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Benefits of Green Tea
Benefits of Green tea, camilla
sinesis, has long been known
for its beneficial health effects.
In the 16th century European explorers reported that the hot
medicinal drink was used to relieve fever, headache, stomach ache and joint
pain. Since that time the amazing
benefits of green tea has been expanded. Current
research shows that green tea helps prevent heart attacks and strokes, may
reduce multiple types of cancer, blocks DNA mutation, regulates blood sugar, lowers blood pressure, boosts immune
system, facilitates weight loss (just ask Oprah), helps prevents ulcers, slows
the aging process, fights viral colds and flu, prevents gum disease, cavities
and bad breath, osteoporosis and enhances metabolism.
Polyphenols makes this possible How can tea be a wonder beverage? It is all due to the
high levels of polyphenols found in both green and white teas.
Polyphenols are one
of natures most powerful anti oxidants.
Polyphenols are a class of phytochemicals
found in high concentrations in
green tea, and have been associated with heart
disease and cancer prevention.
The slight astringent, bitter taste of green tea
is attributed to polyphenols.
Catechins
- Catechins are a category of polyphenols. In green tea, catechins are
present
in significant quantities, more specifically; epicatechin (EC),
epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate
(EGCG).
EGCG makes
up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be
the most
powerful of the catechins – with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times
more
potent than vitamins C and E. A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of
polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli,
spinach, carrots or strawberries
Tannins
- A group of simple and complex phenol, polyphenol, and flavonoid compounds,
bound with starches, and often so amorphous that they are classified as tannins
simply because at some point in degradation they are astringent and contain
variations on
gallic acid. Produced by plants, tannins are generally protective
substances found
in the outer and inner tissues. All of the tannins are
relatively resistant to digestion or fermentation, and either decrease the
ability of animals to easily consume the
living plant, or, as in deciduous
trees, cause shed parts of the plant to decay so slowly that there is little
likelihood of infection to the living tree from rotting dead material
around its
base. All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting
structural proteins in the skin and mucosa.
Green teas contain 6 times the level of anti oxidants than
black teas, Japanese green tea
contains the highest level of anti oxidants in the green tea family, and white
tea due to
it’s minimal processing contains the most polyphenols of all the non
standardized teas
Green Tea Camellia
Leaves are spread out on floors or racks and allowed to wither
for a few
hours. The leaves are then heated to remove moisture and to stop the
oxidation
process. The next step is to dry until a small amount of
moisture remains. Green teas have
long been enjoyed for their
health-giving qualities
as well as their unique and often subtle
flavor. amusingly the aroma
and taste can be quite different from one another. The color of
the liquor
can range from a bright jade green to a pale yellow and is best when drink
without any additions.
Names of Green Tea
China
Green Tea
Dragonwell/
Lung Ching - Extra Fine Green Tea - large bag
Dragonwell/
Lung Ching - Superior Green Tea - small bag
Foojoy
China Green Tea - Decaffeinated
Golden
Bamboo Green Tea - large bag
Gunpowder
Green Tea
Heavenly
Snow Lotus Green Tea - large bag
How to Brew Tea
Herbal
Teas:
(Infusions)
STEP 1: Start
with cold water.
STEP 2:
Preheat your teapot: Simply boil enough water to fill the teapot one and one
half time. Pour the hot water into the teapot, swish it about.
This will heat the teapot up.
Then pour the used water out. Many people do not do this. Without
doing this step your tea becomes luke warm quickly
STEP 3:
Measure into the teapot 1 tsp. of loose tea for every cup you plan to
pour,
plus one for the pot. Trust me on this, it will make a
difference.
STEP 4:
For black teas, bring the water to a full boil. Remove the teakettle from
the heat as soon as the water begins to boil. Boiling all the oxygen out
of the water will flatten the tea's flavor.
STEP 5:
For more delicate green teas, remove the teakettle from the heat before
the water begins boiling, at 165-170 degrees F (74-77 degrees C). Or you
can add 1 part cold water
to 4 parts boiling water to cool it to the ideal temperature range.
STEP 6:
Before steeping, pour a small amount of the hot water over the tea
leaves, to allow them to bloom, or open up, and release some of their
bitter tannins. Drain immediately.
STEP 7:
Fill the pot with the boiling water. Keep the spout of the kettle
close to the teapot,
so the water does not cool as you pour it in. Cover the teapot and
leave the tea to brew. In general, black teas are best brewed for 4
to 5 minutes; green teas should brew for no more than 3 minutes.
STEP 8: When the tea is ready pour. Avoid
keeping leave in contact with the hot
water. Over-brewed tea will become
better, and unpleasant.
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| DARJEELING |
North
India |
3-5 minutes
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Darjeeling
Delicate, slightly astringent flavor. |
| ASSAM |
North
India |
3-5 minutes
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Assam
Full-bodied with a rich, smooth, malty flavor. If you have never
tried this tea before....you are really missing something. |
| CEYLON |
Sri
Lanka |
3-5 minutes
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Ceylon
Brisk, full flavor with a bright color A wonderful taste for the
Savvy tea drinker. |
| EARL
GREY |
China
(sometimes a blend of China and Darjeeling) |
3-5 minutes
|
Flavored
with the natural oil of citrus bergamot fruit. Earl Grey
Ah!, if you are a Star Trek fan, this is what Captain Pacard
orders, from the replicater. |
| OOLONG |
China
and Taiwan |
5-7 minutes
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Subtle,
delicate, lightly flavored tea. Oolong is the tea
that is usually served at Chinese Restaurants. |
| GUNPOWDER |
China |
3-5 minutes |
A
clear amber liquor with a sweet aroma and a pungent taste The
reason this tea is called Gunpowder, is because the leaves
are rolled into small pellet looking balls. |
| ROOIBOS |
South
Africa |
2-4 minutes |
Rooibos
has captured the sun's energy and the soil's nutrients and given
them to us in the form of the vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll,
enzymes, and most especially the enzyme superoxide dismutase,
(SOD) which appears to be the prime scavenger of free
radicals. |
| Shu
Mee White |
China |
1-3 minutes |
White
tea is the least processed tea. The leaves are simply withered
and dried. White tea has a higher level of polyphenols
that green tea. This tea brews to a light red color has a slightly
sweet taste with no "grassy" undertones.
