Your cart
There are no more items in your cart
Discover the health benefits of green tea
Green tea; a tea made from leaves of the Camellia Sinensis bush is tightly intertwined into the Chinese culture and holds tremendous status. It has rapidly gained popularity throughout the world due to its various health benefits and has now became a staple in many peoples lives.
History of Green Tea
The cultivation of green tea for medicinal reasons can be dated back to 206-220. However, the leisurely use of green tea in China only came about in 600-900 in the early days of the Tang Dynasty following an accidental incident with the Herbalist Emperor ShenNong followed by an in-depth book about green tea by Lu Yu.
It has been reported that green tea leaves accidentally fell into the hot water of the Legendary ShenNong on his travels which he drank unknowingly. He felt so refreshed that he made an order to his soldiers to prepare this daily and it soon became a staple beverage in the grand home of ShenNong. Following this, Lu Yu wrote a nation changing book named “The Classic of Tea” or “Cha Jing” which explored green tea culture in depth. This gave people an in-depth insight into green tea, describing how to brew it and cultivate it. As a result, the indulgence of green tea became so popular. A ritual formal tea ceremony arose from this which was exclusive to the wealthiest and as a result, green tea became symbolic of wealth and status
The leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant which are plucked, and cooked to preserve the green quality and prevent oxidisation are used for green tea. This means that green teas have higher concentration of chlorophyll, polyphenols, and antioxidants than many tea types, giving them additional health benefits.
Health Benefits of Green Tea:
It’s pretty loud and clear that green tea holds many health benefits. What are the golden benefits that expert researchers have found?
1) May Lower Risk of Cancer
Green tea is super charged with antioxidants giving the regular drinker the benefit of protection against oxidative damage which can lead to various cancers such as prostrate cancer and breast cancer. A study in women, by leading researchers, found that green tea can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 20-30%.
2) Fat Burning tool
Research has found that green tea boosts the metabolic rate of the digestive system and making it an effective fat burner. This is the reason why in many fat burning supplements, green tea is always a listed ingredient. Whilst research in this field is not in complete agreement, a recent study found that in healthy men green tea increased fat burning by 4% and in another study, they found it increased fat burning by 17%. The discrepancy in findings may be due to the reason that the effectiveness of green tea in fat oxidisation may come down to the individual. So, whilst it may work amazingly in one person this might not be the case for another. There is no harm in giving it a try!
3) Lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases
Leading research has found that the risk of Cardiovascular diseases which includes heart disease and strokes can be reduced by drinking green tea. The risk of these diseases is reduced as Green tea improves overall cholesterol levels and protects important particles known as LDL particles from oxidising.
4) Protection from Brain ageing.
Many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Parkinson’s result from the brain ageing fast. Green tea has bioactive compounds that studies have found protects the brain and can reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases in older age.
It’s clear that green tea has a range of health benefits from lowing your risk of chronic diseases to helping you lose weight. It’s slowly became pretty clear why herbalist ShenNong felt so good after accidentally drinking it and why it’s so highly regarded in China.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a daily caffeine fix switch up, making green tea drinking a part of your daily routine may be a healthy way forward in the following ways:
1. Green tea leaves - Simply brew them in hot water and your drink is ready to go.
2. Pre-made green tea drinks - these can be easily carried around with you and can be found in many different flavours. Honey Green Tea is our personal favourite.
If tea drinking doesn’t tickle your fancy, green tea features in many different snacks such as Mochi Ice or even Noodles !
Related products