Green Tea Weight Loss - Backed By Science?

Green tea weight loss have been both lauded as effective, and criticised as being a child of advertising without evidence that it works in weight loss. So what's the truth?

Studies relating to green tea and weight loss

I went looking for studies that would either support or disprove green tea weight loss. Contrary to some critics, I found both studies in the animal AND human model that are very promising.

Animal studies are currently used by mainstream science for leads as to whether something is worth proceeding to human studies on. There are a lot of drawbacks to animal studies, one of the main ones (aside from the pain caused to the animal) is that for different species of animals, you get different results. And that can lead to false conclusions as to whether what is being studied, like green tea weight loss, is effective.

There were a number of studies done with humans in relation to green tea weight loss, however.

Firstly, the green tea and weight loss studies in animals (mice)

The University of Chicago's Tang Center for Herbal Medical Research on epigallocatechins (EGCG) (which are part of green tea) - shows blood levels of glucose (sugars), lipids (fats), and cholesterol are reduced. And fat deposits under the skin and in the abdomin are also reduced. 
 
Another green tea weight loss study described in the health section of the msn site also found that green tea extract improved the metabolism of glucose and lipids, which is beneficial for weight loss 
 
There have been a number of green tea weight loss studies done on the ability of green tea extract to lower blood sugar. This relates to our metabolism, energy levels, insulin production and hence could be useful to the dieter in terms of cravings, and maintaining their energy levels. 
But what about studies that support weight loss with green tea in humans?

In this particular green tea weight loss study, oolong tea or green tea extract (an extract is more concentrated than just drinking it on its own) resulted in an increase in energy used by the body of 3-4% (on average). The Linus Pauling Institute say this effect of green tea weight loss is "apparently due to increased fat oxidation and thermogenesis". Thermogenisis refers to energy used in heat production that is not related to resting metabolism or physical activity. (our bodies use energy even when we're doing nothing. It's less than energy used in other activities, of course).

In another study, different groups of people were given caffeine, to see how that compared to green tea in thermogenesis. And people taking the green tea had higher thermogenesis than those taking the equivalent amount of caffeine without green tea catchetins.

Green tea does contain caffeine, but you can get herbal preparations without the caffeine. The good news for people who don't like caffeine, is that it is the catchetins that produce green tea's thermogenesis effects, not the caffeine.

So green tea weight loss can help dieters (not just mice :-) ).

Exploring Green Tea

Bancha:
The most common green tea in Japan. It has a strong, organic straw-like smell. It is picked later than sencha and is considered to be a lower quality green tea. It’s an inexpensive tea suitable for everyday drinking.

Genmaicha:
A subcategory of bancha, the leaves are combined with roasted brown rice. It is sometimes referred to as “popcorn tea” because the brown rice sometimes pops during the roasting process. Genmaicha has a fresh grassy flavor. Recommended brewing times are very short, usually around 1-2 minutes.

Sencha:
The tea leaves are first steamed for 15-45 seconds to prevent oxidization, after which they are rolled, shaped, dried and fired. Sencha usually has a slight seaweed flavor. It can be very strong and a little bitter. Brewing times should be kept to around one minute. Sencha can be served either hot or iced.

Gyokuro:
A very expensive grade of sencha. Gyokuro tea leaves are shielded from direct sunlight for two weeks prior to harvesting. This causes the amount of theanine and caffeine to increase, and decreases the amount of catechan, which is the source of bitterness. Gyokuro should be steeped for around ninety seconds in water heated to approximately 122° - 140°).

Mecha:
The quality of this tea falls somewhere between Gyokuro and Sencha. Its flavor can be described as astringent with a bitter aftertaste. Mecha is popular in sushi restaurants because its astringency cleansing the palate.

Shizuoka Tea

The Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan has a history of tea production dating back to 1241. The mild climate of this area is conducive to the cultivation of the tea plant--camellia sinensis. The Shizuoka Prefecture is the major tea producing region in Japan and is home to the great Fujisan, (Mount Fuji).

O-cha, which means tea in Japanese, is an integral part of Japanese culture and comes in many varieties. Green tea is gaining in popularity in the west, not only because it's oishii, but also because it is purported to fight cancer, prevent baldness and aid in concentration.

Here we profile a typical small green tea farm in Haibara, Shizuoka Prefecture. We will also provide an overview of the cultivation process and the health benefits of drinking green tea. In these pages, we will introduce you to the Edamura family and their tea farm. The Edamura farm is typical of the many tea farms in located in the Shizuoka Prefecture.

How a daily cup of green tea can give you a healthy heart in minutes

Cup of green tea a day could help keep your heart healthy, a study shows.

The drink was found to widen the artery which runs from the shoulder to the elbow by 4 per cent within 30 minutes - reducing the risk of blood clots.

This is a good indicator of improved blood flow around the body, says a report in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation. It is the first time green tea has been shown to have a short-term beneficial effect on the large arteries.

Dr Nikolaos Alexopoulos and colleagues at the 1st Cardiology Department, Athens Medical School, used ultrasound scanning to measure the performance of the brachial artery - which runs from the shoulder to the elbow, and is a good indicator of blood flow around the body.

A team of healthy volunteers were given green tea, caffeine or hot water to drink on three separate occasions. Measurements of the brachial artery were taken at three stages after they drank their beverage.

The researchers found the artery expanded by four per cent 30 minutes after volunteers drank green tea. Caffeine or hot water had no effect.

Dilation of the artery shows better functioning of the endothelium, the layer of cells lining blood arteries that stops clots forming.

Previous research suggests black tea improves short and long-term endothelial performance, but this is the first time green tea has been shown to have a short-term beneficial effect on the large arteries.

Another study has already shown that green tea reverses endothelial dysfunction in smokers.

Green tea is traditionally consumed in China and Japan and differs from black tea in that it is not fermented before drying.

This fermentation process appears to reduce the content of flavonoids - beneficial antioxidants - by up to 90 per cent, which is why green tea is believed to offer different health benefits to black tea.

Researcher Dr Charalambos Vlachopoulos said 'These findings have important clinical implications. Tea consumption has been associated with reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in several studies.

'Green tea is consumed less in the Western world than black tea, but it could be more beneficial because of the way it seems to improve endothelial function.

'Recent studies have also shown potent anticarcinogenic effects of green tea, attributed to its antioxidant properties.'

Other research shows drinking green tea lowers 'bad' cholesterol and blood pressure, and reduces harmful liver enzymes.

Drinking green tea could help stave off cancer, with a study showing just four cups of green tea a day reverses cell damage in heavy smokers that might lead to the development of tumours.

Lynne Garton a member of the industry-backed Tea Advisory Panel and a nutritionist, said 'This exciting piece of research takes us one step further in understanding the role of flavonoids in heart health.

'While the focus of the study was the action of green tea on endothelial function, black
tea, as enjoyed by the majority of the UK population, has shown similar results.

'This is not surprising as although the types of flavonoids in green tea and black tea may differ, it is thought that the amounts present in a cup are similar.

'Evidence is now suggesting that drinking around 3 to 4 cups of tea a day (with or without milk) may help reduce the risk of developing heart disease and studies such as these are important in helping us understand the possible mechanisms of action.

'As part of an overall, healthy balanced diet, this research highlights yet another good reason to drink tea.'

Green Tea Boosts Metabolism, Protects Against Diseases

WebMD Health News

Nov. 28, 1999 (Atlanta) -- Unlike the American hot beverage of choice, green tea isn't available on every street corner in every city. But it's difficult to dispute the nutritional benefits of this centuries-favored Asian brew, with its powerful flavonoids and antioxidants considered capable of battling chronic diseases. Now, one group of researchers claims green tea could also boost metabolism -- and help with weight loss.

In a small study, green tea appeared to raise metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation. "Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se," says Abdul G. Dulloo, a researcher at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and lead author of the study published in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Thermogenesis is the calories the body burns while digesting and absorbing food as it's being eaten.

