Green tea acts as a functional food

Discussions of food normally were focussed on its nutritional conten and its flavor. Recently, however, more attention is being paid to the role of food in bio-regulating functions. Foods that possess this regulatory function are called "functional food." Dr. Inaba(#20) classifies food by function. If we classify green tea and green tea catechin according to this table, they possess the following functions : (1) bio-defensing function by preventing cancer through fortification of the immune system, (2) disease-preventing function by preventing high blood pressure or diabetes, (3) disease-recovery function by inhibiting the rise of cholesterol, (4) physical rhythm-controlling function by stimulating the central nervous system with caffeine and (5) aging-suppressing function by roviding the body with antioxidants.

Green tea fights virus

Dr. Okada(#17) has noted the fact that tobacco growers use an exudat of green tea to prevent crop damage by the tobacco mosaic virus an verified that green tea catechin suppresses the growth of this virus. I addition, Prof. Shimamura(#18) has determined that green tea catechin and theaflavin (an oxidized form of catechin) present in black tea have a stron effect on the influenza virus. Green tea catechin and black tea theaflavi directly act on the influenza virus and inactivate it. It appears, therefore, that gargling with green or black tea is very effective in preventing influenza. This effect is increased by keeping the green tea catechin and the virus in contact as long as possible.

Green tea stops cavities

Dental techniques have improved greatly in the past few years, but once teeth have been damaged by cavities they can never be restored to their original condition. It is of the highest priority, therefore, to prevent cavities from developing in the first place. By the end of the 19th century, it had been determined that cartes are caused by cariogenic bacteria. The cariogenic bacteria first produce non-watersoluble glucan from sugar or other foods, and this glucan adheres to the tooth enamel as hard plaque. Next, they feed on sugar to generate acids such as lactic acid in the plaque. These acids then dissolve the tooth enamel. That in brief is the mechanism of cavity production.

Green tea refreshes the body

Tea contains caffeine which, when taken in the proper quantity, simulates every organ in the body. It has a particularly strong effect on the central nervous system, heart and liver. This reaction is even more pronounced when one is sleepy or tired. A cup of tea or coffee will help clear a dull mind after rising in the morning or after a prolonged period without sleep. The power to stimulate and awaken the mind comes from caffeine. It is also said that the amount of caffeine contained in normal servings of green tea can stimulate the skeletal muscles and facilitate muscular contraction. For this reason, it is quite helpful to drink tea or coffee in the middle of work to refresh the mind and restore the body.

People’s lifestyles have been changing tremendously over the past decade.there has been an increasing incidence of heart diseases and diabetes due to change of food habits.green tea has been found to have many medicinal properties due to antioxidants found in it,approximately 42mg of catechin.it has been found to be effective in lowering total cholesterol thus reducing risk of cardiovascular disease.it inhibits formation of blood clots.green tea has also been found to be effective in killing cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue.green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols which are oxidised in black tea due to fermentation.its is advisable to have 3-4 cups of green tea everyday.

Antioxidants in Green and Black Tea

Read the tea leaves, caffeine lovers. Tea is gaining ground over coffee. Even Starbucks is bucking up its tea menu. The health benefits of tea are one compelling reason: Green and black teas have 10 times the amount of antioxidants found in fruits and veggies, by one estimate.

Studies of humans and animals show that the antioxidants in black and green teas are highly beneficial to our health, says 82-year-old John Weisburger, PhD, senior researcher at the Institute for Cancer Prevention in Valhalla, N.Y.

"I've published more than 500 papers, including a hell of a lot on tea," says Weisburger, who drinks 10 cups daily. "I was the first American researcher to show that tea modifies the metabolism to detoxify harmful chemicals."

Green tea, black tea, oolong tea -- they all come from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The leaves are simply processed differently, explains Weisburger. Green tea leaves are not fermented; they are withered and steamed. Black tea and oolong tea leaves undergo a crushing and fermenting process.

All teas from the camellia tea plant are rich in polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant. These wonder nutrients scavenge for cell-damaging free radicals in the body and detoxify them, says Weisburger. "Astounding" aptly describes tea's antioxidant power, he tells WebMD. "Whether it's green or black, tea has about eight to 10 times the polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables."

