Green tea was likely the first kind of tea. About 3000 years ago in China, people plucked fresh tea leaves and let them dry in the sun before storing them. In the 8th century, tea processors began using the evaporation process, and by the 12th century, they began sautéing the leaves. Basically, green tea came about before tea processors learned the methods associated with processing black tea.

Even today, green tea is one of the teas left in its most natural state. Unlike black tea, green tea is unfermented. This lack of fermentation leaves the chlorophyll in the leaves, so that they retain their green color. Green tea also retains more of its natural anti-oxidants as a result of being unfermented. This makes green tea a far healthier choice than black tea.

The natural anti-oxidants in green tea hold a great deal of power for protecting our health and preventing disease. Anti-oxidants are important to our health because they neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are created in our bodies as a by product of digestion. These oxygen containing molecules damage our cells and DNA if left unchecked.

A diet rich in foods such as fruits, vegetables and other plant products like tea, helps rid our bodies of free radicals before they can damage our bodies.

In recent years, there has been an abundance of research showing that long term drinking of green tea can protect our bodies from many forms of disease, including cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol. Green tea has also been shown to be an effective weight loss supplement as well as a natural way to help regulate insulin levels. More research is needed, but it’s very likely that as time goes on we’ll find more and more health reasons for making green tea part of our everyday lives.

Classifying Green Tea

The many different varieties of green tea are classified, in part, by the method in which they are dried. The five methods of drying green tea include:

•Stir Frying - Fresh tea leaves are sauteed in a pan. This process is mainly used for export teas. Stir frying gives green a strong fragrance and taste. Some common varieties of green tea that are stir fried include gunpowder teas and Dragonwell teas.

•Roasting – Tea leaves are dried in a roast basket or roast chest. In most cases roasted teas are used as the basis for flower scented teas. Roasting keeps the leaves intact and makes them appear as though covered in a white fluff. Monkey king teas are roasted.

•Semi-roast and semi fry – Sometimes the stir frying and roasting methods are combined. This method is used in order to retain the beautiful look of a roasted leaf combined with the strong fragrance and taste of stir fried tea.

•Solar drying – This is the age old method, whereby leaves are dried in the sun. Today these leaves are typically used as the basis for compressed teas. These are the “green tea cakes” you sometimes see.

•Steaming – The leaves are steamed at a very high temperature to dry them. The most famous steamed green tea is Sencha.

Within each of these varieties of green tea, there are also quality grades. It can be very difficult to determine, however, the quality of tea you’re buying, because each country has different grading methods. China, which produces more green tea than any other country in the world, grades their green tea something like this.

First, teas for export are graded according to the age of the leaf and the finished shape of the leaf. These categories include gunpowder, imperial, young hyson, hyson, twankay, hyson skin, and dust. Within each of these categories there are several quality grades; sometimes as many as nine grades within one leaf shape.

With all the complicated categories of green tea, it can be difficult to know which ones to dry. Understanding the different drying methods and how they affect the flavor of the tea will give you a good start, as you can select varieties dried in the method that produces the taste you prefer. However, when it comes to selecting the best quality of this variety, you have little to go on. There are a couple of ways to spot good quality tea:

•Form - Loose tea is higher quality than bagged tea. Whether it’s black tea, green tea or white tea, you can bet that the lowest quality leaves are the ones used in tea bags. For good tea, always buy loose tea.

•Price – If loose green tea is really inexpensive, it’s probably not very good quality. Shop around to get a good idea of a fair price for good loose green tea so that you can accurately judge prices.

•Reputation of Tea Company – One of the best ways to ensure that you get good tea is to buy from a tea company with a reputation for selling only the highest quality teas. This is particularly important when shopping online.

It’s true that there are many varieties of green tea. But, that’s what makes trying green tea so much fun! There’s almost no end to the many flavors and nuances you can find in the different varieties of green tea. You’re sure to want to try them all!

Fat Fighting Benefits of Green tea

Drinking green tea can be a great addition to a well-rounded nutrition and exercise program. Green tea works to raise your metabolism, therefore helping you to burn more fat even while you’re resting and sleeping. Although this doesn’t give you an excuse to slack off at the gym, it does help us to burn up the stored fat we carry a little quicker. It also oxidizes the fat. It burns the fat that commonly settles around our middles: the waist, hips and thighs.