The study involved 10 healthy young males, none of whom was obese but who ranged from lean to mildly overweight. Each was randomly assigned to each of three meals containing one of three treatments: green tea extract (50 mg of caffeine); 50 mg capsule of caffeine; or a placebo capsule. On three separate occasions, each spent 24 hours in a specially designed respiratory chamber in which researchers could measure energy expenditure and thermogenesis.

Those who consumed green tea extract had a 4% increase in thermogenesis, with an overall energy expenditure increase of 4.5%.

Kathleen Zelman, RD, an Atlanta-based nutritional consultant and spokesperson for the American Dietetics Association, tells WebMD that she was "not very impressed" because of the study's small number of patients and because the calorie losses were "not enough to make a difference in the life of an obese person." However, "anything we can do to boost metabolism [without using drugs] is wonderful."

The thermogenic benefits that the study cites are relatively small, Zelman says. "If you're consuming 1,500 calories, you'll be burning 60 calories, less than [what's in] a cookie. Of course, every little bit counts, but that's really a drop in the bucket."

"Green tea is emerging as a healthful drink ... more because of its role as an antioxidant," Zelman tells WebMD. Antioxidants help to prevent the formation of free radicals that cause many diseases, such as cancer. "Tea flavonoids appear to be very potent antioxidants. A significant body of research has shown that diets rich in flavonoids found in tea, fruits, and vegetables are associated with decreased risk of chronic disease and cancer, heart disease, and stroke."

Tea also contains less caffeine (as low as 50 mg per cup), while coffee has 150-200 mg per cup, which Zelman says is a safer alternative for obese people.

"All that -- in addition to the fact that tea could boost your metabolism -- is reason enough to swap out one of those cups of coffee and drink green tea," says Zelman. "You're talking to a coffee drinker here. I love coffee. But the healthful benefits ... they're speculative at best. Drink a cup of tea ... you'll actually be doing something good for yourself."

Vital Information:

• In a small study, green tea has been shown to boost metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation.
• Calorie losses were small in study subjects and wouldn't make a big difference in the life of an obese person.
• Drinking tea can still be healthy because it contains flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants that can help protect against cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Green Tea Metabolism Benefit

Green tea can help you lose weight in many ways. The two most important pathways are through fat burning (called beta oxidation) and increasing metabolism (called thermogenesis). In this article, you will find out just how many more calories you can burn by consuming green tea.

According to Dr. Swen Wolfram, author of Anti-obesity effects of green tea, there have been 9 human trials conducted on the anti-obesity benefits of green tea. Two of the studies use metabolic chamber for measuring energy usage, and so provide credible insights into its metabolism boosting effects.

Green Tea Metabolism Study #1:
University of Geneva 1999 Study

In 1999, Dr. Dulloo from the University of Geneva conducted a ground-breaking study in which 10 men were given one of the following 3 times a day:

• Green tea extract consisting of 50 milligram caffeine and 90 milligram epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) - green tea's most active antioxidant.

• 50 milligrams of caffeine

• Placebo

Dr. Dulloo discovered that consuming the green tea extract resulted in an increase of 4% in 24 hour energy usage. Just taking the caffeine in amounts equivalent to those found in the green tea extract had no effect on metabolism.

The researchers concluded that green tea boosts energy usage and promotes fat burning beyond that explained by its caffeine content.

Green Tea Metabolism Study #2:
Beltsville HNRC 2001 Study

This study was conducted by Dr. William Rumpler on 12 healthy male adults over 3 days. Unlike the previous study, the participants drank the beverage instead of consuming tea extract. They were divided into 4 groups, with each group given either

• Caffeinated water (270 milligrams)

• Full strength oolong tea (270 milligrams caffeine, 244 milligrams EGCG)

• Half strength oolong tea (122 milligrams EGCG)

• Water

The caffeinated water contained 270 milligrams of caffeine. The full strength oolong tea contained 244 milligrams of EGCG and the same amount of caffeine.

The scientists discovered that the caffeinated water increased energy usage by 3.4% compared to water over 24 hours. Full strength tea increased metabolism by 2.9%.

The half-strength tea did not significantly increase metabolism when compared to plain water.

Conclusion

According to a rule of thumb, you should consume at least 10 calories per pound of your ideal weight. So if you are aiming for a weight of 150 pounds, you should consume 1,500 calories a day.

Now here comes the problem. You and I probably consume far more calories than we realise. Most of these calories are found in fat, which makes up 40% of an American's diet (a balanced diet should contain 15% fat by calorie count). These fats are found everywhere: butter, vegetable oil, salad dressing, lean cut meat, seafood etc.

This is where green tea metabolism kicks in. If you burn 2,000 calories a day, this translates to a saving of 80 calories, or 8 pounds a year, not bad for just a few cups of soothing tea! After a few years, each little cup adds up to a gigantic slimming effect.

Increasing your energy usage is just one of the many things green tea does. More significantly, green tea reduces fat tissue and helps you exercise longer. Click on the link below to find out more!

References

Wolfram S, Wang Y, Thielecke F (2006). Anti-obesity effects of green tea: from bedside to bench. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2006 Feb;50(2):176-87.

W. Rumpler, J. Seale, B. Clevidence, et al (2001). Oolong tea increases metabolic rate and fat oxidation in men. Journal of Nutrition; 131: 2848-2852.

Dulloo AG, Duret C, Rohrer D, Girardier L, Mensi N, Fathi M, Chantre P, Vandermander (1999). Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5.

How Green Tea Metabolism Can Help You Lose Weight

Have you been struggling with weight loss? Are you someone who has been trying all sorts of weight loss products but they have all been in vain? It has been proven that most diets do not work, but do not give up just yet. The problem that most people face when trying to lose weight is that they do not understand the simple relationship between dieting, fat, and the foods that aid in weight loss. In this article, I will be sharing with you the 3 effects of green tea metabolism, and how it can be an amazing weight loss resource.

Unlike weight loss pills and dieting methods that do not work and could even harm your health adversely, green tea is an entirely natural method and is known to have a whole lot of health benefits, other than just weight loss. It contains caffeine, and caffeine helps to raise metabolism. An increased level of metabolism will help the body to burn more calories, thus aiding in weight loss. And because of the caffeine content, it can be a perfect substitute for coffee addicts who need their caffeine fix but without all the calories from double-cream mochas and frappuccinos!

The second way that green tea helps in weight loss is that it suppresses your appetite. According to a study done at the University of Geneva in Switzerland and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, men who consumed its extract everyday had much better control of their appetites than others who had not. They were also found to burn more calories as well. This can be attributed to the chemicals found in it, which act as an appetite suppressant.

Last but definitely not the least, green tea has also been shown to promote fat oxidation in humans, even when at rest. The catechins found in it suppress the transformation of glucose into fat cells. It slows down blood sugar rise and prevents fat storage in the body.Integrate it into your dieting plan. Cultivate the habit of drinking it regularly. The benefits are aplenty, and is definitely not limited to just green tea metabolism. It not only would help greatly in weight loss, the health benefits that you get could prove to be priceless.

Irvine Welsh: from heroin to green tea

Irvine Welsh's directoral debut 'Good Arrows' will show on ITV4 Photo: MARTIN POPE

It is not really a surprise to learn that my interview with Irvine Welsh is to take place in a pub. At 11 in the morning. As Welsh is the hard-living author of one of the most famous books about substance abuse, this makes perfect sense. What actually happens does not. When the day of our meeting arrives, he requests instead that we meet in a Starbucks. Even more puzzlingly, he then proceeds to order a green tea, which he chinks against my mug of coffee.

"Cheers," he smiles.

What was I expecting? Certainly not this. For a time during the late Nineties, Welsh was the enfant terrible of the literary scene, lighting it with Trainspotting, the tale of a group of Scottish heroin junkies, and following it up with such titles as Porno, The Acid House (in which a drug user and a baby swap minds) and Filth, which was narrated both by a sociopathic policeman and, er, a tapeworm.

