Tea is one of the most popular beverages consumed worldwide. Made from the plant Camellia sinensis, tea is consumed in different parts of the world as green, black, and oolong tea.  However, among all of these, the most significant effects on human health have been observed with the consumption of green tea.

 The first green tea was exported from India to Japan during the 17th century. It is estimated that about 2.5 million tons of tea leaves are produced each year throughout the world, with 20% produced as green tea, mainly consumed in Asia, parts of North Africa, the United States, and Europe.

The association between tea consumption, especially green tea, and human health has long been appreciated. It is produced using freshly harvested leaves, which are immediately steamed to prevent fermentation, yielding a dry, stable product. This steaming process destroys the enzymes responsible for breaking down the color pigments in the leaves and allows the tea to maintain its green color during the subsequent rolling and drying processes. These processes preserve natural polyphenols with respect to the health-promoting properties. As green tea is fermented to Oolong and then to black tea, polyphenol compounds (catechins) in green tea are dimerized to form a variety of the flavins, such that these teas may have different biological activities.

The health-promoting effects of green tea are mainly attributed to its polyphenol content, particularly flavanols and flavonols, which represent 30% of fresh leaf dry weight. Recently, many of the aforementioned beneficial effects of green tea were attributed to its most abundant catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Green tea extracts are more stable than pure epigallocatechin gallate, because of the presence of other antioxidant constituents in it.

Here are some of the benefits of green tea:

• It helps in preventing cancer: According to the National Cancer Institute, the polyphenols present in tea have been proven to reduce the growth of tumor and can also protect against the damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. According to research, countries where green tea consumption is high, cancer rates tend to be lower.
• It is good for skin care: Researchers studied an animal model for inflammatory skin diseases, often characterized by patches of dry, red, flaky skin caused by inflammation and overproduction of skin cells. Those treated with green tea showed slower growth of skin cells. Hence it can be concluded that green tea promises a new treatment for skin disorders.
• It helps in improving memory: According to the research published in the journal, Psychopharmacology, green tea helps in enhancing one’s brain’s cognitive functioning, particularly the working memory. The research team’s findings suggest that green tea could also help in the treatment of cognitive impairments associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as dementia.
• It reduces the risk of strokes: According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, drinking green tea on a regular basis is associated with a reduced risk of stroke. Hence, one can make a small, yet positive lifestyle change to reduce the risk of stroke by adding daily intake of green tea.

Green/Slimming tea is made from unoxidized leaves and is one of the least processed types of tea. Hence, it contains the most antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols, making it a preferred choice of people across the globe.

Online Tea – San-cha Tea boutiques are known for offering the extensive varieties of all kinds of teas viz. herbal tea, white tea, black tea, chai teas etc.