Tea Facts Galore

The Art of Brewing Tea

2010-04-14T15:06:00.000-04:00

While brewing a good cup of tea is largely a matter of personal taste, it is important to know the variables which can effect the quality of your cup of tea. The actual brewing is the steeping of the tea in the hot water.

Our more common coffee drinking culture has left many not understanding the terms used in making tea. I always get a chuckle when I pull up to the drive through at Tim Hortons and order a green tea, clear. The clerk will inevitably respond with "is that black ma'am". I'll respond telling her I want green tea, not black. A puzzled voice will eventually ask "cream and sugar" to which I respond "no, that is why it is clear".. Oh she says. Having terrorised her that long, I don't even think about telling her to be sure to 'steep' it.

But I digress

Different types of teas should be brewed in different ways. Not knowing the typical approach could lead to unpleasant results ranging from teas being weak to bitter, sour or astringent to the point of being undrinkable.

The main variables in brewing tea are:

    * Amount of Leaf Used
    * Temperature of Water
    * Length of Steeping Time
    * Vessel Used for Brewing
    * Quality of Water

How and where to brew your tea?

While many would recommend the placing of the loose tea into the tea pot, I tend to recommend the use of an open infuser which allows lots of room for the tea to move around as it steeps. I don't recommend using a tea ball. The more the tea can move around in the water the greater the ability of the flavour and aroma to infuse into the water. If you do place the leaves into the pot, be sure to use a tea strainer when pouring your tea.

Use different temperatures for Green, Black, White, or Oolong Tea:

Typically, black teas are brewed with boiling water, and green teas with water well below boiling, ranging from 160-180°F (72-82°C), and sometimes lower. White teas are typically brewed like green teas, using lower-temperature water. Oolong teas and more delicate black teas are usually best brewed with water slightly below boiling, 190-200°F (88-93°C). Herbal teas are very diverse and hard to generalize about, but most are brewed with boiling water.

Since brewing is a matter of personal taste, experimentation is important, and consistency is more important than exact temperature. You can bring water to a boil and then let it sit for a fixed period of time in order to let it cool or you can watch the size and pattern of bubbles forming in a pot; this provides a valuable clue about temperature when the water is in the range of about 180°F (82°C) to boiling.

My kettle allows me to view the water as it boils. So I guauge it like this:
- for green or white tea -- water is just starting to bubble a bit
- oolong tea -- water is boiling gently
- black tea -- water is at a full boil.
My kettle shuts down when it reaches full boil. I usually try to catch it just before it does.

Steep Whole-leaf Tea longer than Broken-leaf Tea:

Whole-leaf tea typically requires a longer steeping time because water diffuses slowly through the intact leaves. Broken-leaf tea, especially fine particles such as the fannings or dust used in most teabags, infuses very quickly. Some finely-broken leaves can rapidly acquire unpleasant bitterness or astringency if left to steep too long. In general, fannings often steep in two minutes or less, and whole-leaf tea frequently requires 3 minutes or more, although this varies greatly from tea to tea and is also a matter of taste.

I also find when brewing multiply cups from the same leaves I do need to steep a bit longer each time.

Experiment!

Brewing your tea is part art and part personal taste. If you experiment with various approaches, you'll soon learn which brewing method you enjoy the most. If you are able to use spring water, filtered water or soft water try the different types of water. Try to avoid municipally treated water for your tea.

Have fun and enjoy a cuppa.

Removing Tea Leaves From Your Tea

2010-04-13T14:43:00.000-04:00

When making tea in the traditional manner, without the use of tea bags, you will need to deal with the tea leaves in your tea. There are two ways of doing this. One is the use of a tea strainer and the other is to use an infuser.

I tend to prefer the use of an infuser. The infuser is a fine mesh 'strainer' which can be placed in the top of the cup or tea pot. Your loose tea is then placed in the infuser which extends about 2-3inches into the water. The boiled water is then poured through the infuser and the tea is allowed to swirl about in the hot water as it steeps.

Some would say to use a tea ball for this except a tea ball can restrict the tea from being able to fully open and release its flavours into the hot water. The infuser can be lifted out and placed on a small saucer until your make your next cup or pot of tea.

Some prefer to place the tea directly into the pot. The tea leaves may have an unpleasant taste, so filtering them in some manner becomes important in order to have an enjoyable cup of tea. Tea strainers are used to catch tealeaves as you pour it into your teacup. Strainers are usually fit on the top of the tea cup to catch all leaves as the tea is poured.