He says that he himself took heroin only for 18 months, but then I once read about someone who had to go straight from a party at Welsh's Edinburgh home to the nearest hospital, and I rather get the impression that his partying days stretched on for much longer than that.

But he is so mild-mannered and calm and lovely, it is hard to equate the man that sits in front of me sipping green tea with any of the pictures painted of him, sometimes by him. For instance, he writes mostly about the working-class people in his native Scotland, but he lives in Miami now, with his 28-year-old wife, whom he met in a bar in Chicago. I say that I wouldn't have him down as a Miami kind of man.

"Oh, but it's f---ing great there. I just love the weather. I live on Miami Beach, which is all boutique hotels and cocktails. I do sometimes go along to smart parties in my white suit, but I wouldn't really recognise any famous people if they were there because I'm not very good at star-spotting. There is a great subculture there, if you dig deep enough."

Then he starts talking about the Miami doctor who recently lasered his eyes, and I wonder if he isn't just having me on. "He is the same guy that the Miami Dolphins use. They give you a Xanax and you don't feel a thing. Then you walk out and you can read all the billboards clearly. Amazing."

The Miami Dolphins? Xanax? It's all a long way from Edinburgh's port district, where he grew up with his waitress mother and docker father. Yet Welsh still manages, somehow, to observe the working classes. His latest project is called Good Arrows, a one-off comedy for ITV which he has written and directed. It is set in the world of darts, though he says it is really about the cult of minor celebrity.

"You can't satirise darts, because it's hyper-real as it is; there's already enough over-the-top madness to it. So we thought we would use it as a backdrop to this old darts player making a comeback."

There is something about darts that Welsh intrinsically likes, though he says he isn't very good at playing the game. "I think it is the last bastion of traditional British culture left in this globalised era. Everything now has been changed by the media. Darts hasn't been touched by the PC culture. It is still very unslick, unpretentious and British."

He sips on his green tea.

"And I think it's great that people still go to pubs and socialise with each other. Face to face. The idea of just sitting at home on Facebook worries me. I think we should all get out more."

Welsh has a whole host of film projects on the go – mostly adaptations of his own work – and I ask if he sees himself now as a filmmaker or a novelist.

"Neither. I just see myself as a storyteller."

He says he no longer really associates himself with Trainspotting. "I think it is yours when you are writing it, but when you put it out there you have to be generous and it becomes everybody's. You know, it went from my book to John Hodge's screenplay to Danny Boyle's film to Richard Branson's train advert. I do get a bit sick of seeing that poster, but it's all money in the coffers and I am always amazed that each year it finds a new audience. When I started doing readings of it, the people who came were all my peers, but I just did a book tour in America and everyone who turned up was 14-year-old schoolchildren."

Does he feel he has sold out, moving to America? I say that it must be difficult to write about the people
of your home when you live some 3,000 miles away from it. He counters that he hasn't really lived in Scotland since he was about 17.

"I've not lived there since for more than two or three years at a time. I am always coming and going. I like having somewhere to go back to, too. It's part of me, Scotland. I'm still immersed in it even though I am not there."

Welsh recently turned 50, but he says he doesn't think he has changed one jot since he was 26, when he worked for Hackney council (he has also been a television repairman, a punk-rock musician and, strangely, a property speculator).

"It's awful turning 50. I hated it. Really, it's awful turning any birthday after about 30. You do all your forming in your teens and twenties and then I think that essentially you are the person you will always be. You learn more details but
you don't get any wiser. You just fall apart very slowly after that. All downhill," he laughs.

Recently, he went to DJ for a friend who owns a club in Edinburgh (he has had a long love affair with house music). "I hadn't DJed for about seven years. And I turn up with a big box of vinyl records and they just had one turntable because everyone uses their laptops. There were great pauses between each song while I changed the record. Humiliation is forcing me to digitise my life."

He chuckles and knocks back his tea.

"But DJing is the only way I can really go to clubs any more. Otherwise people just think I am a sleazy old man. I'm too old. I can't cut it on the dancefloor. I am self-conscious and crumbly and sweaty; my knees are going, as is my general elasticity. Having said that, I've started holding raves at my home for my older gentlemen friends, where we chill out and chat. We listen to old-school house, drink cups of cocoa and put on our carpet slippers."

A small laugh, and with it the knowledge that for Irvine Welsh, the choice of drink may have changed, but the mindset is pretty much the same.

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Solar power kills bacteria in water

Scientists have improved solar water decontamination techniques in an attempt to reduce the spread of water borne diseases in developing countries.

Solar water disinfection is a simple way to kill bacteria in water. It is used by households in developing countries where safe drinking water is scarce. People fill plastic bottles with water and leave them in sunlight, where the UV radiation and increased water temperature kill the bacteria within six hours. But the method requires strong sunlight and can only treat limited volumes of water.

Sunlight is used to disinfect water in plastic bottles but can only treat limited volumes © SODIS

Kevin McGuigan from The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, and colleagues investigated solar disinfection of Escherichia coli-contaminated water in large volume flow reactors. A pump circulated the water between a holding tank and a glass tube surrounded by solar collectors that focus the sun's energy onto the tube. They found that E. coli inactivation depends on the total dose of sunlight rather than the light's intensity. They also showed that the reactors can be ineffective because the bacteria receive an intermittent dose of radiation as they flow between the dark holding tank and the see-through tube. If the bacteria are not completely inactivated by the sunlight, the dark periods give them time to recover from the radiation damage, making them more resistant when reilluminated.

'For me, the major significance of the research is that these methods can be effective, but recalculating flow through solar disinfection reactors must be carefully designed in order to avoid the possibility of resistant sub-populations of pathogens remaining viable due to incomplete sunlight exposure,' says McGuigan.

"This work is an important contribution which points out potential advantages and limitations of solar disinfection"
- Cesar Pulgarin, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland

'This work is an important contribution which points out potential advantages and limitations of solar disinfection, depending on the type of solar photo reactor and operation mode,' comments Cesar Pulgarin, an expert in biological decontamination processes at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland. 'It is also the first attempt that assesses the minimal UV dose required for complete bacterial inactivation by solar disinfection.'

The World Health Organization estimates that more than one billion people lack access to safe drinking water, resulting in millions of deaths each year from water-related diseases such as diarrhoea. McGuigan says he plans to introduce the flow reactor technology into developing countries, where he hopes it could provide emergency relief to communities affected by famine, flood and war.

Philippa Ross

Spotting the flu virus

US chemists can now 'see' if patients have the flu. Identifying the virus in infected patients could become much quicker and easier if a test developed by Chris Bowman at the University of Colorado in Boulder and colleagues becomes commercially available.

Bowman's antibody-coated biosensor detects flu virus proteins (red) using a detecting reagent containing antibodies and light-sensitive molecules

'Respiratory symptoms are very general,' says team member Hadley Sikes. 'So having a rapid, inexpensive way to rule out or confirm (and subtype) influenza is valuable, especially if the device is simple enough to be used anywhere and the results reliable,' she adds. 'Catching the spread of infections caused by particularly virulent flu strains early could help prevent a pandemic.'

"Tests that are inexpensive and easy to perform without costly and high maintenance instruments offer a good solution to disease diagnosis."
- Hadley Sikes

Bowman's detector is a biosensor which has specific flu antibodies attached to part of its surface. When a mixture of flu virus lysate and a detecting reagent is placed on this surface and exposed to light, the antibody-coated areas become visible to the naked eye. The sensor works because virus proteins in the lysate attach to the antibodies on the surface. Since the detecting reagent contains both flu antibodies and light-sensitive molecules it also recognises and binds to the flu proteins if they are present and then, when exposed to light, forms hydrogel polymers which are visible. If no flu proteins are present, no reaction takes place and the test is negative.

'We were particularly encouraged by the zero false positives obtained in our tests,' says Sikes. 'Of course, the real measure of whether the test has potential will come only after it is used successfully with real patient samples.'