Black and green both have different types of antioxidants than fruits and vegetables. Thearubigins, epicatechins, and catechins are among those listed in a USDA chart. All are considered flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Brewed green and black teas have loads of those, the chart shows. (Herbal teas may also contain antioxidants but less is known about them, Weisburger says.)

"In my lab, we found that green and black tea had identical amounts of polyphenols," he tells WebMD. "We found that both types of tea blocked DNA damage associated with tobacco and other toxic chemicals. In animal studies, tea-drinking rats have less cancer."

Look at the world's big tea drinkers, like Japan and China. "They have much less heart disease and don't have certain cancers that we in the Western world suffer," says Weisburger.

Green Tea, Black Tea: Packed With Antioxidants

"The scientific evidence about tea is evolving and I think it's compelling," Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, tells WebMD.

Tea is a great example of the past decade's research of antioxidants, he says. "There is a pretty consistent body of evidence suggesting there is a benefit to tea. Tea is a very rich source of a specific kind of antioxidant called flavonoids."

The detoxifying effect of these antioxidants protects cells from free radicals, the damage that can lead to blood clot formation, atherosclerosis, and cancer, says Weisburger.

There is a steadily growing body of research in the academic world supporting the use of green tea for rapid weight loss. Why is green tea a good choice when attempting to quickly reduce your waistline? There are many beneficial reasons to add green tea to your diet regimen when trying to lose weight fast:

Green tea is high in antioxidants with play a major role in the removal of toxins from you body and assists your metabolism with peak functioning to burn more calories. In addition, antioxidants assist the body in cancer prevention. Green tea is naturally in possession of high levels of antioxidants not found in other teas.

Green tea also tends to raise your energy levels, which encourages you to exercise and be more active during dieting. You will recall that exercise assists your body in building lean muscle to further raise your metabolism, while burning more calories both at rest and while exercising. Increased burning of calories results in significantly faster weight loss than when we diet alone.

Green tea also assists the body with mental clarity. You will feel less of the mental fogginess or sluggishness we often feel while dieting. Mental clarity again helps us in general feeling of increased energy and well being, both of which are factors in staying focused on your weight loss goals.

Green Tea is a negative calorie food. While containing no calories, it encourages the body to burn many more calories than you would on your own.

When learning about the beneficial effects of green tea and diet, I found over 2,000 recent studies on the topic of green tea and its effects on diet and weight loss. What

Was the most startling discovery from such a large body of data? Green tea has one other very important quality; it seems to help the body block the energy you take in from converting it into fat.

Why is this important? Green tea assists your body to become a fat burning machine by helping your body to become more efficient at metabolizing already stored fat, while it blocks your body from storing new fat from the foods you are currently taking in. You burn off what you take in today, and then get to work on more efficiently ridding yourself of what you have already stored as excess pounds. Isn’t that the goal of every weight loss plan? It certainly explains the reasons why green tea helps with rapid weight loss when coupled with proper diet and exercise.

How much green tea do you need to drink to get this very beneficial rapid weight loss effect? Just 3 cups per day will have you losing weight much more rapidly than without drinking green tea for weight loss.

Types of Chinese Tea

Green tea Green tea is the variety which keeps the original colour of the tea leaves without fermentation during processing. This category consists mainly of Longjing tea of Zhejiang Province, Maofeng of Huangshan Mountain in Anhui Province and Biluochun produced in Jiangsu. Dragon Well is an expensive type of tea. Used to be the tea for rich people. It's green and natural flavor is remarkable.

Black tea Black tea, known as "red tea" (hong cha) in China, is the category which is fermented before baking; it is a later variety developed on the basis of the green tea. The best brands of black tea are Qihong of Anhui , Dianhong of Yunnan, Suhong of Jiangsu, Chuanhong of Sichuan and Huhong of Hunan. White tea This special tea is high in antioxidants and consists totally of young buds that are covered with white down. A complex and subtle light sweet taste This rare tea consists of only singular tender buds picked in Spring before they open and laid out on mats and air dried. The reason for the name, "White Down Silver Needles," is quite apparent with one glance at the buds.

Wulong tea This represents a variety half way between the green and the black teas, being made after partial fermentation. It is a specialty from the provinces on China's southeast coast: Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan.

