Green Tea anyone?

Green tea products and supplements have become more popular in the market today. This has been in conservative countries like China and Japan and has been reputed to provide great health benefits.

Green tea comes from a tea plant native to Asia called Camellia sinensis. Even black tea comes from this very plant too. What identifies the green tea from the other is not really the color but the way it is made and processed. Among all the types of tea, green tea is the only one that undergoes a very minimal processing. At the same time, the method used is able to preserve most of the nutrients thus giving us more health benefits.

The leaves of the gree tea are picked fresh and are immideately "fired". Firing is a way of processing tea leaves wherein the leaves are heated by way of steam or flamed. Most often, the result will still leave it to its green color. The dried tea leaves alone can be sold to the market already. Or it may be put to further processing.

Some people or farmers just pick the tea leaves, dry them up by way of "withering" or rolled or broken to induce oxidation. Oxiation removes most of the nutritional values of the tea leaves. Oxides green tea leaves are therefore called black tea. Most of the tea that we drink in Western part of the globe is consider Black Tea. The process by which it undergoes, most of the beneficial anti-oxidants are removed. But in a way, black tea is still benefical to our health.

Which ever tea that is consider antioxidant rich, is the one that is considered to be more healthy. Thus, its very clear that the unoxidexed green tea leaves are healthier compared to the black tea.

Many people believe green tea to have curative effects. Recent studies indicate that the green teas contain powerful antioxidants that do boost health and the immune system. The American Cancer Society has studied the benefits of green tea to both prevent and treat cancer. Other studies indicate that green tea may ward off or slow Alzheimer's disease. Many believe that green teas are an effective aid in weight loss and others believe green teas offer benefits for arthritic patients.

In the market, green teas are available in tea bags, nutritional capsules or liquids as green tea suppliments, and as prepared herbal beverage or tonic drink.

But whether green tea can give you the desire health benefits, one ust really consult a medical practioner or maybe a thorough research is need. If you need to do thorough research on this matter, I fully suggest that you just stay put and wait for me to do it for you.

Now, now... green tea anyone?