Aaron Wheeler, whose team at the University of Toronto, Canada, works towards developing lab-on-a-chip devices for bioanalysis, describes the technology as 'really exciting' because results can be read unaided, by the human eye. 'Until now, many of the technologies being developed for point-of-care diagnostics required dedicated readers for analysis,' he says. 'This exciting new development could have a significant impact on this important problem.'

'The usefulness of a diagnostic test which does not rely on instrumentation cannot be overstated,' agrees Sikes. 'In many parts of the world disease diagnosis is hindered both by the lack of equipment and staff trained to use it; so tests that are inexpensive and easy to perform without costly and high maintenance instruments offer a good solution.'

Janet Crombie

Green tea's secret tunneling revealed

Scientists have used quantum mechanics to work out why green tea is good for you. The health benefits of the brew are all down to a quirk of the quantum world known as tunneling, they say.

© Jupiter Images

Green tea is traditionally associated with good health and long life - benefits linked to chemicals known as catechins, which act as antioxidants. These polyphenolic flavonoid compounds disrupt the damaging chain reaction between free radicals and lipids.

But no one understood how catechins work at micromolar concentrations in the body. Now, Àngels González-Lafont and colleagues at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain have modelled the chemical reaction that allows green tea catechins to zap free radicals.

The reaction involves the catechin losing a hydrogen atom to a reactive free radical. The scientists found that in this process the radical and catechin were bound together tightly, leading to very small energy changes as the reaction proceeds.

The compact structures and narrow energy profile revealed by González-Lafont's calculations allows for a huge tunneling effect in the hydrogen transfer step.
Tunneling can help quantum particles overcome otherwise insurmountable energy barriers. It relies on that fact that particles can behave like waves. If this waveform extends to the other side of the energy barrier, there is a significant probability that the particle will pop up on the other side of the barrier, as if it had tunneled through a hillside.

Tunneling makes the hydrogen transfer much faster than the free radical's reaction with the body's vulnerable lipids so the radicals are trapped before they can do harm.

'Tunneling is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature', González-Lafont told Chemistry World. 'Our finding could also be useful to understand the molecular basis for the antioxidant activity of other compounds,' she said. Joe Vinson, who studies antioxidants at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, US, welcomed the findings.

'It's really astounding what this [research] has done for the rest of us,' said Vinson. 'We had a problem understanding how polyphenols work at such low concentrations. This paper gives theoretical credence to a large amount of experimental evidence of polyphenols as in vitro and in vivo antioxidants.'

Tom Westgate

7 Reasons to Drink Green Tea

The steady stream of good news about green tea is getting so hard to ignore that even java junkies are beginning to sip mugs of the deceptively delicate brew. You'd think the daily dose of disease-fighting, inflammation-squelching antioxidants--long linked with heart protection--would be enough incentive, but wait, there's more! Lots more.

CUT YOUR CANCER RISK
Several polyphenols - the potent antioxidants green tea's famous for - seem to help keep cancer cells from gaining a foothold in the body, by discouraging their growth and then squelching the creation of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive. Study after study has found that people who regularly drink green tea reduce their risk of breast, stomach, esophagus, colon, and/or prostate cancer.

SOOTHE YOUR SKIN
Got a cut, scrape, or bite, and a little leftover green tea? Soak a cotton pad in it. The tea is a natural antiseptic that relieves itching and swelling. Try it on inflamed breakouts and blemishes, sunburns, even puffy eyelids.

PROTECT YOUR SKIN
In the lab, green tea applied directly to the skin (or consumed) helps block sun-triggered skin cancer, which is why you're seeing green tea in more and more sunscreens and moisturizers.

STEADY YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE
Having healthy blood pressure - meaning below 120/80 - is one thing. Keeping it that way is quite another. But people who sip just half a cup a day are almost 50 percent less likely to wind up with hypertension than non-drinkers. Credit goes to the polyphenols again (especially one known as ECGC). They help keep blood vessels from contracting and raising blood pressure.

PROTECT YOUR MEMORY, OR YOUR MOM'S
Green tea may also keep the brain from turning fuzzy. Getting-up-there adults who drink at least two cups a day are half as likely to develop cognitive problems as those who drink less. Why? It appears that the tea's big dose of antioxidants fights the free-radical damage to brain nerves seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

STAY YOUNG
The younger and healthier your arteries are, the younger and healthier you are. So fight plaque build-up in your blood vessels, which ups the risk of heart disease and stroke, adds years to your biological age (or RealAge), and saps your energy too. How much green tea does this vital job take? About 10 ounces a day, which also deters your body from absorbing artery-clogging fat and cholesterol.

LOSE WEIGHT
Oh yeah, one more thing. Turns out that green tea speeds up your body's calorie-burning process. In the every-little-bit-counts department, this is good news!

Green Tea Promotes Healthy Blood Sugar and Decreases “The Fat Storage Hormone” Insulin

WARP 9 Weight Loss Products Enhance Insulin Activity (PRWEB) May 2, 2005 — Green Tea is becoming ever more popular in weight loss products. Besides boosting metabolism, and reducing appetite, green tea has been found to support healthy blood sugar levels. This benefit of green tea decreases the excessive output of the blood sugar regulating hormone insulin, which minimizes fat storage and increases weight loss. Green Tea is now being utilized in one of the hottest dietary supplements on the market called WARP 9 by DynaPure Nutrition (www.dynapurenutrition.com). WARP 9 weight loss products contain standardized potencies of Green Tea polyphenols that support healthy blood sugar along with the minerals, chromium, zinc, and copper. The most favorable benefit of green tea diet polyphenols (EGCG) is that along with many anti fat nutrients in WARP 9, they support healthy blood sugar and reduce fat storage even greater. Formulator Pete Maletto from DynaPure Nutrition explained that “If you prevent insulin-glycogen “spill over”, you decrease your chances of gaining weight. This makes the presence of the many nutrients in WARP 9 even more important to anyone trying to lose weight, because part of a successful weight loss plan is to prevent over stimulation of insulin production.” In fact, the authors of a 2002 green tea study researched the antidiabetic effects of green tea on human beings. When humans in clinical trials ingested green tea polyphenols before ingesting 50g of starch, glucose production was suppressed, apparently because the polyphenols inhibited the enzyme action of digestive enzyme alpha amylase. It has also been found that the uptake of glucose by the intestine for transfer to the bloodstream is markedly suppressed by green tea diet polyphenols (which may help to explain green teas weight loss effect). This suppression of glucose is strongest utilizing EGCG compounds found in green tea that are the active in enhancing insulin activity. Antony Raymond, a professional actor using WARP 9 says that he lost 13 pounds in just two weeks since taking the product and his energy and blood sugar levels have completely changed for the better, which could help his career. “My blood sugar fluctuated constantly with noticeable lows that affected my cognition, but I started taking WARP 9 and it has changed my life with all the energy, reduced appetite and weight loss I could ever need. The mental energy was really key with the long hours I work and even more so when I’m trying to memorize my lines.” Some physicians recommend four to six cups a day; others recommend eight to ten cups (the average in Far Eastern societies where green tea is a staple is about five to ten cups a day). Thats a challenging amount for even green tea lovers to drink on a daily basis. Fortunately, if you are looking for healthy blood sugar and increased weight loss, then WARP 9 would seem to have all the bases covered by minimizing excessive output of insulin, which decreases fat storage and increases your chances of losing weight.

A Fantastic Herbal Remedy For Acne Is The Great Green Tea

Did you know that green tea is the second most consumed drink after water? The reason of this is because it is very healthy. Dermatologist Dr. Lawrence Osman MD in Los Angeles quotes: “Green tea is reported to have antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-tumor properties. A cup of tea green tea per day may help keep skin cancer away.” And on that note, this is why green tea is also excellent in acne prevention.It is known to be a great traditional Chinese medicine that can improve your well being. The Chinese have prevent illnesses from drinking this tea. Since acne is cause by hormonal, green tea is a antibacterial defense decreasing hormone activity. It is rich in antioxidants which helps fight disease. This antioxidant helps fight to protect your cells against free radicals and will get rid of any toxins within the body. Green tea is a great herbal remedy for acne and very healthy to drink.

