Benefit of drinking green tea

Benefit of drinking green tea: The proof is in -- drinking tea is healthy, says Harvard Women’s Health Watch

Although tea drinking has been associated with health benefits for centuries, only in recent years have its medicinal properties been investigated scientifically. The October issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch recognizes the healthy power of tea while helping readers get the most out of their cups.

Tea's health benefits are largely due to its high content of flavonoids — plant-derived compounds that are antioxidants. Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder.

Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to non-consumers of tea.

The October issue provides a few tips to get the most out of tea-drinking:

Drinking a cup of tea a few times a day to absorb antioxidants and other healthful plant compounds. In green-tea drinking cultures, the usual amount is three cups per day. Allow tea to steep for three to five minutes to bring out its catechins. The best way to get the catechins and other flavonoids in tea is to drink it freshly brewed. Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink tea preparations, and instant teas have less of these compounds. Tea can impede the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables. Adding lemon or milk or drinking tea between meals will counteract this problem.http://teahealth1.blogspot.com/2010/03/benefit-of-drinking-green-tea.html

Meet some of the Mount Fuji Team

Meet some of the Mount Fuji Team: Mount Fuji International has unique links to food producers in the Shizuoka Prefecture and is totally commited to boosting the profile of this unique and special region. Meet the Baba San family, this family run company has been making sweets for over 165 years and is now on it's 8th generation. The recipe's that they use has not changed since they started. Catechin which is in tea is the main part that provides the heath poperties, so if it can be extracted then you can have an easier way to gain the health benefits of green tea in a more concentrated form. http://teahealth1.blogspot.com/2010/03/meet-some-of-mount-fuji-team.html

What İs White Tea

Look for White Tea to Become the Latest Hot New Food Trend

White tea has arrived in North America. While Chinese tea drinkers have been hip to white tea’s benefits since the Ming Dynasty, until recently it was virtually unknown outside of Asia. Not anymore. Today, everyone from chefs to medical researchers is praising white tea’s delicate flavor and purported health benefits. Market researchers predict consumers will soon share their enthusiasm, turning white tea into one of the hottest new food trends.

But, what is white tea? Most tea aficionados know that all tea comes from the same source: the Camilla Sinensis tea bush. Whether a tea leaf winds up in a cup of green, black, or oolong tea depends entirely on what happens after it is plucked. Black tea derives its dark color and full flavor from a complex fermentation process that includes exposing crushed tea leaves to the air for a strictly defined number of minutes. Tea leaves meant for more mellow tasting green tea are not fermented at all, but merely withered in hot air and quickly steamed or pan-fried. A gentle rolling and final heating stabilizes the tea’s natural flavors. Oolong teas fall somewhere in the middle: partial fermentation gives them a distinct reddish colour and a “flowery” flavor.

So, where does white tea fit into the picture? White tea is made from immature tea leaves that are picked shortly before the buds have fully opened. The tea takes its name from the silver fuzz that still covers the buds, which turns white when the tea is dried. The exact proportion of buds to leaves varies depending on the variety of white tea. For example, White Peony contains one bud for every two leaves, while Silver Needles, the crème de la crème of white teas, is made entirely from downy buds picked within a two day period in early Spring.

Of course, an exotic appearance alone doesn’t explain white tea’s sudden surge in popularity. The secret lies in what happens after the buds are plucked. Tea leaves destined to be sold as white tea undergo even less processing than green tea leaves. Instead of air-drying, the unwithered leaves are merely steamed.

The result? A pale tea with a sweet, silky flavor. People who have tried both note that white tea lacks the “grassy” aftertaste so often associated with green tea. Furthermore, studies indicate that white tea is better for you. Leaving tea leaves so close to their natural state means that white tea contains more polyphenols, the powerful anti-oxidant that fights and kills cancer-causing cells, than any other type of tea.

Need another reason to drink white tea? A 2004 study at Pace University concluded that white tea can help your body’s immune system fight off viruses and dangerous infection-causing bacteria. The same study concluded that fluoride-rich white tea helps prevent the growth of dental plaque, the chief cause of tooth decay.

Of course, nothing in life is perfect. Expect to pay more for white tea than other tea types - up to $25 US for a 2-ounce tin (40 to 50 cups) of Silver Needles. And, while many tea shops are starting to carry white tea, shopping online is still your best bet for the more upscale varieties.

