Made from Camellia Sinensis leaves, green tea is widely known among the masses for its oxidation and withering process, much like black and oolong tea. Originating from China, the primary production of this tea has now spread to many other countries in East Asia. Nowadays, the market houses multiple varieties of green tea, depending on the types of leaves available. A lot depends on changing the quality and taste of a generic green tea like production procedure, horticulture methods, growing conditions, and even harvesting time.

From treating people suffering from weight gain to glycemic control, green tea has its own benefits that have been well-proven. It also has the potential to improve the liver’s condition by removing its toxicity level. Keep reading to learn more about the ingredients in green tea, their individual health benefits, and the best brands to buy!

Ingredients

Most people might not know, but green tea has its own selection of promising parts. Each element holds a significant advantage to it and will help your body to function correctly. So, it is imperative to get a detailed note on every component, used for making one small green tea bag. Green tea is known to present a unique range of taste sensations, which include bitterness and astringency. Learning about the components and their diverse effects is mandatory for capturing detailed information about the items.

Chlorophyll

Everyone knows that chlorophyll helps a plant to get its green color. It even plays one significant role in photosynthesis. The teas like Kabusecha and Gyokuro, which are otherwise grown in covered areas for blocking out sun rays, will try to use most of their limited light resource, resulting in a higher chlorophyll count. Therefore, there will be deeper colors in Kabusecha and Gyokuro.

Caffeine

A person will definitely feel refreshed after coming back from work and having a good cup of tea! Caffeine has this effect on your body, which is another exciting ingredient present in green tea. Even though there is not necessarily a difference in its content based on the period when the tea is picked, there is always higher caffeine content in younger shoots than in mature ones. The beverages, which are roasted at high temperatures, will have their caffeine sublimated, and its power starts to decrease, much like in Hojicha.

The primary effects of caffeine’s presence in green tea will be a mild diuretic effect and increased alertness. As caffeine is known for its stimulating effect on the body’s central nervous system, it can quickly help you get rid of drowsiness and improve your capacity for physical labor or take up mental pressure. After consuming caffeine, if you can follow it with moderate physical exercise before using an internal based energy source, the fat within your body helps in enhancing stamina. Moreover, green tea is perfect for preventing hangovers. When you are caffeinated, alcohol gets a chance to metabolize rapidly.

Vitamins

A healthy body runs on a good vitamin count. Even though vitamins are essential nutrients, your body cannot produce them from within. So, drinking green tea is good for you because of its higher vitamin content. Vitamins with proteins, minerals, saccharides, and lipids will help your body to function correctly. There are primarily 13 different types of vitamins, classified into water-soluble ones. The products get dissolved in water and then you have fat-soluble ones, which work in fat only. Any deficiency among the 13 options might result in skin issues, fatigue, sluggish behavior, and numbness in your feet and hands.

People rely on green tea because of its higher vitamin concentration when compared to other foods. Many forms of black and oolong tea have their own vitamins, but none can beat the importance of green tea.

Vitamin B2 and Vitamin C

Vitamin B2 is pretty amazing to help in your healthy bodily development. Any deficiency will lead to red and cracked lips and inflammation of the tongue and mouth. Around a hundred grams of Sencha will have 1.4mg of Vitamin B2, which is four times higher than spinach, parsley, and even Jew’s mallow.

For producing enough collagen inside your body, you need Vitamin C. Any deficiency of this particular vitamin will give rise to the lost formation of collagen-based fibers, and even weaken the vascular walls, resulting in scurvy. Moreover, Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant and will always play a vital role in helping to prevent diseases like cancer. Sencha green tea has the maximum Vitamin C count, which is 1.5 times more than red peppers. On the contrary, oolong tea has very little Vitamin C, and it’s hard to find any in black tea!

Catechins

Mostly known as the significant astringency component in your green tea, catechins are also termed as tannins. It was first isolated from catechu, which is an Indian plant from where catechins got their name. Dr. Michiyo Tsujimura first separated this component in 1929. Four significant types of catechins were found in tea leaves. Those are Epigallocatechin, Epicatechin, Epicatechin gallate, and Epigallocatechin gallate.

Other than that, while manufacturing tea beverages, because of excess heat, catechins start to change form into Gallocatechin, Catechin, Catechin gallate, and Gallocatechin gallate, respectively. The primary benefit is that catechins can oxidize pretty fast. When it comes to green tea, as the procedure for making such tea involves halting the action of the oxidizing enzymes, most remain unoxidized. In terms of black and oolong tea, this action of oxidizing enzymes will give rise to oxidized polymers. These catechins are not similar to the ones found in green tea and will become red or orange.

