Discussion on Green Tea

[Lavender]

What can I say about Green Tea? It's wonderful stuff! It has cardiovascular benefits, fights germs, helps with dental problems, even helps inhibits many types of cancer.

All teas starts out from the same plant. Tea comes from the dried buds & leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush. The best tea comes from India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Kenya. Top quality tea is made from the first buds of the harvest which are hand harvested one day a year. The other teas are plucked later, several times a year, from the twigs & leaves of the bush.

What makes green tea different from the others is the processing. The tea is heated in hot metal pans almost immediately after harvesting . This will prevent the loss of the antioxidants that is so important to the tea’s goodness. The leaves then go through a process of rolling and drying several times before it would be ready.

For the best cup of green tea, use fresh spring water. Don’t use distilled water as that can leave your tea flat tasting. Use 1 tsp. dried tea leaves in 1 cup of boiled water. If you steeped at 170 deg F. (I’ve never done that! :eek: ) Let the leaves float freely, don’t pack them into tea balls. Let them infuse for 2-3 minutes. Strain and enjoy!

In buying tea, check the packages that they are air tight. The best would be to buy from a tea broker but that can be expensive. I’m not at the stage where it makes that much of a difference to my taste buds. Buy the loose teas, not tea bags. The tea in the bags contains lower quality leaves & tea dust. Keep the package air tight but don’t put it in the fridge. The cold can affect the quality of the tea too. It’s best to buy smaller quantity in a higher quality.

Green tea, black tea, all teas contains the antioxidant flavonoids called polyphenols. But the polyphenols in Green tea is believed to be stronger than the others. Antioxidants are important because they protect against free radicals which can promote many different diseases such as heart disease, cancer, premature aging...just to name a few.

Researchers have recently found that another antioxidant in green tea can stop an enzyme that cancer cells need to grow & spread. This follows with the studies that green tea consumption has reduced cancer rates in mice exposed to tobacco carcinogens. In Japan, the men are heavier smokers than Americans but yet the Japanese men have a lower rate of lung cancer.

Green tea contains compounds that kill the bacteria that causes tooth decay & bad breath. Drinking a cup of green tea with your meal will help. I have a tooth that my dentist said I needed root canal work done. It’s been two years now. I’ve been taking care of it, drinking green tea & massaging it with a mrryh and tea tree oil blend. So far so good. The receding gums have started to grow back. My dentist thinks I may not need the root canal after all.

For sunburns, make a cup of green tea & let cool. Dab the tea on the sunburned area to help soothe the burn. The antioxidants in the tea will promote healing. A cooled tea infusion in a spray bottle makes a nice refreshing face mist on a hot summer day too.

[Danustouch]

As a side note..I really love Arizona's Green Tea with Honey :)

[kblackthorne]

May I expand your discussion a bit?

I have always been taught that:

-In black tea, the leaves are fermented as part of the preparation process.

-In green tea they are not fermented.

-In oolong tea, they are "partially" fermented.

And thus the three main categories of tea. :) (Hey, Wildchild, oh Knower of Things: If you happen to know more than me about this, share!)

I recently had the pleasure of buying a semi-random box of green-tea at a local Asian Food Market, and opening the box to find tightly rolled, whole, individual tea leaves. Beautiful to look at, wonderful to drink. (And this thread has just caused me to put a kettle on to boil...) It's amazing -- after you've steeped, the leaves look & feel like... leaves. Like you might have just picked from the garden. Not at all what I'm used to in the bottom of my teapot!

Actually, if you live in a city that has a high enough population to have an Asian neighborhood of any type, I suggest seeking out one of their local groceries to buy your green tea. The price is dirt-cheap, and the quality is much higher than you're likely to find in "Western markets".

[Lavender]

You're right, Kate. I forgot that. I was typing it all out & SOMEONE had to use the phone! (hubby)

There is also another tea...white tea...the most rare & expensive tea.

The fermenting process will activate different enzymes in the leaves that produces the different tastes in black & oolong tea. Unfortunately, this is the enzyme that causes the antioxidants to be less effective.

I love tea of any sorts. The only tea I don't really care for is the scented Jasmine tea. I can't seem to get pass the perfume.

Tea drinking can be an uplifting spiritual experience. Look at the Japanese tea ceremonies. You can create a similar ritual for yourself too.

[kblackthorne]

I'm holding you personally responsible for this really good cup of tea in my hands.

I wouldn't be drinking it right now without your thread. :p

[kblackthorne]

So how is white tea made? (Haven't heard of that one.)