Tea strainers have been around for centuries; their popularity has declined since mass production of teabags and it's not an item that can be commonly found in the home anymore. However you are still able to buy them at most shops and convenience stores and they are quite useful for people that prefer to prepare their drink in the old fashioned way. They often come in a set that includes a small saucer to hold it in between drinking. They are usually made out of silver, stainless steel or china; in rare instances you might still find an original piece made out of fine porcelain.

You might be lucky enough to find an antique item, as tea strainers were common items in times past, before technology set in. You can even try to collect a set of them; they came in a variety of shapes and colours.

Green Tea Fat Burner - A Powerful One

2010-04-12T14:27:00.000-04:00

In case you really want to lose weight without all the trouble, you should know about the idea of green tea fat burner because this can potentially be the solution to your problem.

As of these days, green tea is becoming such a hit in the world of dieting that even famous people would admit to have been using it as a help. This tea is packed with amazing benefits like its anti-carcinogenic properties, antioxidant properties, and it can work as a very potent fat burner. Managing weight has always been a national obsession among Americans, especially now that the rate of obesity is on the rise. Some of the facts behind green tea fat burner are:

1. This tea is known to increase metabolism thus it can make the body burn more energy than the usual rate that the body can do. Due to the fact that a lot of energy is stored within the body in a form of fat, this means that once your metabolism increases then you will be able to burn more fat.

2. This is a natural choice therefore you can prevent yourself from experiencing untoward side effects that are customary among other supplements in the market. Because of this, you can say goodbye to the feeling of nervousness, chest pains, and headache. There are even cases wherein the side effects are something deadly which permit the person to go on hospitalization.

But with this tea, you don't have to worry about all of these.

Since there are so many benefits behind green tea fat burner that can never be ignored, it will help if you can opt for this more than any other fat burning processes out there. What's more, most of the green tea supplements are available at a very reasonable price. You can buy both from online or local stores depending on your choice.

One rule to remember though in case you are going to buy for tea that comes in tea bag is to check whether the amount you are ingesting is enough for you to get through the whole losing weight process with ease.

Also, it is vital that you take some time to check the manufacturer of tea supplements if ever you are going to get one. Furthermore, check the amount of green tea that is incorporated in such product because some would incorporate other materials and not actually pure green tea.

Lowest prices ever on green tea fat burner, grab yours now while they last at Fat Burning Furnace Review. Better hurry because supplies are limited.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lovely_T._Davidson

Types of Tea

2010-04-11T06:37:00.000-04:00

True tea originates from one type of evergreen bush, the Camellia Sinensis. Other teas are created from other sources like herbs but are not truly tea. Where the tea bush is grown, time of year when the harvest takes place and the processing determines the types and flavour of the tea. The most common countries for growing tea is China, India, Japan and Sri Lanka.
The time of harvest and the processing methods determines the four major types of tea; white, green, oolong and black.

White Tea

White tea is picked before the leaf buds fully open and are still covered with fine silky hairs. Only the top leaf and bud are picked from the tree. The buds are sun dried to produce some of the rarest and most expensive tea available. White tea is said to have three times more antioxidants than green or black tea.

I was given some white tea as a gift a few years ago. I very much enjoyed it, finding it to be a very mild tasting tea but refreshing. Another tea I'd be inclined to drink during the day rather than as a breakfast tea.

Green Tea

After the tea leaves are plucked and sorted, they are either steamed or pan fired. Green tea does not go through the oxidation (fermentation) process. Green tea does have less caffeine than black tea. The leaves are often rolled into different shapes before drying. Once the leaves are shaped, they are dried and packaged.

This process retains many of the polyphenols, catechins, and flavonoids that are associated with the health benefits of drinking green tea. Green tea also has HGCG; the most powerful antioxidant known. and can only be found in green tea.

I drink a lot of green tea, at any time of the day or night.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea falls somewhere between green tea and black tea in the amount of time the tea leaves are allowed to oxidize for less time than black. The leaves can range from being almost black to dark green depending on when oxidation is stopped. The longer the leaves are oxidized the closer to black tea they will become. Formosa Oolong is an Amber Oolong with a rich amber cup that is a little toasty tasting.) Se Chung leaves are not allowed to oxidize as long, so the leaves have a dark green appearance and produce a light yellow cup with hints of sweetness.