You can also use green tea as a acne treatment. It is very good as a spot treatment. You can put a warm tea bag on a pimple and it will start to draw out the toxins.

The best benefit from green tea is to drink it. You should drink this tea everyday. And keep drinking it until your skin clears up. It has a pleasant taste and it will offer you alot of great health benefits. Drinking this tea will help cleanse your body from the inside. It will detox from within which makes this very good for people with acne. If you do decide to give green tea a try, do not drink with sugar. The sugar will take away from the tea and dilute some of the effects in green tea. Do not add sugar if you want this drink to work properly.

Take this special tea into consideration. This a good herbal remedy for acne. Green tea is also great in reducing weight. Yes it is a great fight burner. Green tea is definitely a herbal treatment worth trying.

Black tea

Black tea is a completely fermented tea. The production for Chinese black tea mainly four procedures: Withering, Rolling, Fermenting, and Drying. Chinese black tea is mainly for export business. In 1980s' , black tea as traditional Chinese commodity played the main part in world tea markets. Today, Chinese black tea is still the popular tea in the world. According to different processing methods, Chinese black tea can be detailedly sorted into three types: Souchong black tea, congou black tea and broken black tea.

Souchong black tea: The unique black tea from Wuyi mountain city, Fujian province. The pine-smoking fragrance of Souchong black tea is much different from any other black teas of the world. According to different producing area, Souchong black tea can be farther classified into the three types:Tongmuguan Souchong, produced in Tongmugaun county; Lapsang Souchong, produced in Chong'An, Jianyang, Guangzhe; XingChun Souchong, produced in other areas which around Xingcun town of Chong'An county; Smoking Souchong, which not from Wuyi mountain city, but other tea producing area. Among them, Lapsang Souchong is the best which offering longan flavor. Smoking souchong is made from low grade congou black tea, processed by imitational method as other Souchong black tea. The smoking fragrance is exactly coming from the burning brushwood of pine plant. Congou black tea:Congou black tea is evolved from Souchong black tea. The famous Chinese congou black teas include:Qihong of Anhui (Keemun black), Dianhong of Yunnan, Suhong of Jiangsu, Chuanhong of Sichuan and Huhong of Hunan. Broken black tea: Broken black tea is also called "graded black tea" since there is international uniform grading standard for broken black tea. Accoding to the different shapes, broken black tea is classified into four types: whole Leaf black, with short strip shape; broken leaf black, with small grain shape; Fannings black, with small slice shape; Dust black, with powdered shape. The origin of Chinese black tea is Chong'An, Fujian( the city of Wuyi mountain today). In the last of 18th century, the souchong black tea was firstly created in Wuyi mountain. Following that, the congou black tea was ceated there. The manufacturing techinique of blakc tea was then spreaded to jiangsi province, then to Keemun.

Oolong tea

Oolong tea is a semi-fermented tea, combining the best qualities of green tea and black tea. Oolong tea is not only as clear and fragrant as green tea, but also as refreshing and strong as black tea.If you drink Oolong tea, the natural aroma may linger in your mouth and make your throat much comfortable. The processing of Chinese Oolong tea include six procedures: sunshine withering, tedding fresh leaves, rocking green, stir-fry gree, rolling, drying.

According to different producing areas, Chinese Oolong tea is sorted by four types: North Fujian Oolong tea, South Fujian Oolong tea, Guangdong Oolong tea and Formosa Oolong tea. It's hard to confirm the specific time when Oolong tea was created. All historical records indicate that Fujian is the origin location of Oolong tea. The name of "Oolong" is also a enigma to Chinese tea history. Is it named after a placename or any variety of tea plant? The pinyin for "Oolong" is "Wu Long", which means "black dragon". Does the tea name of "Oolong" have any relation with "Dragon" which traditionally taken as the Chinese lucky indication? Oolong Tea is helpful in antiaging, bringing high blood pressure down, improving immunocompetence,anti-heart-disease etc.Oolong Tea can help you digest food,refresh yourself and sober up.It is also helpful in prolonging your lifespan.To sum up,it is a world-famous natural health drink

How to brew a good cup of Chinese Tea?

Tea is a very important part of the Chinese culture. Chinese have drunk tea since ancient times and so they have a wide range of knowledge and experience with tea and tea making. There are some very important steps in tea making. The first of which is to choose the right tea, the second, choosing good water and the third is to choose a tea container. The fourth step is to select the right temperature at which to brew the tea. The first and most important step is to choose good tea. Generally, Chinese tea is divided into white tea, Oolong tea, black tea and green teas and floral (herbal) teas.

There are five methods for choosing tea. The five methods are referred to as Xin, Gau, Jun, Xiang, and Jing. The Xin method is to choose fresh tea, never using bitter or dull-fragranced teas. Gan means that the tea leaves need to have low moisture content (less than 6%). When tea is rubbed between the fingers, it should be easily made into a fine powder that would quickly fly away. Jun is the fashion in which you choose the right tea leaves. In choosing tea leaves, knowing how to select the right thickness and color is very important. The thickness of the leaves should be even and the color should be without any burned marks (which could result from roasting). Also, the leaves should not display too many crumbs or any moles. Xiang means the fragrance of the tea should have a soft scent without any burnt or sour smells. Jing means that tea shouldn't contain any foreign substances. The best floral(herbal) teas have deep but fresh, pure scents. There are several ways to make good floral tea. One way is to collect the tea leaves and keep them in a special tight container, letting them sit as long as one year. Certain floral teas taste better and smell better the longer that they stay in the container. For example, Xi-lu-long-jing, Gi-qiang, and Mo-gan-huaug-ya teas are to remain in the container called Sheug-shi-hui-gang for 1-2 months. The color and scent of the tea improves as it stays in the container, compared to it's condition with no time spent in the container. However, teas like Yun-nan-ouer-cha produce deeper flavors with better fragrances when they remain in the containers for a year. The second step is to choose the right water. Choosing appropriate water is very important in making good tea. This water has different qualities, and they grade different types of water depending on where it came from. Certain mountain waters and rivers are famous for waters good for use in tea making. These five mountains and rivers are: the Jiang-su-zheu river, Wu-xi-hui mountain, Su-zhou-hu pond, and Hang-zhou pond. When making tea from well water, there are certain things that you should look for. Most well water is good for tea making, however some well water isn't appropriate this use. For example, some wells contain high levels of sodium, making it a poor choice for this purpose. Today, in cities, tap water is most convenient and easy to use. However, even tap water can contain high levels of sodium, so if this is the case the water must sit in a container over night or be boiled for an extended period of time. In addition, the water needs to meet the below conditions in order to make good tasting tea. It should be close to neutral levels (about 7ph). The temperature should be below 25 degrees F. It must meet water safety standards. It should be clear and without odor. Choosing appropriate tea sets also important in brewing tea. Chinese tea sets are referred to as tea pots, tea saucers, tea bowls, and tea trays. There are different types of tea sets that have certain characteristics and designs. Therefore, tea sets are considered a very important part of artistry. These highly valued tea sets are dedicated to the established 'tea culture' in China. Tea sets are divided into two. Those that have high artistic value and those for use in every day life. Here, we will talk about selecting the right tea sets and their use. Selecting tea sets for every day use depends on the types of tea people drink and where they live. In the eastern and northern parts of China, they usually drink floral teas. In drinking floral tea, they use large tea pots to boil the tea in water. These tea pots are ceramic, and the size depends on the number of people to serve. In the Kangnam area, green tea is usually drunk, therefore, using a ceramic tea pot with a lid is appropriate. In Fujian, Taiwan and the Guangdong areas people drink oolong tea and a regular kettle is use to brew it. When brewing Gongfu tea or Hong tea, use a ceramic pot or a regular kettle. When drinking high quality tea such as Xihu-long-jing, Jun-shan-yin-zhen, and Ton- ting-bilei-chun clear glass cups go well. However, when drinking green tea or any tea that has fine leaves, they should be drunk from a small tea cup instead of a large cup. The reason being is that when these teas are poured into large cup there would be too much water. High levels of water brew fine leaves too fast, resulting in discolored tea leaves and influencing the fragrance and taste of the tea. Some people use a thermos to keep the green tea warm, which effects the color and flavor of the tea. This method may be appropriate for oolong or other types of tea instead. In addition, there are tea plates, tea set cover cloths, tea spoons, tea trays, and tea brewing containers. Besides choosing good tea, water, and tea sets, the way of pouring the hot water is also a method to learn in making nice teas. There are three elements: amount of tea, temperature of water, and lastly, how to make the taste you want! 1. Amount of tea There is no rule for using certain amounts of tea. It differs depending on its kind, size of tea cup and one's habit. As you might already know, there are many different kinds of tea and each one should be used in different amounts. Generally speaking, you use 3g of dried tea in 150-200 ml of water for red and green teas. Puer tea requires about 5-10g. Wulong is the one that needs the most amount of tea. Fill half or two thirds of the tea pot every time you brew. 2. Water Temperatures The high quality of green tea, especially those with small sprouts, should avoid hot water of more than 100 degrees. It requires about 80 degrees (after boiling it should cool down a while). This way the color of the tea is a bright light green, the taste is better and has more more vitamin C in it. If the water gets too hot, the tea turns yellow and the taste will be bitter. Other mid-quality teas like Hua Tea or Red Tea might be brewed at 100 degrees. If the temperature is too low, the tea wouldn't brewed sufficiently, and it becomes too plain. Wulong tea and Puer tea also require hot water because there is a lot of tea used and it is normally kept for a long time. To keep the water hot, they even pouring water on the surface of the tea pot. Many minorities drink brick tea (its shape is like a brick), and they place it in the container to brew. 3. Way to Brew No one can find certain rules for drinking tea because it depends on the time, brewing methods, types of tea, water temperature, amount of tea and personal preference. Approximately 3g of red or green tea could be used for a regular cup with about 200 ml of water. Water shouldn't be too hot or too cool. You have to remember color, smell, and taste. There are convenient ways to enjoy your tea! Put small amounts of tea in your cup and pour just enough hot water to covers the tea. Let it brew for 3 minutes, then pour water up to 70-80% of the cup and drink it before it cools down. When 1/3 of the tea remains, pour more hot water to balance out the cool water in your cup. You can enjoy the tea in this manner up to 3 times. If you drink Hongsui Tea or Lusui Tea (the particles are very small), leave it for 3-5 minutes. It's not a good idea to re-brew it because it would have already used up its effectiveness, as with instant tea bags. When you drink Oolong Tea, it is better to have a Zisha tea pot. Use a lot of tea and throw away the brewed water - the first brew is for 1 minute, second is for 15 seconds more than the first, and the third is 1 minutes and 40 seconds. The fourth is 2 minutes and 15 seconds. As you saw, the brewing time gets longer and will even out the density and concentration depending on the water temperature of and actual amount of tea. The hot water means shorter time, and in contrast, lower temperatures and smaller amounts of tea mean longer brewing times. Make sure to find the appropriate brewing times for your preferred density and taste!