[Lavender]

White tea is the rare white, unopended buds of the white peony. It's mostly grown in the Fujian province in China. The tea is not actually white but a yellowy-orange colour. I'm not sure but my guess would be that the process would be similiar to green tea, being that the taste of the white is so delicate.

[kblackthorne]

Oh, my!

I think I have a new quest... to get my hands on some of this.


Once, many years ago now, my GF & I found a tea broker in San Franciso's Chinatown. It was across the street from the restaurant we ate at. But we were nearly broke, so we didn't go in...

I have scoured Chinatown since looking for it -- the Tea broker, the restaurant, anything. And as far as I can tell, the STREET we were on never existed! :G

I'm really something of a tea addict. And I CAN tell the difference between the good stuff & the cheap stuff. It's been a dream for a while to try some of the "high end" teas that you can only get from brokers -- the stuff that sells for $100 & up.

In the meantime, I'll just drink my green tea, and compost the leaves when I'm done.

It's really facinating the way they re-hydrate. Start out so tiny & curled, end up so big & soft...

It's truly amazing how many health benefits green-tea has. And it's so simple to incorporate in your diet.

[Scarlettvixen]

I love green tea and drink it every day
however when i was talking to the naturpath the other dayshe told me that you shouldnt allow yr green tea to sit and brew for too long as it can destroy the anti-oxidents in the tea

i dont know if its true or not but thought it was worth a mention

[Lavender]

That's true...Also, steeping it too long will cause the tea to be bitter. Three minutes is a good time.

Here's some more info on green tea...

http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h64.htm

[Flaire-FireStar]

Originally posted by Wildchild
For sunburns, make a cup of green tea & let cool. Dab the tea on the sunburned area to help soothe the burn. The antioxidants in the tea will promote healing. A cooled tea infusion in a spray bottle makes a nice refreshing face mist on a hot summer day too.

:huh: I didn't know you could do that.... I'll have to remember that this summer. :)


I tried green tea once, but didn't like the taste.. :( I'll have to try it again, but what can I add to it to make it taste a bit better?

[Faery-Wings]

That was really interesting!

I usually drink teas from the supermarket- and am only just starting to "get into" the different types of herbal teas. I have been a huge coffee drinker for so long, I never had a chance to try tea. I can see I have a lot of tasting to do. :p

Chris

[kblackthorne]

I tried green tea once, but didn't like the taste..

Well, for starters, what brand was it?

Don't bother with Bigelow -- most of their teas I can't even swallow. Twinnings or Stash are better if you MUST buy teabags. Loose is much better. Really good quality loose is best of all, of course! :mmm:

Second, green tea is astringent. If you're not used to it, it might seem unpleasantly so. Try making a weaker cup, and not steeping quite as long.

Flavor enhancers? I really disapprove of such. (I'm a purist.) But traditional ones include cream, honey, lemon.

I'm not sure how any of these will react with the antioxidants in green tea -- you could well destroy the benefits by adding these things, for all I know. But if it helps you get used to the taste, you can always gradually cut back on the additive.

Still, I think the best answer is try a different brand of tea!

[Lavender]

For green tea, I don't recomend using any enhancers either. The taste is so delicate that it can easily get lost. It should be steeped for no more than 3 mins & then strained out. Many people find the natural green tea a bit "fishy" tasting. Like my hubby. :) You can buy the green tea with bits of popcorn & popped rice that would give it a much better taste. If possible, don't buy the tea bags. Most larger supermarkets carry the tea in vacumn sealed bags in the loose tea.

As an experiment, I'm working on a face lotion made with green tea. I'll let you the results. :)

[Flaire-FireStar]

Originally posted by kblackthorne


Well, for starters, what brand was it?




Oh, goodness...I don't remember, it was a long, long time ago. :(
I'll have a look around to see what they have here though ~ maybe the health food store would have some good stuff? :)

[Sequoia]

I've never had tea that wasn't in a bag. . . . (except desert sage *.* <~~ loves herbal teas)

^__^ you have inspired me!

but what do you do, just drop leaves in hot water? how do you keep from eating the leaves o.O;

[Lavender]

Green tea is best floating freely in the hot water. The leaves swell up quite big & teaballs will restrict it's ability to infuse properly.

You just strain the tea with your teeth as you drink! :D j/k

You can strain the tea with a small strainer or small coffee filters.

[MammaStar]

I'm like Puma, never had tea unless out of a bag. I have another question.

I don't have a teapot. I only have a kettle, is that okay to use. Just heat the water to boiling & pour into the cup?