Ichibancha is the highest quality in the green tea category, and it is comprised of catechin content of around 12% to 14%. Then you have Nibancha, which has a content of 14% to 15%. The catechin content, as found in younger shoots, will always remain higher than the matured leaves. Those teas, which were harvested using a cover culture like Gyokuro, will have catechins generations, which are suppressed. Therefore, such drinks will have lower content than Sencha. You can find theanine in the roots of tea bushes, which later get migrated to leaves. It gets broken down when it comes in direct contact to light, resulting in ethylamine, which then gets changed in catechin.

Theanine or Amino Acids

Tea is known for its sweet taste and full-bodied, intense flavor. In the same way, it has one amazing relaxing effect to it. Theanine is the reason for feeling such relaxation after taking a sip of your green tea. Amino acids largely contribute to making your drink taste sweet. Among all types of amino acids present, theanine takes over 60% of it. The structure of theanine remains similar to glutamine. Its main trait is a refined one with sweetness to it. Some of the other amino acids that contribute to the rich taste of green tea are serine, arginine, asparagine, and glutamine.

Theanine has its stronghold over tea plants but might not be present in others. Ichibancha consists of higher theanine content than Nivancha. Even in Ichibancha, the theanine content remains higher in younger shoots. Its levels will drop dramatically in those matured leaves. As with Gyokuro, where the tea is grown in a covered area, amino acids get suppressed, leading to a higher theanine presence in the leaves. Similarly, the Gyokuro and Shincha will have a full-bodied taste to it, whereas Bancha is known for its lighter flavor.

More About Theanine and Amino Acids

Primarily, infused tea comprises around 0.01 to 0.02% caffeine in it. It literally translates to approximately 15 to 30mg of caffeine in every cup you drink. Even though this amount is equivalent to a stronger stimulant effect, the reality is quite the opposite. Here, the stimulant has a gentle impact on the drinker. It is because theanine works hard to restrict the caffeine’s stimulant effect. It is one fantastic natural attribute of green tea.

In animals, theanine has been proven to suppress higher blood pressure levels and can protect the cells of the central nervous system. Several studies have indicated that people who drink green tea will have increased α-waves in their brain cells, which will help a person to get relaxed comfortably.

Saponins

Have you seen the froth in green tea, especially Macha? It is because of its saponin presence. Tea leaves have around 0.1% of this ingredient, resulting in astringency and a strong bitter taste. Saponins contain anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal features and can also be used for lowering high blood pressure. It is a perfect tool to prevent influenza and obesity, as well.

Fluorine

Largely found in Camellia japonica, matured green leaves will have a higher concentration of fluorine than the younger leaves. Among all the teas available, Bancha has the top content of fluorine in it. It helps in forming that protective acid-resistant shield on your teeth’s enamel and prevents cavities from growing.

GABA and Minerals

If you leave raw leaves without oxygen, you get GABA. You can find it mostly in Gabalong tea, where the young tea leaves are processed into their dried versions. The elements found in GABA have been proven to reduce higher blood pressure. Minerals, on the other hand, play a vital role as bodily regulators. Tea comprises around 5 to 7% minerals. It has a higher content of magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and calcium, and even zinc, manganese and copper in smaller quantities.

Folic Acid

Folic acid is what your body needs for forming red blood cells. So, pregnant mothers are always asked to have some for preventing the onset of neural tube defects. This acid works as a safe medicine for people who have colon cancer, arteriosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Macha and Sencha green tea comprise 5 times more folic acid than what you can get in parsley or spinach and even more than dried seaweed.

B-carotene

This mineral gets absorbed by the body’s intestinal walls and converted to Vitamin A by the liver. Vitamin A is perfect for maintaining your ideal night vision and keeping color blindness at bay. When it comes to green tea, Macha has the highest number of B-carotene in it, which is five times higher than carrots.

Vitamin E

Primarily known as an antioxidant, vitamin E is perfect for protecting lipids within the body from getting oxidized. As cells are made using water and fat-soluble parts, Vitamin E starts to concentrate on its fat-soluble section. Sencha contains 32 times more of this vitamin than you can find in spinach. Its vitamin E concentration is two times higher than red peppers. But, as this vitamin is not water-soluble, it’s better to take it through Macha or powdered green tea.