Compressed tea This is the kind of tea which is compressed and hardened into a certain shape. It is good for transport and storage and is mainly supplied to the ethnic minorities living in the border areas of the country. As compressed tea is black in color in its commercial form, so it is also known in China as "black tea". Most of the compressed tea is in the form of bricks; it is, therefore, generally called "brick tea", though it is sometimes also in the form of cakes and bowls. It is mainly produced in Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

Scented tea This kind of tea is made by mixing fragrant flowers in the tea leaves in the course of processing. The flowers commonly used for this purpose are jasmine and magnolia among others. Jasmine tea is a well-known favorite with the northerners of China and with a growing number of foreigners.

I know what you're thinking - tea? Really? You've probably seen the commercials or read the reports on this fascinating and worldwide trend in personal healing and weight loss...

I'm hear today to show you that it's all TRUE, however the only thing that these diet companies and green tea manufacturers don't want you to know, is that you can MAKE YOUR OWN magic green tea that's EVEN MORE POWERFUL than their stuff, and safer too. If you're trying to get healthy, increase your blood circulation, get your heart beating properly, enhance your energy, and lose weight like it's nobody's business, then you MUST read this page, otherwise you're going to get suckered and scammed into the next site you look at or go back to look at... Green4Tea is the perfect all-in-one solution for SO many problems, in fact just off the top of my head, here are a few of the vital benefits various green tea's offer:

What's So Great About My Green Tea?!

Promotes good heart health...

Lowers cholesterol...

Reduces heart attacks...

Aids in weight loss...

Prevents skin damage...

Improves circulation...

Helps with good digestive health...

Soothes stress...

Is antibacterial...

Protects liver function...

Relaxes the body...

Prevents sun damage...

Helps protect against diabetes...

And strengthens bones...

Bolsters your immune system...

Improves your memory...

Sharpens your mental focus...

Promotes younger looking skin...

Helps prevent arthritis...

Removes toxins from your body...

Helps prevent cancer...

Calms the mind...

Aids in maintaining healthy eyes...

And helps heal lung damage...

Many people have been drinking green tea for centuries for all the positive aspects that it brings to your health.

This has spread to people worldwide and it is now the second most popular beverage in the world.

Green tea is said to have many health benefits, including lowering your cholesterol, boosting your immune system and helping to prevent cavities and tooth decay.

Green tea is a great nutritional supplement for everyone. It’s good for just about everything. You now see it in just about every fat burner supplement on the market. Everyone has green tea in the product in some form or fashion.

Green Tea contains compounds that do many things for the body. Green tea has tremendous antioxidant benefits. It’s antioxidant power is said to be stronger than vitamin C or E. This is great for those who are fitness minded. It would be a great supplement for athletes and those that train on a regular basis due to it’s power to destroy free radicals. People also say that using green tea contributes to overall well being, a “feel good” supplement if you will.

Because of this antioxidant power, green tea has also been recommended in anti-aging circles. Green tea can reduce oxidative stress which can prevent cell death and increasing your well being and help you live longer. It has also been said that it can protect your skin from UV damage caused by the sun.

Fitness enthusiasts like to use green tea supplements because they give them energy without giving them the jitters associated with energy products or fat burners that contain high amounts of caffeine. I have heard both sides. I have read articles that state that green tea is high in caffeine, and I have also read that green tea is low in caffeine. I tend to think that green tea is fairly low in caffeine, otherwise supplement manufacturers would not include high amounts other sources of caffeine in their product.

Fat Loss and Green Tea

Research has shown that taking green tea on a consistent basis can raise your metabolic rate by a few percent. That is the resting metabolic rate, or your rate at which you burn calories during normal daily activities. Dosages vary among green tea supplements. The dosage will depend on the amount of the active ingredient is used in making the green tea supplement. The active ingredient you want to look for is EGCG. Good supplements will show you the amount of EGCG in a serving of the product. They may also tell you the amount of polyphenols included as well.

If you are worried about the caffeine content in green tea, don’t. Green tea contains the lowest amount of caffeine of all teas. I guess you could say green tea is the most “natural” from of tea. It hasn’t been processed too much, which is the reason that it maintains most of its beneficial compounds. That being said, fat burners and energy products can have high amounts of green tea

Green tea is great for everyone, not just bodybuilders or athletes. Especially when it’s a good quality product that is taken consistently, everyone can benefit from this potent antioxidant.