Black Tea

This is the most commonly found tea. This tea goes through the most processing. Black tea is allowed to oxidize which "ripens" the tea and creates a deep, rich, robust flavor with uniqueness based on the tea grower’s knowledge and skill. Once the leaves are picked they are left out in the sun to become slightly wilted. The leaves are then rolled to break open their tissue. The inner chemicals react with the air and begin to ferment. During the fermentation, the leaves darken and change from green to red and finally to black. After the fermenting is complete, the leaves are dried and them packaged.

I've Become A Tea Drinker

2010-04-10T17:34:00.001-04:00

After years of being a die-hard coffee drinker, I find myself more frequently enjoying tea these days than coffee. I still drink coffee when I'm away from the house but for the most part, at home I drink tea. Not tea brewed from tea bags but tea brewed from loose tea.

Personally, I wouldn't thank you for bag tea, which is why I don't usually order tea when I'm out anywhere. I've become quite attached to the richness and variety of the flavours of tea that are out there.

Tea bags have a reputation for being lessor quality tea, which explains why I never acquired a taste for it when I was younger. My mother drank it on a regular basis and tried to get us kids into it but I just couldn't see the draw.

There are decaffeinated teas on the market. Having learned that the United States has approved both the use of carbon dioxide and ethyl acetate in the process of removing caffeine from black tea, I'll have the caffeine thank you very much.
I've discovered that seeking out tea shoppes can be rather fun. Each tea shoppe has its' own unique flavoured blends of tea in addition to the many kinds of tea available. Exploring the various blends is an adventure which never ends. I have to admit to having formed some favourites. Teaopia is a shoppe in the mall east of me. I rather enjoy their Dublin Creme black tea blend and their Creamy Nut oolong tea.

The Dublin Creme is my breakfast tea of choice. The blend is full bodied with the black tea and the added zip of coffee beans to start my day with, the creamy flavour lets me drink the tea my favourite way, clear. (no milk or sugar)

The Creamy Nut oolong is a tea I enjoy later in the day, usually when I need that 3pm pickup or am getting a bit of an urge to snack. The gentler flavour of the oolong combines with apple, caramel bits, almond pieces and mallow flavour to provide me with a sense of having something sweet without it being sweet.

I've also ordered tea online from the Tea Shop in Ottawa. (site is not online at the time of this writing) They send out samples of another type of tea along with your order which is really neat. That allows me to try something different and then decide if I like it.

Another site I've been recently exploring but haven't yet place an order is Adagio Teas. The shipping will be a bit more because they are a US based company but that would be no big deal if I really like their blends.

The Adagio Teas site is fun to explore even without ordering. I may want to try out their custom blending feature, looks like fun.

Assam Tea

2010-04-09T15:33:00.001-04:00

Assam tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) is a black tea grown in Assam, India. It has a distinctive malty flavour with a bold and invigorating character. It is a particular favourite for use in breakfast teas like English Breakfast tea & Irish Breakfast tea. Assam tea produces a beautiful ruby-amber hue.

The Assam region is in the valley of the Brahmaputra River. Its sandy soil, rich with the nutrients of the floodplain and the climate varying between cool, arid winter and hot humid rainy season produces almost ideal conditions for the Assam tea bush. It has a very lengthy growing season making the region one of the most prolific tea producing regions in the world, yielding some 1.5 million pounds of tea annually.

The long growing season produces two harvests of tea each year. The 'first flush' is picked in late March. The 'second flush' is picked later and is more prized for its "tippy tea", named for the golden tips that appear on the leaves. The second flush, tippy tea is sweeter and more full bodied, thus considered superior to the first flush.

Discovery of the Assam tea bush is attributed to Robert Bruce, a Scottish adventurer, in 1823. Bruce reportedly found the plant growing wild in Assam while trading in the region. He noticed local tribesman brewing tea from the leaves of the bush and arranged with the tribal chiefs to provide him with samples of the leaves and seeds, which he planned to have scientifically examined. Robert Bruce died shortly thereafter.