Naive I know.....but like I said, I'm used the bagged kind as well.

[kblackthorne]

A tea kettle is a metal or glass contraption in which you heat water on a stove.

A teapot is a china or ceramic container (often shaped much like a tea kettle) in which you let tea steep before drinking.

Teapots have several advantages. You can make a lot of tea at once, so several people can drink from one pot, and pour themselves more.

Also, it has a lid. This is important. If you smell your tea while it's steeping, some of what you want is floating away on the steam. The lid keeps the aroma (and the aromatic oils) in the pot. (You can achieve the same effect with a cup or mug, just by setting a saucer on top while it steeps.)

A good teapot is thick & keeps the tea warm while it's steeping, while a good teacup is thin & small enough to let it cool a bit -- so you can drink it without burning your tongue.

Finally, some teapots have "strainers" built in -- a bit of ceramic "cross-hatching" over the hole to the spout. :D

When pouring tea from a teapot, you can usually (with practice) do it so that most of the leaves stay in the bottom.

My great-grandmother taught me that you must never let something so crude as steel touch your tea -- it will react with the metal & ruin the tea. So I have a small wicker tea-strainer I pour through, rather than a steel one.

Or, you can let the leaves pour into your cup, and read tea-leaves afterwards!

[Nyx]

I had to keep my teapots at home, so, I use a store bought strainer, right in the cup. It works rather well and it's eaisier then trying not to drink the loose leaves that are floating about. I simply place the tea into the strainer, and poor the hot water over it. Since my strainer is long (deep), it can sit in the water, allowing the tea a chance to steep. I'm sure it's not the best way to do it, but hey, whatever works, ne?
Green tea is my favorite. I have several different varieties in my cupboard, as well as some herbal teas. All very refreshing.
*loves her tea* :cool:

[LaDaya]

I am such a lazy person.. I love green tea but I go the way of tea bags. I know.. I know.. oh well.. one of these days I will start doing it the right way. My favorite green tea is from Celestial Seasonings. I like the Raspberry Gardens Green tea. I started using that one after I had tried Bigelow and couldn't drink them. I had to throw them away because not even adding sugar, honey, or lemon made it taste better. So anytime my friends or family ask me about trying a herbal tea I tell them to try that one. Most of them like it and eventually start drinking other teas and plain green tea as well. I've noticed that when I drink green tea every day I've started losing weight.

[Laisrean]

My favorite green teas are mandarin orchard from celestial seasonings, and the two fruit flavored ones from Lipton. Of course, I also like plain green tea on occasion. :elf:

[Arienadean]

What can I say about Green Tea? It's wonderful stuff! It has cardiovascular benefits, fights germs, helps with dental problems, even helps inhibits many types of cancer.

If you get it you may want to make sure it is decaf. Caffine in some cases can cause all sorts of issues. I for one can't have caffine... As for fighting cancer yes from some studies I've heard that however there is one cancer where tea is a risk factor and it doesn't matter if your drinking green tea or some other form of tea. Tea leaves contain something that stimulates it. I know this because my father died of colon cancer, his brother died of colon cancer, his little sister died of colon cancer, and I had a polyp (thankfully benign) removed when my son was about 4. I am extreamly high risk for colon cancer and for that reason the specialists have banned me from having tea. The kidney doc and sleep doc before that banned me from caffine except in small quanities(ie the occasional cola or some hotcocoa/chocolate). And I really miss tea. I was raised drinking tea from age 2 probably maybe even younger. So if any of you have a history of colon cancer in any first or second blood relatives be forewarned to not drink tea even if it is decaf be it green or otherwise. If you have no family history of it and no realy history of digestive issues the tea is probably very very good for you.


What makes green tea different from the others is the processing. The tea is heated in hot metal pans almost immediately after harvesting . This will prevent the loss of the antioxidants that is so important to the tea?s goodness. The leaves then go through a process of rolling and drying several times before it would be ready.

It is also diffrent in that other teas typically have oils added to them to give them flavour or spices. Such as bergmont and things for earl grey, lady grey, english breakfast, etc.


For the best cup of green tea, use fresh spring water. Don?t use distilled water as that can leave your tea flat tasting. Use 1 tsp. dried tea leaves in 1 cup of boiled water. If you steeped at 170 deg F. (I?ve never done that! :eek: ) Let the leaves float freely, don?t pack them into tea balls. Let them infuse for 2-3 minutes. Strain and enjoy!

