What are the health benefits of green tea?
What are the health benefits of green tea?
-Ana
All tea is good for you but green tea, due different processing, contains more catechins. Both black and green teas come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, it is the processing that the leaves undergo to make the final tea that makes them different.
The leaves of the black tea are fully oxidised while those for green teas are lightly steamed before being dried. Most black teas come from plantations in Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, whereas green teas mostly come from China and Japan. Black and green teas contain similar amounts of antioxidants, called flavonoids, but they differ in chemical structure.
Green teas contain more of the simple flavonoids called catechins, while the oxidisation process for black tea converts simple flavonoids to more complex ones. A cup of green tea gives you a double whammy to help fight stress. Not only is green tea an excellent source of antioxidants but it contains an amino acid called theanine. Theanine helps to reduce mental and physical stress and supports the immune system.
How you brew your green tea determines the antioxidant content. Matt Greenwood, Master Tea Taster from the Bell Tea Company says that for best results let your tea bag sit in water for three minutes. Real tea is better for you too; decaffeinated teas tend to have much lower levels of antioxidants. I recommend the new Bell Zesty green teas for a daily antioxidant boost. For more on antioxidants in tea, visit belltea.co.nz.
-Jacquie