The other benefit dieters receive from drinking green tea is having a reduced appetite. We all know that the fewer calories we take in and the more calories we burn are what it takes to lose weight. By this reasoning, green tea is the perfect diet companion.

The Other Health benefits of Green Tea

Dieters aren’t the only ones who should e drinking green tea though. There are many health benefits achieved from drinking this hot beverage every day.

Green tea will reduce your total cholesterol levels, decreasing the bad cholesterol and increasing the good cholesterol.

Because green tea is high in antioxidants it is a good tool to fight the flu. It will help boost your immunity against viruses.

Green tea kills bacteria in the mouth that causes plaque. This is good news for people who fear frequent trips to the dentist.

Green tea helps us to think more clearly. It also helps stave off memory loss, like that associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, green tea aids people with medical conditions like cancer, arthritis, heart disease and serious infections.

Maximizing the Benefits of Green Tea

Use high quality green tea leaves. Once soaked, the tea should turn out a pale green color.
Experts suggest that drinking mildly hot green tea produces better benefits that making it into iced tea.

Let the tea brew in the mildly hot water for several minutes to help bring out the flavanoids.
Experts suggest drinking between 3and 5 cups of green tea per day for better health.

Skip adding sugar to your green tea. If you feel like you need to adjust the taste, add some honey, lemon or skim milk for added health benefits.

Just don’t like the taste of green tea? Don’t worry. You can still reap the many health benefits of green tea in the form of a pill.

However you manage to include green tea in your diet, including it on a regular basis will help you experience maximum results. Add green tea to a healthy, well-balanced diet and exercise routine for good overall fitness.

Inspired by the success of nicotine patches marketers struck on the idea that weight loss patches may work the same way. Weight loss patches are basically designed for people who forget to take their regular dosage of weight loss supplements or capsules. With weight loss patches, a person will no longer need to take pills as he will have a 24hour supply of substances stuck to his skin.

Weight loss patches are commonly made from such ingredients as algae and seaweed which are known appetite-suppressants. Later studies on weight loss and diets led to the use of green tea as a weight loss patch.

What? Green Tea as Weight Loss Patches?

As far back as the Ming dynasty and perhaps even earlier than that, green tea has been used as herbal remedy and overall health drink in China. In recent times, speculations on the use of green tea as a possible remedy for cancer have arisen due to the discovery that the polyphenol substance found in green tea can stop cancer cells from growing.

The polyphenols in green tea weight loss patches also have other uses. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that green tea polyphenols can speed up the metabolic rate of the body. With this recent discovery, several companies specializing in pharmaceutical products have started introducing green tea into the market as a supplement either in the form of diet pills or weight loss patches.

Green tea weight loss patches are a better alternative to other products since they have no adverse side-effects. Other substances that induce weight loss like ephedra may increase heart rates which could lead to cardiovascular complications.

Green tea weight loss patches are good for people with high LDL, the bad cholesterol found in the body. Because the antioxidants in green tea weight loss patches destroy LDL cholesterols while at the same time enhancing the good cholesterol levels in the body, a balance in the body is achieved which could only lead to overall good health and well-being.

Green tea weight loss patches works in two ways. First, they suppress appetite naturally and safely. A study at the University of Chicago showed that rats when injected with green tea can lose up to 21% of their bodyweight. This is due to the fact that a substance present in green tea acts as a natural appetite-suppressant that staves off hunger.

Green tea weight loss patches also increase metabolism. With their high epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) content, green tea weight loss patches have a distinct advantage over stimulant diet drugs which can be harmful to individuals with hypertension and heart complications.

Most specifically, experts now agree that green tea for weight loss can be an effective dietary tool. Green tea has always exhibited signs of dietary greatness; the Chinese have touted its benefits for centuries. But today, with global access to virtually any product, the rest of the world has discovered the benefits of green tea for weight loss.

First and foremost, green tea is an antioxidant; it cleanses the body of impurities and restores balance to system function. In addition, people who use green tea for weight loss know that green tea sipped after a meal can significantly aid digestion, as green tea also helps control blood sugar.