Depending on the type of tea the view on preperation may vary. Japanese tea if I remember correctly is steeped briefly then drained then refilled and it's the second tea made that is what is to be consumed. I forget the exact particulars but I learned something on it after my brother lived in japan for several months years ago. A good japanese tea is genmai cha which is a brown rice tea. Also when making tea do not heat the water to boiling that can cause biterness. You heat to just below boling not a full boil. ie when you hear the kettle rumble a bit but it's not whistling. This is the way tea has been made in my family for several generations. For loose tea you can get a holder that is metal with holes in it. Some of thease are spoons and some of thease are a type of teabag. Watch the hole spacings in them or you will get raw tea leaves in your drink depending on the type of tea your drinking you may not like the tea floating loose. You can also get or make cloth teabags.


where it makes that much of a difference to my taste buds. Buy the loose teas, not tea bags. The tea in the bags contains lower quality leaves & tea dust. Keep the package air tight but don?t put it in the fridge.

Agreed but you can buy some good quality teas still bagged it very much depends on where the tea comes from but yes raw tea is better. Foil sealed bags are good if people go the bagged tea route.


Researchers have recently found that another antioxidant in green tea can stop an enzyme that cancer cells need to grow & spread. This follows with the studies that green tea consumption has reduced cancer rates in mice exposed to tobacco carcinogens. In Japan, the men are heavier smokers than Americans but yet the Japanese men have a lower rate of lung cancer.

Yes I've heard of those studies but digestive cancers are diffrent at least as far as cancerous polyps and colon cancer go. I didn't ask the doc about rectal cancer or stomach as that was two non blood relatives that had that. My daughter did have brain cancer(she died nearly a year ago at age 12) and did drink green tea. She also loved english breakfast. Hard to say if tea made any diffrence there.


Green tea contains compounds that kill the bacteria that causes tooth decay & bad breath. Drinking a cup of green tea with your meal will help. I have a tooth that my dentist said I needed root canal work done. It?s been two years now. I?ve been taking care of it, drinking green tea & massaging it with a mrryh and tea tree oil blend. So far so good. The receding gums have started to grow back. My dentist thinks I may not need the root canal after all.

A good digestive chinese green tea is called Pu-erh tea. My exhusbands family commonly has it with meals. The chinese herbalist said it would aide their digestion.

[Laisrean]

A good digestive chinese green tea is called Pu-erh tea. My exhusbands family commonly has it with meals. The chinese herbalist said it would aide their digestion.

I heard that Ginger or Peppermint tea is best for digestion. I haven't a clue about how green tea works in that regard.

[Arienadean]

Well typically they eat candied jinger or dried ginger when their tummies are bothering them. In the non tea line ginger wine is great for bad colds. It warms and it also can calm the stomach.

Ginger is something that a derivative of was used in anethetics for years and I have read it is very good for tummies.(strong ginger beer flattened is also good for stomachs) Much as cloves or oil of cloves is good for the mouth.

While I like mint I can't drink/eat some mint mixes when my tummy is bothering me. So I guess not all mints are created equal...

One other thing my exhusbands father used to eat for health was gensing candy. Personally I couldn't stand the stuff. I'm fine with gensing tablets but gensing candy tastes very "woody" and is really an aquired taste.(so is gensing pop which I've also tried)

[Laisrean]

I get plenty of Ginseng just by drinking teas which have it as an ingredient. I don't even have any idea what it tastes like, because it is blended in with other stuff. Guess I'll have to try some Ginseng candy, if I ever run across any.

[IvyCeltress]

Well typically they eat candied jinger or dried ginger when their tummies are bothering them. In the non tea line ginger wine is great for bad colds. It warms and it also can calm the stomach.

Ginger is something that a derivative of was used in anethetics for years and I have read it is very good for tummies.(strong ginger beer flattened is also good for stomachs) Much as cloves or oil of cloves is good for the mouth.

While I like mint I can't drink/eat some mint mixes when my tummy is bothering me. So I guess not all mints are created equal...

One other thing my exhusbands father used to eat for health was gensing candy. Personally I couldn't stand the stuff. I'm fine with gensing tablets but gensing candy tastes very "woody" and is really an aquired taste.(so is gensing pop which I've also tried)

I also drink ginger tea when my sinues are killing me, the heat from the tea seams to open everything up.

[Arienadean]

I also drink ginger tea when my sinues are killing me, the heat from the tea seams to open everything up.

