*Tea is the name of the bush, Camellia Sinensis, and also the infusion made by steeping its leaves, buds and/or twigs in hot water for several minutes.

*The tea bush is native to Asian countries like China, Japan, India, and Sri Lanka, although it is widely popular as a beverage all over the world. It is the second most widely consumed beverages in the world, only next to water.

*Young tea leaves and buds are harvested (by hand picking or machines), withered to reduce the moisture content and make them more pliable, crushed and rolled to break the cells in the leaves and release the enzymes, allowed to oxidize, fired to stop the oxidation process, and finally graded and packed.

*There are 4 main varieties of tea – white, green, oolong, black – depending on how they are processed.

*Green tea is the slightly more processed than the white tea. The young or immature leaves are harvested, allowed to wither, crushed and rolled, allowed to oxidize only a little, and then packed.

*Tea prepared with these leaves is light green in color with a naturally sweet flavor.

*It has gained popularity all over the world for its high antioxidant content and their health benefits.

*The green tea is prepared by rinsing the tea pot with hot water. Then take the required amount of tea leaves in the pot, pour hot water (at about 185 F) on the leaves, and then allow it to infuse for 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the tea leaves and serve with or without sweetener.

*Buying and storage: Select good quality green tea, loose or in bags. Store it in an airtight container in a cool dark place. Do not refrigerate.

Is it raw?

Yes, Green tea is very slightly processed just enough to develop the flavor and color. Make sure you read the label.

Health Benefits

1. As green tea is not allowed to oxidize, it has a naturally sweet flavor, light green color, relatively high antioxidant and low caffeine content.

2. Tea has almost no calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, or vitamins. The health benefits of tea are due to the presence of a variety of phytonutrients like antioxidant polyphenols and flavonoids.

3. Catechins and their derivatives are the most widely studied flavonoids present in tea. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant catechin present in tea, especially white and green teas, has been studied for its anti-cancer and antioxidant effects.

4. EGCG present in green tea has antioxidant properties, and just like Vitamin E and C, scavenges the free radicals that damage our cells and reduces the risk of heart diseases, cancer, anti-inflammatory and other degenerative diseases.

5. Regular consumption of 3 or more cups of green tea per day reduces the risk of coronary artery diseases and other cardiovascular diseases. Also reduces the risk of death due to all causes.

6. Catechins present in green tea reduce the LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, and improve the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.

7. Catechins help thin the blood and prevent the formation of blood clots, thus reducing the risk of platelet aggregation, stroke or heart attack.

8. Prevents cancer by inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells and arresting their growth, leading to the suicide of cancer cells called apoptosis. Tea is effective against a wide variety of cancers like prostate, breast, ovarian, colorectal, liver, lungs, and bladder cancers.

9. Regular consumption of green tea improves the efficacy of cancer drugs and reduces their side effects.

10. Improves the insulin sensitivity in Type II Diabetes.

11. Regular consumption of tea helps in mineralization of bones, thus reducing the risk of osteoporosis. It works by increasing the calcium deposition in bones (bone density).

12. Catechins in tea are also effective against the bacteria that cause gum diseases and also destroy the teeth.

13. Inhibits the activity of gastric and pancreatic lipases, thus slowing down the rate at which fats are broken down to triglycerides from food and decreasing the blood triglyceride levels. These triglycerides generally get deposited as visceral fat, leading to obesity. Thus consumption of tea reduces the risk of obesity.