In the early 1830s Bruce's brother, Charles sent some leaves from the tea bush to Calcutta for examination. The examiners determined the busy was a variety of tea and different from the Chinese tea. Soon the British started making inroads into the Assam area. Tea seeds were imported from China as they were believed to be the superior variety. These seeds crossed with the local seeds and produced a hybrid bush which proved to be the suitable for their climate and terrain

As with any tea, to brew a perfect pot you need to start with cold water. Let the tap run for a few minutes before filling the kettle. Bring the water to a boil. Fill a ceramic or china teapot with hot tap water and let site for a few minutes. My mother used to always insist on the first bit of water from the kettle being used to warm the kettle.

As soon as water begins to boil, remove the kettle from the burner. Discard the warm water from the teapot and add tea leaves to the empty teapot. For Assam tea, figure on 1 teaspoon (1 g) of tea leaves per cup (240 ml) of hot water. Pack the leaves loosely into a tea ball if desired. Pour boiled water over tea leaves into teapot. Let steep 3 to 5 minutes, and pour through a strainer, for loose tea leaves, into individual cups.

Assam tea is full-bodied and merges well with cream, milk, or lemon. If sweetener is desired, honey or sugar may be added prior to adding milk. Stir until dissolved.

Recipe: Apple Tea (Elma Cay)

2010-04-08T15:28:00.001-04:00

2 red apples, do not peel and do not remove the seeds, cut in 4 or 6
1 orange, do not peel, cut in 4 or 6
1 stick cinnamon
2 whole cloves
4 cup water

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until the fruits are tender. Strain into the bowl pushing gently with the back of the spoon to remove all the liquid. Then pour into the tea glasses.

If you like you may sweeten with honey.

Health Benefits of Apple Tea

Apple Tea speeds up metabolism increases the amount of urine.
It reduces edema (fluid retention). Boil the orange with its skin which contains citric acid. Citric acid is also available in medication for losing weight.
the mineral salts found in Apple Tea acts as urine remover and blood cleaner.
it strengthens the body against uric acid and rheumatism.
Vitamins and mineral salts gives energy and freshness.
presence of vitamin A keeps the respiratory tract, nerve system, blood vessels and the skin healthy.
Apple Tea strengthens both the heart and stomach

Turkish Apple Tea - Elma Cay

2010-04-07T15:25:00.003-04:00

Brewed tea is recognized as the national soft drink of Turkey and is consumed in far greater quantities than coffee or other beverages. The country grows nearly all of what it drinks from the large tea plantations located on the Black Sea coast.

Robust black tea and apple-flavored tea are among the most popular choices... and are readily available any time of the day or night from a plethora of tea houses, street vendors, tea gardens and retailers.

Among Turkey’s treasured brews, Turkish apple tea – referred to as Elma Çay – is growing in demand globally. It is a soothing hot beverage during cold winter months and a refreshing thirst quencher in the summer when served over ice.

The popular tea is made from quality black tea leaves that are enhanced with apple flavoring and spices. Some apple tea blends also feature other fruits, herbs and plants that provide a unique taste alternative. Turkish tea may be blended with blackberry leaves, hibiscus flowers, pineapple and/or lemon to create a zesty brew that can be served hot or cold.

Traditionally, all Turkish tea is brewed samovar-style, with a small pot of intensely strong tea sitting on a larger vessel of boiling water.

The tea is poured into clear curved glass cups and diluted with hot water to the desired strength. Turks typically use cubed sugar to sweeten their brew.

According to Jane Pettigrew in her book, The Tea Companion, some households in Turkey keep a pot of tea constantly on the fire, adding fresh, hot water to the leaves before serving.

The author further points out that tea is so important to domestic life, that mothers make sure that future daughters-in-law know how to brew it correctly for the rest of the family.

Tomorrow: A recipe for Apple Tea

Hosting An Afternoon Tea

2010-04-06T15:15:00.001-04:00

The tea party has been treated as an elegant affair for many years. In England, people enjoy afternoon tea and often use afternoon tea parties to entertain visitors or clients. An afternoon tea party is perfect for any special celebration and is quick and easy to organize.

Now, when you are hosting an afternoon tea party, the key to success is careful planning. A successful tea party is about the whole presentation. From the serving platters, cutlery, furniture, tablecloths and tea pots, you should plan the whole thing in advance.

The tea menu is also the most vital component in a tea party and you should plan the menu according to your guests’ dietary preferences. A typical afternoon tea party menu consists of a selection of savory finger sandwiches (small size sandwiches), baked rolls with cream and jam, and a selection of delicious cakes and pastries. All these mouth watering delicacies will delight your guests’ taste buds, but remember that the presentation must also be up to the mark.