Additionally, the properties of green tea make it an efficient fat burner. Adding green tea for weight loss into an overall balanced diet and exercise program will significantly increase your chances to burn fat and drop pounds.

Fro those who develop and market weight loss products; green tea for weight loss has not eluded them. Far and wide you will find weight loss products that include within them green tea for weight loss.

Before you start any weight loss program, be sure to consult a medical professional who can best guide you in healthy efforts. Chances are that any doctor will support the addition of green tea for weight loss as it’s a natural and healthy product.

Green tea for weight loss can be another tool in your arsenal for good health. Most importantly, carve out a healthy lifestyle – one that includes natural, whole foods and daily physical activity.

However, here in the Western world it has gained popularity only in the last few years. There are many ways to enjoy green tea, and many things to learn about it. There are several differences between green tea and other types of tea.

Processing – Green tea comes from the same plant as black tea, but it is processed differently. Green tea, however, is not fermented like black tea.

Green tea leaves are laid out to wither for about 8 to 24 hours after plucking to allow most of the water to evaporate. Next, to prevent the oxidation (fermentation) process, the leaves are steamed or pan fried. Finally the leaves are rolled and then dried again, unlike black tea leaves, which are cut.

Flavor – Because green tea is in a very natural state, it tastes more plant like than black tea. Most people describe green tea as having a somewhat “grassy” taste. It is green and somewhat pale in color, and can become bitter if over brewed. Green tea can have subtleties and differences in aroma and flavor based on the variety of the tea plant and the region in which the tea is grown.

In addition, there are many flavored green teas. Green teas are blended with herbs or fruit to create a wide variety of flavors. Many people who don’t enjoy the taste of plain green tea love the combination of green tea with other flavors.

Serving method – Green tea needs cooler water than any other tea for proper brewing.

Water for green tea should be purified and heated to about 160°F. It can be enjoyed with sweetener, milk or lemon if you prefer. Green tea can also be enjoyed cold. Keeping a pitcher of iced green tea in your refrigerator lets you enjoy its health benefits all day long.

Caffeine Content – Green tea contains only about half the amount of caffeine as black tea. Black tea contains about 40 mg of caffeine per serving, while green tea contains just 20. In addition, caffeine in tea has been shown to be less likely to cause jitters than other caffeinated beverages.

Health Benefits – Green tea has received a lot of attention in recent years because it has been shown in research to be very effective at preventing many diseases and even in treating some. The natural anti-oxidants in green tea make it one of the most powerful health protectors you can consume as part of your diet. Green tea may be effective in:

•Reducing your risk of some forms of cancer – Many different studies have supported the finding that green tea can prevent and possibly even help treat some forms of cancer. The first interest in green tea’s health benefits resulted from statistics showing that Asian cultures, where green tea is the most commonly consumed beverage, have the lowest incidences of cancer in the world.

Some studies have even shown that green tea compounds can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, slowing the progress of the disease. It appears that tea may be most effective at preventing bladder, colon, rectal, esophageal, bladder, liver, lung, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer.

•Lowering Cholesterol - Tea has been shown to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). It appears that tea’s anti-oxidants work with HDL cholesterol to help transport bad cholesterol to the liver, where it can be passed from the body. Tea also appears to inhibit the formation of abnormal blood clots, which are the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.

•Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis –Tea’s anti-oxidants may have the power to help prevent rheumatoid arthritis. In some studies, it has even been suggested that green tea may be able to ease symptoms of those already suffering with this disease.

•Help Lose Weight – Tea’s combination of catechins and caffeine appear to speed up the metabolism and may help with weight loss. In addition, it appears that using green tea as a diet supplement causes fewer instances of jitteriness and rapid heart rate than other diet supplements. It may also help regulate insulin in the body, which can be beneficial for diabetics. Many studies have shown that lifelong tea drinkers tend to weigh less and have less body fat than non tea drinkers.

•Prevent Alzheimer’s disease – Studies suggest that tea drinkers may also be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Though the subject requires far more research, it has also been suggested that green tea’s potent anti-oxidants may even have the power to slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s disease in those already suffering.

