came across this plant and started growing tea on a commercial scale. They knew a thing or two about herbal medicines and recognized many good things about green tea. This article will briefly touch upon some interesting studies and reports I’ve recently stumbled upon.

The first one contrasted a group of Japanese men who drank green tea for about three months, against another that did not. All of them had the same weight, diet and followed an exact lifestyle pattern. What this study found was those that had drunk green tea had lost some weight and a reduction in their waist size. The weight loss was no jaw-dropping amount and was only a few pounds, but it seemed to work for them.

As a side note there was also a lowering in the level of bad cholesterol in the group that drank the green tea.

Another study by nutritionists in England concluded that there were many positive effects on our health from drinking tea. For example the simple act of drinking four cups a day could lessen the chances of getting a heart attack. Plus, it seems it can also protect against tooth decay and plaque.

One seems to find more good things about it the more one looks at the overall research and the only negative I found was something about not drinking tea if you suffer from anaemia, as it could hinder the absorption of iron from the food we eat.

So, there’s many a good reason for us to increase our daily intake of green tea and one of the easiest ways to achieve this if you are already taking daily nutritional supplements, is to find one which includes a green tea extract in its ingredients.

The western world may recently have awakened to the benefits of green tea, but it has been around for centuries in China and Japan as the beverage of choice for the classes and the masses alike. The Chinese and Japanese have always believed that a regular intake of green tea means a longer, healthier life. In the early 1990s, scientists proved this belief to be true when a survey of 3,000 Japanese women showed that those who drank green tea lived longer than those who did not. Does this peak your interest?

Now I come to the ‘healthier’ part. Continued research has also proved that green tea actually offers protection against cardiac ailments, liver disorders, and acts as an antibacterial agent for the immune system. The reason for this is the presence of strong antioxidants in green tea. Essentially, green tea contains a group of chemicals called catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). That’s a mouthful, but EGCG is a very powerful antioxidant that hinders the growth of carcinogenic cells and even, according to some researches, kills cancerous cells without damaging healthy tissue. EGCC also lowers LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol levels, and reduces the risk of blood clots, which in turn reduces the risk of thrombosis, the leading cause of cardiac attacks and strokes.

Doesn’t that seem an awful lot for one antioxidant to do? But I haven’t finished. Green tea also contains caffeine, vitamins like E and C and several minerals. Caffeine, as the world knows, is a mild anti-depressant that stimulates the skeletal muscles and assists muscular contraction, while the vitamins and minerals hinder the ageing process.

And I haven’t even told you about the weight loss benefits of green tea yet. In plain terms, green tea burns fat, lots of it. In fact, it has what are scientifically called thermogenic properties, which means it actively promotes fat oxidation.

Green tea also increases metabolism - A University of Geneva medical study showed that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increases the metabolic rate by 4%.

Green tea will also suppress appetite safely and increase energy expenditure .

In fact, a Japanese study conducted on two separate groups of men of similar size (based upon body mass index and waist circumference) has shown that if all other conditions like diet and calorie intake remain equal, people who ingest a greater amount of polyphenols present in green tea will lose more weight than those who ingested a lower volume of polyphenols.

Green tea is made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis, that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Tea plants grow only in warm climates but can flourish at altitudes ranging from sea level to 7,000 feet. Depending upon the altitude, a new tea plant may take from 2 ½ to 5 years to be ready for commercial picking. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East. The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). There are three main varieties of tea green, black, and oolong. Fresh leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant are steamed to produce green tea.

The difference between the teas is in their processing. EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Green tea is the least processed and thus provides the most antioxidant polyphenols, notably a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to green tea. Adagio Teas continues to sell the finest loose green tea you’ll find, and now offers many varieties in a convenient gourmet tea bag as well. However, herbs contain active substances that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications.

Too much caffeine can cause nausea, insomnia, or frequent urination. Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. Green tea has been consumed throughout the ages in India, China, Japan, and Thailand. Green Tea plus Extract contains catechins, powerful polyphenol antioxidants that are 200 times stronger than vitamin E at neutralizing free radicals-molecules that attack lipids in the brain and other tissues.The healthful properties of green tea are largely attributed to polyphenols, chemicals with potent antioxidant properties. It is ranked as a leading health-giving substance in traditional Chinese medicine. Many people combine it with ingredients to make a potion that can be applied with a cotton ball directly onto clean skin.

Green tea benefits health

stopping certain neurodegenerative diseases

cancer

plus your mood

to reduce tooth decay

high cholesterol

increasing fat oxidation

liver disease

blood pressure

periodontal disease

impaired immune function

blockages of the blood vessels in the heart

lower risk for a wide range of diseases

reduces platelet aggregation

Harmful Effects of Green tea

People with heart problems, kidney disorders, stomach ulcers, and psychological disorders (particularly anxiety) should not take green tea

insomnia

nausea,

upset stomach

vomiting

delirium