How Green Is Your Tea?

Did you know that besides water, tea is the most popular drink on the planet?   Tea is considered the most consumed beverage in the world behind water, however 78% of the tea consumed worldwide is black and only about 20% is green.

Your Two Chums truly LOVE a good cup of tea.  Ideas have been born, problems have been solved, laughter has broken out, and memories have been made and shared all over cups of this favorite drink.  We have long known the value of a “cuppa tea”.  Our tea of choice is usually PG Tips,

or any good quality English Breakfast Tea.  You may recall we have done several posts on the subject and how to properly brew tea.  

While we have always enjoyed a nice cup of green tea, usually Jasmine, with a Chinese dinner, it is just recently that we have learned of all the benefits that green tea has to offer.  Here are just a few of them:

-It is rich in antioxidants and minerals important for maintaining good health and has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.

– It improves brain function.

– It has been shown to increase metabolism and aid the body in burning fat, particularly belly fat.

-The catechins in green tea may inhibit the growth of bacteria and some viruses. It can lower the risk of infections and lead to improvements in dental health, and a lower risk of bad breath.

– Sipping tea helps you slow down and relax. A natural chemical called theanine found in green tea can provide a calming effect.

– Japanese researchers found that the compound EGCG (the same one that might fight hepatitis C) found in green tea may help stop your body from reacting to allergens like pollen, pet dander and dust.

– Spritz cool green tea onto your face (you can also apply it with a cotton ball) twice a day to draw out impurities, shrink large pores and get a healthy glow.

– A hair rinse using green tea will boost brassy and blah strands. Simply steep tea bags in boiling water for 15 minutes and allow to cool for a few hours or overnight. Pour it onto freshly-washed hair and leave on for ten minutes. Be sure to shampoo and condition afterwards to seal in the shine.

Green tea has long been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine to control bleeding and heal wounds, aid digestion, improve heart and mental health and regulate body temperature. Recent studies have shown that green tea can potentially have positive effects on everything from weight loss to liver disorders.

The health benefits may be undermined if you load it up with sugar or sweetener, however.  To drink it “straight” and actually enjoy the taste, it is worth the extra money to buy a good quality green tea either in bags or in loose tea form.  In all honesty the green tea you buy from the grocery store for the most part is not very tasty.   In fact, it is sometimes pretty nasty tasting.

To find a green tea you can really enjoy, try going to a tea shop and speak with the sales person who may point you in the right direction or simply try some of the different teas they offer to find the one you like best.  Another good place to buy good quality and good tasting green tea is in Chinatown or an area where there is a group of Japanese or Indian stores.  Most larger cities have an area of town where Chinese or Japanese or Indian immigrants settled when they first arrived. (On a side note, if you have never been to Chinatown in San Francisco or New York you have missed a real treat! If you get the chance to visit make sure you do. )

Drinking tea, whether the traditional English black tea, or a green tea, should be pleasurable.  If it isn’t, no matter how healthy it is you probably won’t drink it.  When it is good tasting, there is little else that is as enjoyable and soothing any time of the day or evening than a cup of tea.  Sipping some can truly be a joy and make you feel that life is indeed very abundant!