The Fragrance Components

Green tea has immense fragrance components. But the “Seiyu,” or the essence to create the fragrance, will be made available in a smaller quality with only 0.005% in green tea. The raw version of tea leaves has a weaker scent. However, while harvesting these leaves, enzymes start to move along individual leaves and start releasing their aromas. In green tea, the fragrance takes some extra time to develop as its fermented process is halted right after its harvesting.

The heating process helps in elevating the fragrance in tea, where the saccharides and amino acids start reacting to the heat. Heating higher quality Sencha, Tencha, and Gyokuro will help create Vitamin U, which is the primary ingredient in gastrointestinal function. It is highly effective to keep gastric ulcers at bay. When it comes to Hojicha, the roasting process helps in dispersing fragrance components, which will give rise to that amazing taste. This outstanding fragrance will help people to soothe their tense nerves and feel relaxed. It helps people to de-stress. Because of that, tea can always make good aromatherapy.

The Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

With a good amount of nutrients and antioxidants within, a cup of green tea is considered one of the healthiest options to add to your daily lifestyle. Having a cup early in the morning and after coming back from work will work miraculously for your body. Let’s talk about the proven benefits of drinking green tea. This beverage is comprised of bioactive compounds, perfect for improving health. If you think green tea is just a liquid, then think twice! The natural compounds, as found in tea leaves, will fulfill most of your nutritional needs. It is further rich in polyphenols, which can reduce any kind of inflammation. It also helps in fighting cancer cells from growing. In green tea, you will receive around 30% of polyphenols, with a higher amount of EGCG catechin. Catechin is known to be a natural antioxidant perfect for preventing cell damage.

Having a cup of green tea will actually reduce the formation of free radicals within your body. It will further protect molecules and cells from getting damaged. Even free radicals will play a crucial role in aging. Regularly drinking green tea will prevent those symptoms. To top it all off, EGCG has been proven to treat multiple diseases and is considered to add medicinal properties to green tea. Furthermore, green tea houses some crucial minerals for your body.

Increase Fat Burning

Green tea contains several fat-burning ingredients, making it a great drink before hitting the gym or after coming back from a vigorous workout. Green tea is proven to increase fat-burning mechanisms and hike up your metabolic rate. It has also been shown that green tea increases energy expenditure by around 4%. Fat oxidation will be increased as well by 17%, which ensures that green tea helps the fat to dissolve faster. However, the fat-burning process depends on an individual’s body. You have to hit the gym as well because drinking only green tea won’t help you much.

Lower the Risk of Cancer

Cancer spreads faster because of the uncontrollable growth of the infected cell, and it is one of the leading causes of death. Studies indicate that antioxidants will have one protective effect by working as a shield against cancer cells to grow so fast. What is an excellent antioxidant source? Well, green tea, of course! So, if you are planning to reduce any chance of getting cancer, make sure to add green tea to your list.

Green tea is perfect for reducing breast cancer, prostate cancer, and even colorectal cancer. Some observational studies have further concluded that green tea drinkers will maintain a healthy body mass index, which further decreases the chance of having cancer.

Improve Brain Function

Not just helping you maintain a healthier body, but green tea can also make you a lot smarter, thanks to its caffeine content. You won’t find a higher amount of caffeine in green tea as you do with coffee, but it’s enough to produce a response. Caffeine helps in blocking one inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, called Adenosine. It is a perfect way to increase neuron firing and even neurotransmitters’ concentration. Furthermore, caffeine has been surveyed to improve multiple brain functional aspects, like enhancing reaction time, mood, memory, and vigilance.

Other than caffeine, green tea has amino acid in it, called L-theanine, which can easily cross the blood-brain shield. This amino acid is perfect for improving inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA’s activity, known for its anti-anxiety help. It is a perfect ingredient to increase dopamine. Both caffeine and this amino acid have synergistic effects. So, an ideal combination of these two will help improve the brain’s current function. People have reported being way more productive after having a cup of green tea.

Green Tea Brands

With the market providing you with so many options, it isn’t straightforward to catch up with the best brands selling green tea. However, listed below are the top brands of green tea that you might want to give a try. Try out the jasmine-flavored green tea from Twinnings, and in no time, you can feel your body changing for the better. Correctly marketed to be a weight loss product, this pure flavor of jasmine will uplift the taste quotient in green tea. This green tea contains a higher amount of catechins when compared to other brands.