When my sinuses are really bothering me I found salsa or curry helps if I eat one of those. Some of the ingredients in curry are also good for arthritis so is salsa for that matter. (I eat things with lots of fried onions for bad colds tho)

In my family tho the tradition was to lean over a pot of hot water with menthol and sometimes other stuff mixed in with a towel over our heads to breathe in the steam.

Cinnamon apprently also has a warming effect. I've found that spice cookies with a fair bit of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves can be really good when you have a upset stomach and stuff.

[Lavender]

...Yes I've heard of those studies but digestive cancers are diffrent at least as far as cancerous polyps and colon cancer go. I didn't ask the doc about rectal cancer or stomach as that was two non blood relatives that had that. My daughter did have brain cancer(she died nearly a year ago at age 12) and did drink green tea. She also loved english breakfast. Hard to say if tea made any diffrence there....

Thank you for sharing your first hand experiences with us. This is one area that I haven't done a lot of reading on. I read your intro and was very touched by your posts of your daughter. That was very beautiful about the butterfly.

[LittleRhiannon]

Well, I love tea, but I mostly go for celestial seasonings type stuff. Have you ever tried making your own tea? It's not bad, I just collect some mint, dried it, put it in some mesh fabric and used it as a tea bag.

[jcldragon]

I've found that the flavor of Green Tea blends really well with grape juice. Then you get the benefits of the grape juice and the green tea...

[~ Monk ~]

I know this because my father died of colon cancer, his brother died of colon cancer, his little sister died of colon cancer, and I had a polyp (thankfully benign) removed when my son was about 4. I am extreamly high risk for colon cancer and for that reason the specialists have banned me from having tea. The kidney doc and sleep doc before that banned me from caffine except in small quanities(ie the occasional cola or some hotcocoa/chocolate). And I really miss tea. I was raised drinking tea from age 2 probably maybe even younger. So if any of you have a history of colon cancer in any first or second blood relatives be forewarned to not drink tea even if it is decaf be it green or otherwise.

This is interesting. Everything I've ever read or heard has suggested that drinking tea is beneficial in fighting cancer, particularly those of the digestive system. :hmmmmm:

[Flutterby_whispers]

The cancer thing has peaked my interest. I'm a big tea drinker although all of mine are in bags lol Am going to have to start doin git the other way, I am sure the flavor is diff. as well .. would like to try it.

However the cancer thing, does anyone know exactly why it's dangerous? What is it that's reacting bad in the body?

[Mnemosyne]

Green tea is so good for you. I just read an article stating that green tea lotion can prevent lotion. In order to prevent skin cancer from drinking green tea, one would have to drink ten glasses!!!! Hopefully, more lotions will be made involving the chemicals in tea.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3090190.stm

[Lavender]

That's an interesting article. This summer, I've been using a lotion I made from green tea, shea butter, SJW oil, and titanium dioxide for sunscreen.

[Shy Hawk]

Two things:
One, if you've ever seen the show Good Eats on Food Network, they do an awsome show about tea. Its called True Brew II: Mr Tea. It explains many of the things that were mentioned here, in an easy way.
Two, can you ice green tea? If so, how does it compare in taste. And, are there differences in how you would make it?
In high school I was addicted to SoBe Green Tea...... :bigredblu

[mucgwyrt]

I drink cold green tea (the chinese even drink it carbonated like cola! :T ) and it's very refreshing. I prefer mine made with cold tap water rather than actualy iced, but I have sensitive teeth :D

No difference in how you make it, just use cold water (or if you're using leaves which dont respond to cold water, try using hot and just leaving it to cool down :) )

[HorseCrow]

I'm addicted to green tea- I drink it almost every day and I use it for cleansing mt skin as well. My mother sends the "real stuff" over from Tibet.

[Ladyvi]

i drink green tea when not feeling so well. it helps along with peppermint to quicken the healing process. constant green tea however ( believe it or not) is not all that great for my particular system. i begin cramping something fierce. ( makes face) i do enjoy it though. i read that that type o blood systems usually dont respond well to green tea. the type o blood system is the original hunter blood type. thats another thread on blood types antigens and various diets connected thereof so wont take up anymore of this thread on it.

suffice to say though green tea does help excellerate the healing process if y our sick or after an injury or surgery.

[mucgwyrt]

I'm addicted to green tea- I drink it almost every day and I use it for cleansing mt skin as well. My mother sends the "real stuff" over from Tibet.

Doesn't it just taste SO much better that the crap you get here?
No idea why though :whatgives

[LadyTrinity]

is white tea just as banefical? :jawdrop:

[Laisrean]

is white tea just as banefical? :jawdrop:


It's even more beneficial. :)