Now, let’s come to the main part. Tea is definitely the center of attraction in a Tea Party. There is a wide selection of teas – organic white tea, organic green tea, organic black tea, and Herbal Tea. Selecting the right tea for the tea party depends largely on the weather. If the weather is cold serve the tea hot and on warm hot days serve the organic tea chilled. A popular tea for any tea party is Earl Grey tea. It is a light refreshing tea and is best served hot with or without milk/cream or sugar/honey/sweetener. It can also be used to make iced tea.

Serve your hot organic tea in a special traditional tea set or if you want to add fun, how about using a different set of tea cups and saucers? You can serve the iced organic tea in a big glass pitcher. The colorful shade of the chilled organic tea with fruits and herbs such as mint will lift up the atmosphere of the tea party.

The taste of the tea and the setting will decide how successful your tea party is. So, plan ahead to choose the right tea and enjoy every sip of the tea.

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Art of Tea is a tea importer and wholesaler based in Los Angeles, California. We hand blend and custom craft the world’s finest organic teas and botanicals. Our teas are carefully selected directly from growers, each one offering a unique story. To know more visit us at: www.artoftea.com/

Black Tea Has Health Benefits

2010-04-05T14:57:00.000-04:00

Perhaps you've never been a tea drinker before, but you've decided to give it a whirl. Or maybe you already drink standard varieties of tea, but you'd like to try black tea for a change of pace. In any case, you're wondering how you should go about drinking this unusual full-bodied beverage.

To begin with, you should be aware of the fact that tea aficionados around the globe tend to make tea in a similar way. Yet, it is true that certain methods of tea preparation may differ from country to country and from region to region.

Favorite Methods

For example, in India, black tea is often steeped with a combination of milk and hot water. In Great Britain and the rest of the United Kingdom, tea tends to be stepped quite strong, with milk or a sweetener such as sugar or honey added to enhance the taste. In the United States, it's quite popular to microwave a cup of cold water in order to brew tea. However, it is a fact that many Americans are now opting for loose teas rather than tea bags.

What You Should Know About Black Tea

Black tea tends to vary in color from a shade of reddish brown to black. Interestingly enough, as black tea ages, it often becomes even more flavorful. In order to store black tea, you should place it in a location that is ventilated well, but you don't really have to worry about the temperature of the location. In general, black tea is formed into cakes that can be round, square, or tube-like. How black tea smells and tastes may depend largely on the location in which it was harvested. As a result, scent and flavor may vary significantly from region to region.

Black tea is known for its therapeutic benefits. For instance, fans of black tea in China tend to have little problem with cancer or other degenerative illnesses. In fact, they may have better overall health than non-tea drinkers.

Types of Black Tea

When thinking about buying black tea, it is important for you to know the varieties that are available. For instance, if you're interested in a high-quality tea, you might consider Keemun. This type of tea has a strong aroma and can be consumed with or without milk and sweetener. Another superior type is Darjeeling, an Indian tea that is known for its delicate taste. Meanwhile, Assam is a less spicy version of Keemun, but it is also known for its rich taste.

If you're interested in a Chinese black tea, you might consider Lapsang Souchong, which is characterized by an unusual smoky flavor. For a Chinese tea with a little bit of a kick, try Yunnan, which offers a hint of pepper.

If you prefer a lighter tea, the Indian Nilgiri may be best. However, be aware of the fact that Nilgiri requires expert steeping in order to achieve the right flavor.

Drinking Black Tea in Style
If you really want to drink black tea in style, you should consider indulging in it at a tea salon. Such salons are ever-present, not only in Chinese cities such as Beijing, but also in Taiwan. You should be aware of the fact that menus at tea salons tend to feature a range of items. In addition, the décor can differ significantly from salon to salon.

For the people of the Orient, tea salons can be as trendy as Starbucks cafes are in the Western world. Salons tend to stay open late enough to accommodate late-night patrons. They are also a favorite of young people. Visit a tea salon in China and you may find dozens of different varieties of teas available.

Some of the teas may have been aged two decades or more, causing them to have an especially appealing flavor. One Pu-erh tea is actually more than a century old and is considered a national treasure among the Chinese.