Link:http://teahealth1.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-is-white-tea.html

Tea Consumption - Tea Health

Tea Consumption
Because of the importance of pure water for good health, the act of boiling water is an essential task in many parts of the world. History tells us that Emperor Shen Nung was one of the first people to discover the importance of boiled water, as well as having discovered tea. Today, the consumption of tea is just as important as the consumption of drinking water. On average about 2½ million metric tons of tea are produced worldwide. Some of this tea is retained by producing countries for internal consumption, while the rest is traded either directly to value-added resellers in other countries or bought through auction on the open market. India and China are the largest consumers of tea on the basis of total leaf used, and this consumption is largely from internal production.
These countries are the largest producers of tea, as well. The UK is the largest per-capita consumer of tea averaging about 3.5 to 4.0 cups per day.

Green Tea Extrack

Quality control Because green tea extract products have numerous and varied characteristics, evaluation of their quality should be based not only on two or three specified marker components but should include many other test factors appropriate for evaluating multi-component systems.Our researchers have isolated the biologically active compounds in green tea extract and have developed assays to assure an unvarying final product with uniform potency and purity. We make extensive use of HPLC, TLC and electron microscopy to make sure that every lot of raw material is of the species desired and is free of all pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, heavy metals and organic contaminants.In this way, we closely monitor and control all factors in the production of green tea extract preparations, from the selection of raw tea leaves to the manufacture and packaging of final product, employing state-of-the-art quality control at every stage to assure a final product of the highest quality.The high, uniform quality of our products is made possible by a stringently controlled manufacturing process that aims to assure quality at each step in the analysis, inspection and production process, and which includes specialized technology and know-how in the selection, storage and processing of raw materials. Manufacturing operations are conducted in full compliance with strict governmental standards and employ highly advanced technologies.

Our commitment ZJCOF’s excellent reputation in the green tea extract market can be attributed to the company's rigorous ethical orientation. Dedicated to making green tea extract and purified EGCg better known and more widely available for the well-being and health of people around the world, ZJCOF can provide consumers with high-quality green tea extract and purified EGCg products which are standardized, efficacious and proven to be safe.

Covering the Basics-Oolong Tea

There's one question I get asked on more-or-less a daily basis, and it is this: What is the deal with Wu Long slimming tea? The term "wu long" is almost always used, and the word "slimming" appears just about every time as well.

It's actually a good question, and I don't get tired of answering it. My punk-rock roots are showing: every time I answer this question I get to save someone from being scammed by an evil corporation.

But let's back up. Let's discuss what exactly this tea is, how it's made, and how it tastes, and then we'll talk about diets.

First of all, "wu long," while accurate, is not the preferred term. Coming from the Chinese "wu"--"black"--and "lung"--dragon--the tea is more commonly termed "oolong" in the West--in fact, is considered the standard.

The production of oolong requires that the leaves be processed directly after picking. First the leaves are wilted in the sun for a short period of time. They are placed into baskets and shaken, which bruises the leaves. The juices in the leaves are now exposed to the air, which begins the process of oxidation. The leaves are then spread out to dry. After a period of time--less than 2 hours for Chinese oolongs, longer for Taiwanese oolongs, the tea is fired, which stops the fermentation process.

Oolongs are traditionally fired into hot woks and cooked very quickly. After that is done, the leaves may be further fermented, and then fired again. Ultimately we have crisp, dry leaves.

Oolong tea is often scented with jasmine flowers. Jasmine flowers are picked, and the tea leaves are steamed in order to hold scent well. (Often, green tea leaves are used for this process, but the process of scenting partially oxidizes the leaves, causing them to be considered oolong.) Jasmine flowers bloom at night; they are picked early in the day and mixed in with the tea at night, when they open and release their scent. The scent is infused into the leaves, and the process is repeated over a couple of nights. So. Now that we've gotten that cleared up, let's take a look at the infamous Wu Long Tea Diet. The pitch, if you're going on any of several sketchy sites online, is that here is a rare tea imported directly from a special mountain in China that will make you lose so many pounds in so many days. It'll burn fat and trim your waistline. Only this tea will do, so act now!

On a sidenote, my personal theory for why the term "wu long" is used instead of the more standardized "oolong" is to increase the exotic aura and prolong the sense of rareness. Adagio and most other companies have an "oolong" section, but they don't have one labeled "wu long." The tea isn't rare. I can tell you that for a fact, and I can prove it to you by taking a walk a few hundred feet away and picking up as much of it as I can carry.

I made this point clear very often, but this is one that can never be repeated too often: all tea is made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. Whether you get green, white, oolong, or black tea depends on how you process it. There will be different amounts of antioxidants and other chemicals in different varieties--but for the most part, the difference is negligible. If you're drinking tea for health benefits, you don't need to drink a specific kind--just pick a kind that you like. On that score alone, the "wu long tea helps you lose weight" is inaccurate--you'd be able to get the same benefits from drinking any tea.