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When the word tea is mention what comes to mind? Black Tea?
Green Tea? Oolong Tea? Herbal Tea? Medicinal Tea?
All green, black and oolong teas come from thea sinensis, an evergreen
shrub. The kind of tea produced is defined by the method in which the leaves
are processed. Green tea is the
first tender leaves of spring that are picked,
partially dried, rolled, steamed, crushed and dried again with hot air. Oolong
tea leaves have been allowed to semi ferment for an hour. Black teas are
slightly dried, rolled on tile and fermented for 3 hours to strengthen the bouquet and
flavor, yet reduce the bitterness. Names like oolong, black or jasmine tea
refer to how the tea was processed. Names such as Assam, Darjeeling, or Ceylon
refer to the country or region when the tea was grown. Names such as pekoe,
orange pekoe refer to the leaf size.
Tea is enjoyed by people all over the world. Whether the it is green tea,
that is brewed perfectly
before the taste of the tea turns bitter, or the rich aroma of
the black tea that has been steeped to
the precise color of golden brown to insure
that the taste is superior, and luxurious. Herbals teas
are renown for their
medicinal properties as well as their fragrance.
Tea is versatile and the taste can be changed simply by adding milk, honey,
Stevia,
or a slice of lemon peel to the tea.
Black Tea
Black Tea leaves contain a number of unique compounds in
significantly high levels. Included among them are flavonoids and phytochemicals.
Flavonoids have long been know to have anti-oxidant properties which prevent
cell damage thought to contribute to more than 50 diseases. Flavonoids also
appear to inhibit the formation of blood clots, thus reducing the risk of
stroke, and help prevent oxidation of low-density
lipoprotein (the "bad"
cholesterol), which can damage arteries. Both black and green tea may help
prevent certain kinds of cancer, including breast, colon and lung cancer by
detoxifying cancer-causing agents. Black
tea may take up to ten separate steps to process, black tea is fully fermented leaves and is
also referred to as red tea for the dark reddish color of their brew. The leaves
start out whole but are usually broken or torn during processing. Taste can
range from slightly fruity to pungently smoky and are sometimes taken with milk, sugar, lemon or other additives.
- Carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, has antioxidant and protective
properties.
- Thiamin (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2) are both essential for
releasing energy from food.
- Nicotinic acid and pantothenic acid are necessary for the release of
energy from fat and carbohydrate.
- Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is essential for a healthy immune system.
- Vitamin B6 is involved in the metabolism of proteins
- Black tea also affects the bacterial enzyme glucosyltranferase which is
responsible for converting sugars into the sticky matrix material that plaque
uses to adhere to teeth
Oolong
Oolong
Combining
elements of green and black tea processes, Oolong tea is semi-fermented, that
is, moisture are kept within the leaves for a longer period of time than the
green tea leaves. After wilting, the usually larger, older leaves are carefully
rolled around on rattan trays in order to "bruise" their outer edge.
The black outer and green inner parts of the leaf give this tea its
characteristic qualities. The flavor is usually a light brown and can sometimes
reveal a slight fruity taste. Some high grade Oolong leaves can even be brewed
up to 10 times without fading in flavor
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Please note: Definitions of
the following forms which are products are sold in.
| Powdered Concentrates |
5:1 Ratio of an herb in
Powder form. 100 gram container size.(3.5 oz)
This has been processed, and usually has dextrin added. |
| Powdered Herb |
This is the herb, root,
berry, twig, or any form of the herb, which has been Powdered into a
fine mesh which usually can be put into capsules. Most of the Powders herbs are in a 1 pound size, unless otherwise
noted. |
| Cut and Sift |
This the herb, root,
berry, twig, or any form of herb cut into manageable pieces. In
general about 1/4 thick. Size of herbs are 1 pound containers |
| Whole |
In very rare occasion
herbs are whole, for example the Reishi Mushroom,
Noto Ginseng, Mandrake, and Marigolds. Size of herbs are 1 pound
containers. If concerned please call. |
| Teapills |
These are small pills
which have already been formulated and made into small pills.
Usually the size of small peas. The teapills are swallowed whole.
The formula is usually based on Ancient Chinese Medicine. |
| Capsules |
Are Gelatin Capsules,
unless noted as vegetarian capsules. Please see each individual
product for further information |
| Tablets |
Are a hard tablet ranging
in various sizes. Please see each individual product for further
information |
| Extracts |
An extract is produced by adding alcohol to
an herb and letting the medium activate the components
of the herbs, as well as to preserve the herbs |
| Loose Leaf |
The herb is not in a teabag. It is
loose in the packaging. Sizes of the leaf vary from 1/4 inch
to 1 inch depending on herb and brand. |
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