Most people in the Western world still drink black tea over green tea. But, as you can see, there are many health reasons to make green tea a part of your regular diet. Green tea may be an important way to protect your health and prevent disease. And, it’s delicious, too!

Most green tea is grown in China and Japan, but there are other countries that grow delicious green tea, as well. Sri Lanka produces a Ceylon green tea that has a full body and is somewhat pungent with a nutty or malty flavor.

India produces Darjeeling green tea that combines the bright and grassy flavor of other green teas with the muscatel flavor that gives black Darjeeling teas their distinct flavor. India also produces Assam green teas, which are medium bodied with a bit of a honey flavor.

Excellent green tea is also produced in Vietnam, though few Americans are aware of it. Green tea from Vietnam is decidedly different from green tea from other Asian countries, as it is quite a bit stronger. Vietnamese green tea will taste strong to the point of bitterness at first. However, if you hold Vietnamese green tea in your mouth, the flavor will mellow considerably.

Korea also produces an excellent green tea. Korean green tea from the first pluckings can be some of the most delicate and light of any green tea in the world.

In recent years, even Australia has begun producing green tea. Though little of it is exported outside of Australia, the country is said to be making strides in their tea production and quality. They produce some familiar varieties of green tea like Jasmine flavored green tea.

Kenya produces green tea too, and theirs is said to be fruitier and more floral than many other green teas. Green tea from Kenya is new to the American market, but can be found from a few tea companies. The best Korean green teas are grown in Hadong, where all of the tea is produced entirely by hand.

If you’d like to try a wide variety of green teas from many different countries, you’ll likely need to find one or more online tea stores to do business with. By ordering tea online, you have the whole world of tea at your fingertips without ever leaving your own home.

Even with online ordering, you may have some difficulty locating some of the most obscure green teas, but you’ll certainly have a wider variety of teas available than simply shopping at local tea stores.

You can do your own research to determine some of the green teas you’d like to try and then search for companies that carry them. Or, you can choose one or two of the best online tea companies and begin by sampling what they have to offer.

To ensure that you get the best quality in your green tea, it’s probably wise to choose the latter method. While one good tea company may not have every variety of green tea you’d like to try, you can be assured that you’re getting the best quality tea by only doing business with the most reputable tea purveyors.

Buying sample collections of tea online is a great way to try several varieties without spending a lot of money. Once you’ve sorted out your favorites, you can purchase these in larger quantities.

Some tea companies make sampler packs with a combination of green tea along with black, oolong and white teas. Others will offer a sample that consists strictly of multiple varieties of green tea.

If you choose your online tea companies wisely, you simply can’t go wrong. The best loose tea purveyors work with the best tea gardens in the world to ensure that they have only the finest teas for their customers.

Take the time to ensure that any tea company you buy from has a good reputation and offers a money back guarantee. This guarantee ensures you that if you ever receive a tea that is not of the quality you expect, you can return it – no questions asked.

A good online tea company can be your best ally in the quest to discover many of the world’s green tea varieties. The best tea shops will continue to add new products to their lines, but will only add those that provide the best quality in tea.

As your favorite tea company’s line broadens you can trust that you’re extending your knowledge of the world’s tea without sacrificing the quality of tea you drink.

Discovering green tea is quite a healthy adventure. While you’re finding out just what green teas appeal most to you, you can rest assured that you’re consuming one of the healthiest beverages in the world. Green tea is not only delicious, but has some very important health benefits.

In study after study, green tea has been shown to prevent disease and protect health. Lifelong tea drinkers have lower body weights and are less likely to suffer from heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer. Some studies even indicate that green tea may be able to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

So, go on your search for your favorite online tea shops. They can be your partner in traveling around the world to discover the many healthy and delicious green varieties of green tea!

Weight loss pills or diet pills are all the rage at the moment. Everybody wants to look the best they possibly can and in order to do this everybody wants to be thin! Many weight loss pills contain green tea extracts. Green tea is a natural source of antioxidants. Green tea is useful in reducing cholesterol, and it also helps to reduce the blood sugar level after a meal. It does also help to reduce weight.