The tea salons of the Orient may also have a number of different sections, each reflecting a different kind of atmosphere. For instance, one section may be considered more or less a reading room, while another is best suited for playing games. As a result of this, tea salons are definitely classified as a "destination location."

Fun Ways to Enjoy Black Tea

There are certainly other entertaining ways that you can enjoy black tea. For instance, you might consider holding a tea-tasting party where you invite a group of friends to sample various black tea delicacies. Or you can plan a meal from the country of origin of your favorite blend of black tea. In other words, the possibilities for enjoying black tea are limited only by your own imagination.

Once you make black tea a regular part of your diet, you'll quickly discover that it may be able to soothe your nerves as nothing else can.

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Green Tea and Weight Loss

2010-04-02T05:04:00.000-04:00

For many years now, several benefits are attributed to drinking green tea. Today, researchers have come up with newer proofs to solidify the belief that green tea can be used as a treatment for obesity and for weight loss.

It is held that more than half of the American population have weight problems or are obese. Conditions like these are almost always linked to certain complications like heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, and hypertension. Weight loss can aid in assuaging the symptoms of some of these conditions.

Scientists have tirelessly investigated on the weight loss benefits of green tea. They have found that green tea can actually enhance the total amount of energy spent by the body. From their findings, they were able to deduce that green tea has great potential for a weight loss benefit.

Other researches were able to confirm the weight loss benefit of green tea. A recent study at the University of Geneva had the conclusion that, “Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se.” Where before it was generally believed that the caffeine content in green tea is the reason for its weight loss benefit, this recent study deviated from that theory. Green tea has other substances in them that are helpful in weight loss.

The same team who conducted the study on green tea’s caffeine content and weight loss banded together in Switzerland to perform another experiment. They were still able to come up with the same results – that green tea has several thermogenic attributes that make it perfect to use in any weight loss program.

Sample Studies: Green Tea and Weight Loss

Green tea reduces body fat accretion caused by high-fat diet in rats through beta-adrenoceptor activation of thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue. Conducted by chief scientist J.J. Choo of the Department of Food and Nutrition, Kunsan National University, this study aimed to find out if green tea can suppress body fat and to find out whether this suppression is connected with thermogenesis spurred by the body’s beta-adrenoceptor being activated.

To investigate the weight loss benefit of green tea on rats, the scientists placed their subjects on a high-fat diet and provided them with green tea extract. It was discovered that even though the rats were on a high-fat diet, the green tea extract counterbalanced fat gain without affecting the amount of energy they took in. Green tea was said to have shown some weight loss benefits in the fact that it can prevent fat from being stored, can increase protein levels, and promote thermogenesis by triggering beta-adrenoceptor to action.

Recent findings of green tea extract AR25 (Exolise) and its activity for the treatment of obesity.

This study is a collaborative work between Doctors P. Chantre and D. Lairon of the Laboratoires Arkopharma in Carros, France. Published in the 2002 issue of Phytomedicine, this study aimed to find out if green tea extract has weight loss benefits and can be a potential cure for obesity.
In their study, they used an 80% ethanolic concentrate in green tea extract with standardized 25% catechins. They tested the green tea extract and were able to find that it could directly inhibit gastric and pancreatic lipases. These enzymes are the primary cause of fat storage and by delaying their actions; green tea extract therefore exhibits a weight loss benefit that can help solve obesity problems.

It was also discovered in this study that green tea can stimulate thermogenesis. Given to moderately obese patients, the green tea extract was said to have caused a decrease in weight by 4.6% and a reduction of waist circumference by 4.48% after only three months. The findings of the study clearly implicate the weight loss benefits of green tea.

The Wonderful Benefits of Green Tea

2010-04-01T16:57:00.001-04:00

There are only a few herbs that can surpass the impressive history of Chinese diet green tea. Dating back more than 4,000 years, Chinese diet green tea has been long revered as a tasty drink that can ward off diseases and improve one’s well-being.

Since its first recorded use during the time of Emperor Shen Nung, the link between Chinese diet green tea and good health has never been severed. Today, further studies are made to test the benefits of the remarkable health elixir that is Chinese diet green tea.

Traditional Health Benefits of Chinese Diet Green Tea

According to tradition, Chinese diet green tea could cure anything from headaches, body aches, and pains to constipation and depression. Over the centuries, further more health claims are made on account of Chinese diet green tea.