Protects against Death from All Causes, Especially Cardiovascular Disease

In August 2006, a European study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that tea is a healthier choice than almost any beverage, including pure water, because tea not only rehydrates as well as water, but provides a rich supply of polyhenols protective against heart disease.

Now, a Japanese study published in the September 2006 issue of JAMA, suggests that drinking green tea lowers risk of death due to all causes, including cardiovascular disease.

Shinichi Kuriyama, M.D., Ph.D., of the Tohoku University School of Public Policy, Sendai, Japan, and colleagues examined the association between green tea consumption and death due to all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer.

The study, which began in 1994, followed 40,530 adults, ranging in age from 40 to 79, in northeastern Japan for up to 11 years. Within this region, 80% of the population drinks green tea with more than half consuming at least 3 cups a day.

Compared with participants who consumed less than 1 cup of green tea per day, those drinking 5 or more cups a day had a significantly lower risk of death from all causes and, specifically, risk of death from CVD, with women receiving even stronger protection than men:

Green Tea Benefits
In Women	In Men
23% lower risk of dying from any cause	12% lower risk of dying from any cause
31% lower risk of dying from CVD	22% lower risk of dying from CVD
62% lower risk of dying from stroke	42% lower risk of dying from stroke

Only weak or neutral relationships were seen between black tea or oolong tea and all-cause or CVD mortality.

While this study found no cancer-preventive benefit from drinking green tea, other large studies, including a meta-analysis of 13 studies published July 2006 in Carcinogenesis (Sun CL et al), suggest that green tea reduces risk of breast cancer. In this study, compared to women who did not drink green tea, those consuming the most green tea were 22% less likely to develop breast cancer.

Often in studies, the effects of a certain health-promoting behavior are likely to be confounded by the fact that those who try to follow a healthy lifestyle practice a variety of healthy habits. In this study, however, since green tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in Japan, it is unlikely that study participants were choosing to drink green tea primarily for their health, and thus also unlikely that the significant drop in risk of death due to all causes and CVD was due to other habits related to health consciousness.

Given the significant benefit green tea can provide, even to those who are not especially health conscious, just imagine its health-protective potential as part of your healthy way of eating!

If you simply cannot start your day without a cup of coffee, try enjoying a cup of green tea at your mid-morning break, with lunch or as an afternoon pick-me-up. You'll quickly discover green tea's irresistible combination of invigorating and calming qualities, plus its delicious flavor, make it one of your favorite healthy habits.

Green Tea And Cholesterol

These days it seems like just about everybody is worried about cholesterol levels. But cholesterol is actually a good thing. This fatty, waxy substance is absolutely vital to life as it’s used to build cell membranes, insulate nerve fibers and create hormones.
The problems begin when there is a buildup of certain kinds of cholesterol – specifically, total cholesterol and LDL - and too little of a third kind, HDL. Too much of the former can result in clogged arteries that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. And too little of the latter can cause similar results, since HDL carries excess cholesterol out of the body. Luckily, drinking green tea seems to nudge all three kinds of cholesterol in the right direction. Studies of large populations have found that, on average, the more green tea that people drink the lower their total and LDL cholesterol levels. The best results are seen with about 10 daily cups of green tea, but you don’t have to drink nearly that much to make a difference. In one human study, just 2 cups of green tea per day lowered LDL cholesterol levels by as much as 13 mg.1 And while a low fat diet may be the first thing your doctor recommends to control cholesterol, green tea has been found to help keep cholesterol levels down even when the diet is high in fat. Studies of animals fed a diet rich in lard and cholesterol found that those that received green tea catechins had lower cholesterol levels and other indicators of heart disease risk than those that didn't receive the catechins. 2 Researchers believe that green tea lowers blood cholesterol by reducing its absorption in the digestive tract while increasing its rate of excretion. But perhaps even more important than either of these is green tea’s ability to fight the conversion of LDL to its more dangerous, oxidized form. When LDL is oxidized, it gets sticky and tends to cling to the walls of your arteries. Oxidized LDL is a major factor in the development of atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in the arteries), and greatly increases your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. But green tea, through its antioxidant action, does much to protect LDL from oxidation. The result? Your body may produce less of this sticky, clinging form of cholesterol so your arteries stay cleaner and less likely to clog.

Taking a Break from a Stressed-Out World

Scientists the world over have confirmed that tea produces countless health-promoting effects. But most people don’t realize that the simple acts of making and drinking the brew may have their own beneficial effects. One Japanese study of more than 3,000 women over the age of 50 who regularly practiced the Japanese tea ceremony found that these women lived longer than those in a matched control group who didn’t perform the tea ceremony.¹ In a stressed-out world, it appears that the calming and relaxing ritual of boiling water, adding the leaves, inhaling the delicious aroma, and taking the time to sit down and slowly sip the tea may be almost as beneficial as the brew itself.