But what exactly are these benefits, as far as weight is concerned? Like any fad diet, the results look much better on paper than they do in real life. I'll say this quite frankly: you are not going to lose a significant amount of weight from drinking tea. Tea does speed up the metabolism. The number that I usually see is around 4%. That translates to roughly 8 pounds a year. Which is, of course, nice--but it's nowhere near the miraculous results that are usually bandied about. Drinking tea will be a nice (and delicious!) supplement to a healthy and sane diet and exercise plan, and it certainly can help you avoid those periods where you stay at a certain weight, but on its own it won't do that much. Anyone who tells you differently is selling you an inferior product at about twice what you ought to be paying for it.

There are, while I'm on the subject, several herbal teas that you can buy which claim to be weight loss teas. Stay away from those--while oolong or wu long or whatever you like to call it will never be harmful, your average weight loss tea can be. Those usually work by being strong diuretics and laxatives, so you'll drop a lot of water weight quickly, but not only will you have to deal with problems related to dehydration, many of them can mess up your digestive system irrevocably. Cutting out fats and sweets and switching to non-soda drinks (which tea can help you do!), plus getting out for a walk every so often is a much healthier--and effective--method.

So now that we're drinking oolong, what should you try first? By far our most popular is the Jasmine #12, which is one of the scented teas. It's also known as Dragon Pearls, and it comes rolled into tiny balls of sweet-smelling leaves. When you add water to them, the pearls unroll into leaves.

Wuyi Ensemble is a darker, non-scented oolong that I'll admit to hating at first. It grew on me and it's one of my favorites now. It's got a very strong but not bitter taste to it. The most recent TeaChef contest used Wuyi as the secret ingredient, so if you're a cook, you'll find some handy recipes to go with the tea.

Ti Kuan Yin is a grassy-tasting oolong which is named after the Chinese Goddess of Mercy. A story, which I rather like, tells of a poor farmer who tended a run-down temple dedicated to her. After many months of cleaning and sweeping and lighting incense, the goddess appeared to him and, in gratitude for his service, gave him a gift: a tea plant. The farmer cultivated the plant and such is this tea's origin.

But my personal favorite oolong is Oolong #40, which is a very dark and rich oolong. Oolong #40 is a Taiwanese Oolong. In the tea world, these are known as "Formosa" teas, coming from the Portuguese word for "beautiful." Portuguese explorers and sailors, upon discovering the island, apparently liked what they saw, and their adjective stuck.

Oolong does not have a blanket method of preparation as black teas do, as there are darker and lighter oolongs. For lighter teas, like the Jasmine #12, you'll want to use a teaspoon of tea steeped in 180 degree water for about five minutes. Darker oolongs, like the Wuyi, get steeped in boiling (212 degree) water, for closer to seven. Remember that all of Adagio's tins feature temperature and time guidelines on their fronts, so you'll be able to tell easily! While all teas can hold multiple infusions, oolong teas are particularly good for this--many people say that oolongs don't mature into their full flavor until the second or even third infusion, so experiment!

Green tea is also touted as a healthy kind of tea, but as we're keeping the "all tea comes from the same plant" mantra in the back of our minds, we know that it's got the same benefits as all other types of tea, so the information on dieting that I've just given you is equally valid. But still, green tea is an important and popular facet of the tea world, and it deserves its own look. Next month, I'll be examining just what makes green tea so special.

What does the research say about coffee and health

Question

Coffee and health: What does the research say?

What does the research say about coffee and health? Is coffee good or bad for me?

Answer

from Donald Hensrud, M.D.

Coffee has a long history of being blamed for many ills — from the humorous "It will stunt your growth" to the not-so-humorous claim that it causes heart disease and cancer. But recent research indicates that coffee may not be so bad after all. So which is it — good or bad? The best answer may be: It doesn't seem to hurt, and it may help.

Recent studies have generally found no connection between coffee and an increased risk of cancer or heart disease. Why the apparent reversal in the thinking about coffee? Earlier studies didn't always take into account that known high-risk behaviors, such as smoking and physical inactivity, tended to be more common among heavy coffee drinkers.

However, the research appears to bear out some risks. High consumption of unfiltered coffee is associated with mild elevations in cholesterol levels. And another study found that two or more cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of heart disease in people with a specific — and fairly common — genetic mutation that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body. So, how quickly you metabolize coffee may affect your health risks.

Newer studies have also shown that coffee may have benefits, such as protecting against Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes and liver cancer. But this doesn't mean you should disregard the old maxim "Everything in moderation." Although coffee may not be harmful, other beverages such as milk and juice contain important nutrients that coffee does not. Also, keep in mind that coffee accompaniments such as cream and sugar add calories and fat to your diet. Finally, heavy caffeine use — such as four to seven cups of coffee a day — can cause problems such as restlessness, anxiety, irritability, sleeplessness and headaches.