Green Tea
Green tea is a form of tea that has “undergone minimal oxidation during processing.” Green tea first got its start in mainland China while it is often drank quite readily as well in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and The Middle East. Green tea as well as green tea extract is becoming more and more popular in the Western world as word of its many benefits reaches this part of the globe.

Japanese green tea is especially well known and there are a variety of different types of Japanese green teas on the market with variances in quality and price. It is believed that the very best kind of Japanese green tea is the green tea that comes from the Uji region of Kyoto. Chinese green tea is also very popular and in the United States Lipton green tea, Diet Lipton green tea and Lipton green tea with citrus are three kinds of green tea that are manufactured by the Lipton Company.

The health benefits of green tea have been acknowledged for the past 1000 years. One of the main ingredients found in green tea is called catechin and this bitter substance is effective in destroying bacteria in the body that can lead to the build up of toxins as well as food poisoning. It is believed that catechin helps to reduce the incidence of cancer but for those who do develop cancer, it is helpful in treating it. Green tea for weight loss is very effective as it encourages the body to use fat as a source of energy instead of storing it and it also helps to raise the level of metabolism. The brewing of green tea and the consumption of green tea has been shown in research studies to slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease and to aid in preventing such diseases as arthritis and multiple sclerosis (MS). Green tea helps to lower bad levels of cholesterol (which is the LDL cholesterol) and it prevents cell membranes from degrading due to the presence of free radicals in the body.

While teabags are fine such as can be found in Arizona green tea or Lipton green tea, for the most benefits to health it is recommended that green tea be consumed as loose leaves.