Chinese diet green tea is said to increase the blood flow throughout the body. Because Chinese diet green tea contains a little caffeine, ingesting this drink stimulates the heart and allows the blood to flow more freely through the blood vessels. For the same reason that Chinese diet green tea stimulates blood flow, it also stimulates mental clarity.

Chinese diet green tea detoxifies the body. The presence of polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant in Chinese diet green tea, the beverage is said to combat harmful free radicals and help keep the body free from diseases. In this regard, Chinese diet green tea helps maintain the overall well-being of the body. Antioxidants in Chinese diet green tea can boost immunity, preserve young-looking skin, and brighten the eyes.

Chinese diet green tea aids in digestion and banishes fatigue. Chinese diet green tea is also said to prolong the lifespan.

For many years, men of science remained skeptical about the health claims made by Chinese diet green tea enthusiasts. Their doubt was changed to a more positive reception when subsequent researchers proved the disease-preventing attributes of Chinese diet green tea and confirmed most of the health claims.

Chinese Diet Green Tea and the Heart

Study after study has shown that drinking Chinese diet green tea and eating polyphenol-rich foods reduces the risk of any heart complications. Drinking Chinese diet green tea also helps strengthen the blood vessels that provide oxygen and valuable nutrients to the heart and brain. It has been shown that men who drink Chinese diet green tea have 75 percent less possibility of having a stroke than those who don’t drink Chinese diet green tea.

Chinese diet green tea helps lower total cholesterol levels and improve the ratio between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Study shows that men who drink nine or more cups of Chinese diet green tea daily have lower cholesterol levels than those who drink fewer than two cups.

Chinese Diet Green Tea and Longevity

The role of Chinese diet green tea in promoting longevity has been investigated upon by many researchers. They found the premise of their study on observing that Japanese women who are greater-than-average Chinese diet green tea drinkers; have lower mortality rates compared to others. This led the researchers to believe that Chinese diet green tea has “a protective factor against premature death.”

The polyphenols found in Chinese diet green tea may be held accountable. With its high amount of polyphenols, Chinese diet green tea seems to have a stimulating effect on the immune system. Stronger immune system as a result of drinking Chinese diet green tea helps reduce risks of acquiring any illnesses.

The Benefits of Drinking Green Tea with Hoodia, Rice or Ginseng

2010-03-31T15:33:00.001-04:00

Green tea is considered to be one of the healthiest teas to consume. It is claimed that drinking green tea can help you lose weight, prevent cancer, provide health benefits related to multiple sclerosis, heart disease, arthritis and cardiovascular diseases.

You can combine green tea with other plants and extracts to further increase its effectiveness. Green tea products can include hoodia, ginseng or even brown rice.

Brown rice is unpolished and whole providing the body with all the nutrients and benefits that comes directly from the plants. There is no processing to deplete brown rise. The bran in the brown rice provides iron, phosphorous, fiber, niacin and thiamin, all nutrients which contribute to weight loss. Add green tea and the impact in elevated exponentially.

Ginseng is chock full of antioxidants which are essential in dealing with glaucoma, cancer, macular degeneration tec. Combine green tea and ginseng and you have the added benefits of an anti-allergen, anti-microbal and inti-inflammatory drink.

If you are struggling with weight loss and nothing seems to work, try hoodia and green tea. Many companies use hoodia to make diet supplements. The two combined will work to suppress the appetite and boost your metabolism to make your weight loss more effective and efficient.

Simply put is the ingredients have their own set of benefits due to their nutritional compounds which become amplified when combined together.

The Pleasures of Herbal Tea

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Herbal teas are not derived from tea plants but from various herbs and plants. They are very versatile and can even be used for cooking.

A wonderful way to truly enjoy herbal teas is using herbs directly from your own garden. There are many herbs which will help your health. Choosing to grow those herbs means you have a source of a healthy tea when you use them to brew a cuppa.

There are teas that will help with fever, stress, blood pressure and even diabetes. I'll talk about them in another posting. Herbs can be dried and used all winter long. Drinking tea daily is good for you and most enjoyable. There are many health benefits of drinking tea that is not associated with drinking coffee.

I like cold tea; I take fresh herbs with a pitcher of water, and about two cups of fresh herbs. Then in about a day your fresh herbs that you have grown in your new garden. Have the time to soak in the water. Now just sit back in the shade and enjoy a cold brew of your fresh tea.