Of course, no one knows for sure whether it was the tea ceremony or the catechins, theanine or other health-promoting ingredients in green tea that relieved stress and prolonged the lives of the Japanese women in the study. What we do know is that stress is an invisible killer that contributes to cancer, heart disease, stroke and other deadly diseases. It unleashes a barrage of super-charged hormones like epinephrine, norepineprine and cortisol that increase blood pressure, release high levels of fat and sugar into the bloodstream, and break down muscle tissue. Eventually, stress can overwhelm the body’s immune system, leaving it vulnerable to disease. So keeping these powerful hormones at moderate levels is crucial to maintaining good health.

To test the ability of tea (in this case, black tea) to do this, scientists measured levels of the stress hormone cortisol in 75 healthy nonsmoking men.² The men were divided into two groups and given either tea or a similar, non-tea drink for six weeks, after which they were subjected to stress-inducing tasks. They found that those who had consumed the tea produced lower levels of cortisol and were more relaxed overall than those who had consumed the non-tea drink. The researchers concluded that drinking black tea may be able to speed recovery from the daily stresses in life and bring stress hormone levels back to normal.

Tea break, anyone?

Drink Away Your Stress

Drinking a nice hot cup of green tea can almost always make you feel better. But did you know that certain natural components of green tea have a direct effect on the body, increasing relaxation, easing depression and otherwise improving the mood? A growing body of evidence indicates that both green tea catechins and theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, can bring about positive changes to both body and mind.

Animal studies have found that the catechins increase insulin sensitivity, which means they help insulin do a better job of delivering glucose to the cells, including the cells of the brain. This is important because the brain runs on glucose, and when glucose levels fall too low, you can become depressed, fatigued, irritable and just plain moody. (Just think about how your mood disintegrates when you get overly hungry!)

But perhaps the most important mood enhancer found in green tea is theanine, the amino acid that gives the tea its mellow taste. Theanine has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress and promote feelings of relaxation. One human study found a significant increase in alpha-brain wave activity (that "relaxed yet alert" state cultivated in yoga class) after volunteers took 200 mg of theanine dissolved in water.¹ In another human study, theanine decreased two of the body’s responses to stress – heart rate and salivary immunoglobulin A.² And in animals given an intravenous dose of theanine following a dose of caffeine, the theanine calmed the "jittery" effects of the caffeine.³ No wonder you don’t get the same "buzz" from green tea that you do from other caffeine-containing drinks!

Tests performed on animals give two clues as to how theanine affects the brain and helps improve the mood. First, it significantly increases the brain’s levels of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that are linked to a sense of well-being. And second, theanine releases GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) in the brain, which calms brain over-excitation, eases anxiety and promotes relaxation.

Theanine works best at doses of 50-200 mg, with effects typically being felt within 30 minutes of ingestion and lasting for 8-10 hours. Coincidentally, there’s about 50 mg. of theanine in one cup of green tea. So have a cup and relax!

How to make perfect tea drink?

How about maximizing the delicious taste of green tea? Although brewing techniques that maximize the catechin content differ slightly from those that maximize taste, you can easily find a middle ground. Try following these simple rules to ensure that your green tea is both healthful and delicious every time.

1) Choose the proper water. The wrong kind of water can ruin a cup of tea, and transform the catechins into compounds typically found in black tea. (That's the reason green tea sometimes takes on a brownish color.) Try using soft water that contains few minerals or water filtered by reverse osmosis. Avoid water that is hard, distilled, flouridated or chlorinated.

2) Boil the water. Bring the water to a full boil, but not for more than a few seconds, as the water's flavor-releasing oxygen can escape and you can end up with a flat-tasting cup of tea. For the best tea flavor, let the water cool for a minute (to about 180-190° F), then pour it over the tea leaves. This guards against the "stewing" of the leaves. If you're looking for maximum catechin release, however, pour the boiling water over the leaves.

3) Warm the teapot - Before brewing the tea, swish a little bit of hot water around inside the tea receptacle, whether it's a teapot or a cup, to help your tea stay warm for a longer period of time.

4) Measure the tea - Figure one tea bag or 2-3 g. of loose tea per 8 oz. cup of water. Loose tea leaves can go directly into the cup or pot, but must be strained later. Tea bags are easier and less messy.

5) Steep the tea - For best taste, steep your green tea for just 2-3 minutes. But for the highest catechin content, steep it a minimum of 3 minutes - the longer the better. Be aware, however, that the longer you steep the tea, the more astringent the resulting brew.

6) Pour the tea - Remove the tea bags or strain the tea as soon as it has finished steeping. Otherwise it will continue to brew and may become too bitter. Then pour it (if you're using a pot) or simply raise the cup to your lips.

Now sit back, sip slowly and enjoy!

Green Tea and Chronic Fatigue

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disease that can make you so tired and depressed that you may not be able to get through your normal daily tasks. This constant feeling of exhaustion is long-term (lasting more than 6 months), and any physical or mental activity intensifies the fatigue. Unfortunately, getting lots of rest probably won't improve the symptoms.

Although the cause of CFS is unclear, some studies have shown that it could be partially due to oxidative stress (the excess production of free radicals in the body). Since green tea has powerful free radical-quenching abilities, a team of researchers in India decided to find out whether the tea might also have anti-CFS effects.

In order to do this, they induced fatigue in mice specially bred to develop CFS by forcing them to swim in a water filled glass cylinder for 6 minutes a day for 7 straight days.¹ As expected, the mice developed signs of oxidative stress: their lipid peroxidation levels went up, while their levels of glutathione (the body's most powerful antioxidant) went down.

As the days went by, the mice also began to take on an "immobile posture" earlier and earlier in each swimming session. When mice are forced to swim in a container and can't escape, they quickly adopt a sort of "frozen" posture, moving only as much as they must to keep their heads above water. This immobile posture is believed to be a sign of despair or depression - an indication that the animals have given up hope of escaping.

So what happened when the mice were given green tea extract or green tea catechins? Compared to the mice in the control group, their lipid peroxidation levels were lower, their glutathione levels were restopred, and their increased immobility time was reversed. In other words, green tea protected the mice against oxidative stress and depression/despair, both of which are linked to CFS. The researchers concluded that green tea extract and catechins "could be used as potential agents in the management of CFS..."

Is Green Tea a Brain Food?

Can green tea prevent or ease Alzheimer's disease, that devastating disease that can rob you of your ability to learn, reason, communicate, remember and carry out daily activities? Well, no one's saying that yet. But recent studies of the effects of green tea's catechins on animal brains are intriguing:
* Delayed brain aging
A study of mice genetically programmed to age rapidly found that taking in green tea catechins on a daily basis prevented oxidative damage to the DNA in their brain cells, slowed memory loss and delayed brain aging.¹

* Reversed mental deterioration
Another study of rapidly-aging mice measured the extent of their brain degeneration over time.² Mice that received green or oolong tea as their sole source of drinking fluid for 16 weeks reduced degenerative changes to their brains and actually reversed their mental deterioration. (These mice actually got smarter!)

* Improved memory-related learning
Long term administration of green tea catechins to young rats lowered levels of damaging free radicals in a part of the brain that's vital to memory processing.³ The catechin-consuming rats also experienced improved memory-related learning ability, compared to those that didn't receive the catechins.

* Less buildup of plaque
Finally, mice specially bred to develop Alzheimer's disease developed up to 54% less beta-amyloid buildup in their brains when they were given daily injections of the green tea catechin EGCg.4 Beta-amyloid plaques are believed to be a major cause of the brain cell death and dissue loss seen in Alzheimer's disease.

Of course, the big question still looms: Does green tea have the same effects in humans as it does in mice and rats? While few human studies of green tea's effects on brain function exist, one published in 2006 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition offers hope.5 Researchers gathered information from 1,003 Japanese men and women age 70+, measured their cognitive function, and tallied the frequency of their green tea consumption. After analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that, A higher consumption of green tea is associated with a lower prevalence of cognitive impairmenmt in humans." In other words, the more green tea they drank the less likely they were to have problems related to thinking and memory.

