The Natural Wonders of Green Tea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An old Chinese proverb says that it is better to be without food for three days than one day without tea. It can be easily be categorized as another exotic Chinese phrase, but modern medicine has conducted a wealth of research supporting the health benefits of green tea. It has therefore become pretty well known that green tea is good for you, but have you ever stopped to think what its benefits actually are?

A Little History

The story of green tea began in the year 2,737 BC, and the legend tells of emperor Shun-Nung, the father of medicinal herbs, who discovered it by accident during a voyage. As he sat to boil the drinking water (as they did back then), some tea leaves floated to the top, giving the tea a brownish-green color. The emperor drank it, and after enjoying the taste, he realized it had important medicinal properties.

In ancient China, green tea was used to cure infection, headaches, digestion problems, depression and cognitive impairment. Research conducted in modern times found that green tea delays the onset of age, keeping teeth healthy, preventing inflammation and infection, helping to counter sun damage and eye disease, and delays Alzherimer's and Parkinson's.

Green tea and its nutrients

All kinds of tea, be it black, green or oolong, come from the camellia sinensis plant.

The color of the tea depends upon the amount of fermentation it has been through. Oolong tea is partially fermented, black tea is completely fermented and green tea is not fermented at all. It is produced by steaming fresh tea leaves at very high temperatures. That tea, rich in antioxidants, is a given, but green tea is known to contain large amounts of polyphenols, thearubigins, epicatechins and catechins - all types of an antioxidant known as flavanoids.