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Green tea is made from a variety of sources, but originally the term “green tea” referred to the tea made of fresh leaves from the Camellia sinesis shrub.
Unlike black tea, green tea undergoes very little oxidation and is made from fresh leaves rather than the aged leaves and stems from which the black version is made.
How to Prepare Green Tea
| Editor’s Pick |
 Bigelow Organic Green Tea |
Green tea can be prepared like most other teas.
- Use about 1-2 tablespoons of the tea or a tea bag combined with 5-6 ounces of water.
- The water should be brought to a boil and poured over the leaves or bag.
- Allow the tea to steep for 3-5 minutes. Note that if you steep at boiling temperatures for longer than 3-5 minutes, the result may be a bitter taste.
- Once the tea is prepared, it is common to add milk and/or sugar to it. You might also mix it with other teas to vary the medicinal properties of a particular cup of tea or to season to taste.
Green tea bags may be used more than once by refilling the teapot with more water up to 3 times.
How Do You Store Green Tea?
Green tea leaves and bags should be stored in a cool dry place. Once the green tea is made, it may be used hot or cold. In fact, it has become trendy in recent years to replace “sun tea” with cold green tea that may be sweetened with honey or sugar. The tea is brewed, and then placed in the refrigerator to maintain the chilled temperatures.
How To Grow Green Tea
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how green tea is made (the video is a little old but it’s none the less informative).
What Are Uses of Green Tea?
Green tea is commonly used for the health benefits it provides. Studies are continuously being done to learn more about the healing properties of green tea, but so far history speaks far louder than most medical studies. For instance, residents of China have an extremely low rate of lung cancer in comparison to the high number of smokers. One suggested reason is the beneficial properties of green tea.
Detoxification
Green tea is high in antioxidants and anticarcinogens. In short, if you want to detox your body, drinking green tea is a great place to start.
Use for Reduction of Health Risks
Green tea can reduce the risk of certain health problems, including but not limited to some cancers. Though it is not used alone for weight loss, it can help reduce the amount of body fat and body weight you carry. Used in conjunction with a healthy diet, green tea can be a beneficial dietary aid as it adds nutrients to the body while removing toxins.
Green tea is also known to be beneficial to the cardiovascular system. So, drinking it may reduce your risk of heart disease. And, because it reduces the amount of LDLs produced, it can improve your cholesterol levels significantly.
Benefits to The Brain
Both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients are at risk for a reduction in cognitive function through loss of brain cells, damaged brain cells and damaged neurons. It’s been suggested that green tea may facilitate the improved health of brain cells and neurons.
Ocular Function
Green tea reduces the oxidative stress to the eye. Because of this, those at risk for glaucoma might use it to prevent glaucoma as well as other diseases of the eye. However, since the oxidative stress benefits from green tea last less than a full day, you may wish to consume it a few times a day to be effective in this area.
Bones and Teeth
The older people get, the more at risk they are for bone fragility and tooth decay. The consumption of green tea may actually prevent dental decay and increase bone density. Even if you aren’t drinking tea for these reasons, they can be counted as a positive side effect of the tea.
Even if your tea is weak, the simple action of drinking tea increases the amount of healthy bacteria in your mouth that can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Just don’t add too much sugar which could be detrimental to your dental and gum health.
Make Your Own Kombucha
Did you know you can use green tea to make kombucha? It’s easier than you think and can save you money.
Do you drink green tea? How do you like to prepare it?
