The Health Benefits Of Green Tea

The tea category that has lately increased its popularity in
the Western consumer market is Green tea. As the rest three of
the main four tea varieties (white, oolong and black teas),
Green tea comes from the leaves of the plant "Camellia
Sinensis" after the process of minimal oxidation. Extremely
liked for its taste and color in mainland China, Hong Kong,
Japan, Taiwan and the Middle East, Green tea has become in
recent times the focal point of research for its tremendous
health benefits and has earned the attention of the general
public.

According to Chinese legend, tea was born by an accident. It
was due to a sudden wind that some tea leaves fell inside the
Chinese Emperor's kettle while water was boiling. When he
decided to taste the unique liquid that was been formed, he was
so pleased with the outcome that he introduced it to his people
and explored the various processes that would enhance its taste
and coloring. But although many people believe Green tea to be
the less oxidized form of tea, the truth is that White teas are
the ones less processed from all tea categories. But as trade
developed and Chinese products were exchanged as commodities
which meant that they had to travel greater distances intact,
the Chinese developed a process to store tea for longer periods
of time. During the Tang Dynasty, wild tea was gathered and then
steamed on a bamboo tray, which helped grinding the tea leaves
into fine pulp called "tea mud." Then tea mud was pressed and
left to harden, later dried in the sun and baked to prevent it
from rotting. Although these stages of tea process are not
similar to the ones used to produce Green tea today, they
remained popular over different Chinese Dynasties, playing a
significant role in the developing culture of East Asia and
transcended through time as a symbol of power and status. This
is probably attributed to the fact that it was directly related
to the royal times of the great Chinese Emperors.

As early as the 9th century people have been praising Green
tea's health benefits and when later in time lifestyle choices
and fast-working environments made people extremely tired and
stressed out, many began seeking the most appropriate natural
methods known to man in order to decompress and find the needed
relief or even the cure for their anxieties. Their prayers were
answered by Green tea as its health benefits have been
well-documented in China for at least 4,000 years. In fact,
scientific research in both Asia and the West is providing hard
evidence for the health benefits associated with drinking Green
tea, like the study that revealed how Green tea actually
reduces the risk of esophageal cancer and in general inhibits
the growth of cancer cells.

But apart from being a cancer fighter, Green tea also fights
infections, prevents food poisoning and tooth decay, is known
for its positive effects on people suffering from rheumatoid
arthritis and helps reduce high cholesterol levels. In short,
Green tea is a great source of antioxidants and is considered
one of the healthier stimulants available to today's consumers.
So, next time you need a beverage that will do you some good and
taste something different, try consuming the Green tea leaves
you can find and purchase from your local grocery shop. You
will probably discover your new favorite drink as you can
consume it hot or cold, depending on whether you need to relax
or rejuvenate in an instant!

About The Author: Kadence Buchanan writes articles for
http://healthinformationsource.net/ - In addition, Kadence also
writes articles for http://4alternativehealthinfo.com/ and
http://cookingforfun.net/