Although green tea does help in weight loss, you do however need to be very patient in order to observe the results. Keep in mind that weight loss does not occur overnight, even when you are using nutritional supplements. Since green tea does not have any harmful side effects associated with it, you might want to try out some green tea weight loss supplements. You can search for fat burning pills that contain up to 70-80% green tea extracts.

Fat burning pills including green tea weight loss supplements increase the metabolic activity of your body cells. This consequently increases the amount of fuel that your body consumes. The body’s fuel is calories, the higher the metabolism, the faster these are burned. Green tea extracts are also used to treat poor digestion and constipation, and also helps to fight against the free radicals in the body, the negative by-products created by normal bodily processes. Green tea supplements are rich in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which is not only a mouthful, it’s an antioxidant and protects the body against any possible digestive problems. It is also helpful in cancer prevention and lowering cholesterol levels.

Green tea supplements are available in the form of tablets or pills. The advantage of green tea supplement over other fat burning pills is that it does not increase the heart rate of consumers. Many weight loss pills have the side effect of causing the patients heart rate to rise, causing a problem for certain groups of people with heart conditions. People belonging to any age group can use green tea to treat any medical complaints without any concern about its side effects.

There are many fad diets, weight loss pills, low carb diets. Most of the times this will help you lose weight fast but you gain weight after a certain period of time. Green tea weight loss is safe. Decaffeinated green tea does not have the health benefits as the regular one because the process of removing caffeine involves a chemical process and this destroys the health benefits.

Origins of Green tea

Historically, the Chinese have been using green tea as medicinal drink. The general consensus is that Chinese Emperor Shen Nung discovered green tea when he was boiling water and leaves from a tree fell into the pot! Green tea comes from the plant called Carmellia Sinensis.

The green tea has the health benefits because of the way it is processed. Green tea is steamed while processing and thus preserving its natural antioxidants. The black tea processing involves full oxidation and thus does not have the health benefits of the green tea. Both green tea and black tea still have the caffeine so if you are consuming this at night, then this will keep you awake. Caffeine can be harmful for the body since an excess of it can cause heart palpitations, hypertension, and insomnia. Because green tea diets contain only very low levels of caffeine, there is no danger of experiencing these side-effects.

Health Benefits of Green Tea

1. It prevents Cancer. Green tea contains catechin polyphenols especially epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. This is a powerful antioxidant that is known to not only destroy cancer cells but also prevent cancer. The latest studies on green tea were able to prove that green tea diet can effectively protect the skin from damage due to ultraviolet light radiation. Green tea is also widely recognized as a substance that can protect against different types of cancers such as stomach cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, oral cancer, cancer of the colon, breast and cervical cancers.

2. EGCG reduces LDL cholesterol (the harmful cholesterol). This prevents the blood from forming clots, which is a leading cause of heart attacks! The study on green tea diets was conducted in China using 240 people with high cholesterol levels as volunteers. They were placed on a green tea diet of one capsule (equivalent to seven cups of green tea) or were given one placebo every day. After twelve weeks, those who were on a green tea diet dropped sixteen percent in their cholesterol levels.
.
3. The weight loss (or fat loss) is because EGCG in green tea diet increases the 24-hour energy expenditure of the body. A research on green tea diets conducted by American and Swiss scientists in the University of Geneva showed an additional increase of four percent in the body’s natural energy expenditure. People who were on a green tea diet were more likely to use up more fats than those not on a green tea diet.

4. Green tea can also be a potential cure to obesity. The catechin polyphenols present in green tea diets can delay the reaction of gastric and pancreatic lipases in the body. These enzymes convert calories in the body into fats. By delaying this enzymatic activity, green tea diets can prevent fat from being stored and hence prevent obesity.

As mentioned earlier, green tea contains caffeine that makes it a mild an appetite-suppressant. However, caffeine content in green tea diets is not as high as those found in other caffeine-based beverages, like coffee. In conclusion, green tea has many health benefits including weight loss and fat loss. This method is proven and is natural. There are variations of green diets like the green tea pills, green tea capsules, green tea patches etc. These make it convenient for you to carry them while traveling and could be more concentrated. If possible, try to consume green as a drink.