Weight Loss, Purification, Health – A Short Guide to Green Tea

Green tea is no longer a mystical beverage only available in trendy cafes and specialist shops. In fact, today its popularity is so vast that it can be found in abundant variety on supermarket shelves and even alongside cappuccinos in coffee vending machines. So what led to this popularity, and why is green tea’s reputation more squeaky clean than a standard brew?

The history of green tea stems back as far as traditional consumption to China in around 2000bc. By the 12th Century it had begun to spread across the continent to Japan with the travels of Japanese Buddhist Priest Myaan Eisai; and onward to India and Thailand thereafter. The drinking of green tea in Japan has since become more part of everyday life and is considered in a similar manner to which black tea is in the west with varying quality and price differences.

All tea has been subject to extensive research regarding health benefits, but whilst black teas have been scientifically proven to lower coronary artery disease, the positive effects of green teas have long been regarded as diverse and far reaching. In further active promotion, Eisai wrote Book of Tea (Kissa Yojoki) in 1191, which promoted the positive effects of green tea on the body, most notably, vital organs such as the heart and brain.

In more recent years, many of these claims have been proven scientifically. In the so called ‘war against obesity’ in the UK, Birmingham University has found that green tea promotes the rate of fat oxidation by 17 percent. Similarly, the American Association for Cancer Research used Polyphenon E (a green tea property) in tests on rats and found that just under half of those tested were as likely to develop colon cancer.

Similarly, green tea has also increased in its popularity due to its lack of the stimulant caffeine and its calming properties because of this. Although black tea and coffee are well-known for their caffeine content ranging anywhere between 30 and 100 milligrams, on average green tea contains about 70 percent less and so is less likely to lead to a dependence (caffeinism). Additionally, there are many ways that green tea research is set to explore new further benefits, such as fighting LDL Cholesterol and stopping Parkinson’s Disease.