The Benefits of Herbal Tea

Herbal tea has been around for thousands of years already but its rebirth in the Western world only happened in recent times. In Eastern countries however, the perceived powers of herbal teas has never waned and many Asians view drinking herbal tea as part of their regular routines.

What are Herbal Teas?

Also known as ptisans and tisanes, herbal teas are either fresh concoctions or packed tea bags produced from the extracted liquids of certain plants.

Flowers and leaves are boiled in water. Roots and seeds can either be processed similarly or allowed to simmer on a stove. Herbal teas can also be sweetened if so desired.

Types of Herbal Teas

Persimmon - This herbal tea is often used as a health drink and a supplement of vitamin C. It is not however a good choice for drinkers who are intending to diet as well.

Raspberry - This is a popular flavor for teas and its commercialized version is sold in various establishments. Raspberry herbal tea is said to help in alleviating diarrhea.

Birch - There are several varieties of this particular herb, although all can be consumed safely. Birch herbal tea is usually drunk hot and may aid people suffering from headaches and rheumatic problems. It may also help in treating fever and reduce the painful symptoms of kidney problems. Lastly, birch herbal tea can be used for oral hygiene.

Blueberry - A popular ingredient in cakes, this herb can also be used for brewing tea although it possesses a slightly bitter taste. It’s said to help people with kidney problems as well.

Sassafras - Drink this only for enjoyment. Although many people claim that it has blood-thinning properties and can help cure bronchitis, consult a doctor first before consuming it for medicinal purposes.

Tips on How to Brew Your Own Herbal Tea

Using Flowers and Leaves - Place the flowers or leaves inside a heated tea pot or jar then slowly pour boiling water. Replace the lid of the pot or jar to keep the mixture from evaporating and leave it untouched for fifteen minutes. Afterwards, uncover the container then strain. Each cup of water would require either 3 tsp. of freshly brewed herbs or 1 tsp. of dried herbs.

Using Seeds, Roots, or Stems - Cut roots and stems into tiny pieces and then grain them into powdery bits. Take 1 ounce of the concoction and pour it into a pot of water (approximately containing a pint) before boiling. Allow ten to twenty minutes to pass before straining once more. Add sugar if necessary.

Possible Concerns about Herbal Tea

Taking any herbal tea produced by any unlicensed manufacturer can lead to various complications. The following are possible dangers you might suffer from when consuming herbal tea that hasn’t been declared safe by appropriate regulating bodies.

Containing Harmful Ingredients - There are several herbs that will increase rather than reduce the risks to your health. Comfrey, for instance, when consumed excessively can cause liver problems. Lobelia can be as addictive as smoking, while pineapple weed (and occasionally disguised as chamomile), may cause extreme reactions from individuals with certain allergies.

Misidentification of Herbs - In the above situation, there could be a deliberate attempt to mislead consumers about the efficacy and benefits of the company’s herbal tea products. For homemade herbal tea however, an unintentional misidentification is when a problem arises. The comfrey, for instance, no matter how dangerous, is still comparatively safer than the foxglove, which is similar in appearance but infinitely more dangerous.

If you intend to brew your own herbal tea, make sure that you’re using the right herbs and following instructions to the letter. Research about the properties of each ingredient to ensure that there’s no possible harmful side effects.

Side Effects - Herbal tea can also have dangerous side effects when taken together with certain medications, vitamins, and food supplements. Thus, it’s very important that you consult a doctor first before taking any herbal tea if you’re already under medication.

Herbal tea may an ancient and long-standing custom for many, but this doesn’t mean you can’t partake of its benefits as well. Of course, research well and make sure that you’re drinking a herbal tea product which has the seal of approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If it does, however, then all we’ve to say is "kanpai" to your health!

The Benefits of White Tea

It is not just chefs but also medical researchers who are praising the benefits of white tea for your health.

In fact there are many different kinds of benefit of white tea that a person can have and we will look at some people. But first we will provide you with a brief explanation as to what white tea is. It is made from the immature tea leaves that will be picked before the buds have fully opened on the plant. The name comes from the silver fuzz which still covers the buds and this in turn then turns the tea white as it dries.

There are many different varieties of white tea available and this all depends on the amount of leaves to buds that are used in each mixture. The White Peony for example has one bud for every 2 leaves in its mixture whilst Silver Needles (the crème de la crème) is made entirely from the down buds and these are normally picked within a 2 day period during early Spring.

So we have now looked at what White Tea is we will now go on to the different benefits a person can gain from using this particular product.

1. Anti-Viral and Anti-Bacterial Effects
Studies carried out at Pace University have indicated that White Tea extract may have prophylactic applications which can help to retard the growth of bacteria which can cause Staphylococcus infections, Steptococcus infections, Pneumonia and Dental Caries.

It was also found that White Tea is more effective than Green Tea at inactivating bacterial viruses as well as having an anti-viral effect on human pathogenic viruses.

2. Anti-Fungal Effect
There have been studies carried out which indicate that this has an anti-fungal effect on Penicillium Chrysogenum and Saccharomyces Cerervisiae. It was found that in the presence of White Tea extract these were totally inactivated.

3. Skin Cancer and Cell Damage Protection
Scientists have now found that the White Tea extract can protect against the Langerhans cell obliteration. It was found that not only the extract protected skin after exposure to sunlight but also a person's immune system was restored also. They also found that the DNA damage which occurs to cells after exposure to sunlight was limited.

It is believed that the anti-oxidant properties in the White Tea extract are the reason for it being so effective. It is also suggested that the extract may provide a person with anti-aging benefits.
So as you can see from above there are many reasons as to what the benefit of white tea can have for a person in order to help them live a much healthier and happier life.

Green Tea - Home Remedies

The claims for green tea include reducing the risk of cancer, preventing or alleviating rheumatoid arthritis and eliminating heartburn.

But green tea is perhaps best known for its high levels of anti-oxidents.

This is especially of use to those with active lifestyles as anti-oxidents help reduce the level of damage caused by free radicals.

However, if you try it, you will find that green tea is more than just a tasty, hot beverage.

Green teas have become an integral part of home remedies everywhere, from skin and teeth care to general preventative measures.

We detail below some of the common perceived benefits of green tea products.

Green Tea and Weight Loss

Perhaps unusual to think of green tea as having weight loss properties but there now exists a green tea diet and many people swear by green tea extract as part of their weight loss programme.

In fact you will find that green tea extract is contained in proprietary fat burning supplements. The green tea extract is used to increase metabolism without increasing your heart rate. A common side effect of other weight loss supplements.

Green Tea and Skin Care

Green teas have been found to have positive effects in the arena of skin care. Two specific areas include acne and eczema. For acne, this tea makes a great, cheap alternative to expensive toners or astringents.

Many people combine it with ingredients to make a potion that can be applied with a cotton ball directly onto clean skin.

Simply drinking green tea has also worked for some to decrease the presence of acne, although you do have to be careful of increasing the intake of caffeine in your diet, as this has been linked to an increase in breakouts.

Homemade Mouthwash

In addition to skin care, another benefit of green tea claimed by manufactuers is that it can be used as part of a homemade mouthwash.

So what property of this light drink helps keep your teeth healthy? It’s the presence of fluoride that helps prevent tooth decay and strengthens your teeth and gums.

Mixing the brewed tea with spring water makes the most basic recipe, but it can be combined with other ingredients to create intriguing flavors of homemade mouthwashes.

More Health Benefits of Green Tea

A regular daily intake of green tea or green tea extract is also thought to help your overall health and well-being. The tea is full of antioxidants that bind free radicals in our bodies; these free radicals can often cause damage to cells.

There are also several "green tea" research studies linking green tea to cancer prevention. In addition to this wonderful benefit, green tea is also thought to promote an increase in metabolism that helps lower cholesterol in the body.

We invite you to try some green tea.