Traditional Medicinals

One of the biggest green tea brands of all time, the tea from Traditional Medicinals, is perfect for alleviating some common bowel issues. Here, the leaves are mixed adequately with pharmacopeia herbs. So, if you are suffering from stomach indigestion or want to reduce inflammation in your bowels, this product is the one for you.

Yogi

Yogi is another brand selling top-notch quality green tea, perfect for its antioxidant features. This brand is a popular choice for most seasoned enthusiasts. It contains grape seed and even some extracts from Alma fruits, which makes it perfect for removing free radicals from the body.

Lipton

One of the most popular tea brands of all time, Lipton is not lagging when it comes to pure and 100% natural green tea. It is one affordable alternative when someone wants to try green tea in its most refined version. Most people try out this brand because it markets its green tea to be a weight-loss miracle.

Numi

Manufactured in the Asian region, Numi is a brand known for its organic tea. So, get the jasmine-flavored green tea from this source, and you won’t regret making this decision. The tea bags are biodegradable, which is another reason to give this brand a try!

Tazo

The green tea from Tazo has an earthy flavor to it, as the leaves are generally harvested during spring. The best part about this brand is that it is free from any kind of preservatives, artificial colors, and additives. So, what you taste is all-natural without any artificial flavoring to it.

Harney and Sons

If you want a brand, which not only produces the purest green tea but also adds great aroma to it, Harney and Sons is your call. The packaging remains pretty functional and attractive, and it seals its citrus flavor and smell well. Here, the tea bags are pretty large in size when compared to other ones.

Acai

One Chinese giant in the field of green tea, Acai green tea is a perfect blend of green tea infused with Acai berries. The taste is more or less similar to ripe blueberries. So, you are not just going to get the flavor of green tea, but also of acai berries in every sip you take.

Other Types of Tea like Yellow Tea

The information mentioned above is enough to let you know why green tea is so popular among the masses. However, you must not forget that the market has other options, too, if you are not a big fan of green tea. So, let’s give others a try as well!

A rare category, yellow tea is pretty similar to green tea, when it comes to flavor and appearance, but minus the grassy taste of green tea. Yellow tea will run down through more oxidation stages than green ones and comes with a slower drying period. You can get the best yellow teas from China.

Black Tea

One popular option apart from green tea that many people consume is black tea. Here, the tea leaves are given a chance to wither, which gives rise to oxidation. At this point, water will completely evaporate from the leaf and leave it to absorb oxygen from the air. So, this form of tea will actually go through the entire oxidation process, which gives rise to a darker brown and blackish color. Thus, the flavors turn out to be more robust and pronounced. It even has higher caffeine content.

You can also have dark tea, which is from the Sichuan and Hunan provinces of China. It is a perfect example of aged tea, which has a smooth, natural taste to it. These teas are mostly compressed in multiple shapes like bricks and cakes. Dark tea is aged and known for its smooth flavor.

Oolong Tea

Also stated as Wulong tea, this product will undergo partial oxidation. The caffeine content lies between that of black and green tea. The flavor isn’t quite robust like what you get from black tea but not quite subtle like green tea. It features intriguing tones to it and is also quite fragrant in nature. Sometimes, people compare the taste of oolong tea with that of fresh fruit or flowers.

Puer Tea

This form of tea is produced in the southwest areas of Lincang, from where it got its name, Puer. There are two types of puer teas, shu puer, and sheng puer. Sheng puer is a non-oxidized tea that has a finished result that will change with time. On the other hand, you have Shu puer, which will start as sheng and then goes through another step of post-fermentation. Now, this process can take place for a long time, even for weeks.

White Tea

This kind of tea is stated to be the most delicate of all and known for its complexity in taste, subtle nature, and its utterly natural sweetness. These teas are hand processed without any oxidation from the youngest tea plant’s shoots. Once you steep this tea at a lower temperature for a shorter period, it will produce less caffeine. But, if you steep the tea for a longer time under hotter temperatures, the caffeine amount will increase.

More Health Benefits

Apart from the benefits already mentioned, green tea has some other points that you might want to access. So, it is time to get into those other benefits now. For example, it can help protect your brain as you age. Green tea is proven to protect your mind when you hit old age. It reduces the chances of developing Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Among all the diseases for the older generation, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common one. It is even a leading cause of dementia. Then you have Parkinson’s disease, which involves the death of the dopamine neurons in the brain. The catechin in green tea will protect the neurons in your mind, helping you to keep these diseases at bay.

Kill Oral Bacteria and Improve Dental Health

Catechin, as present in green tea, has some biological effects. It helps in killing bacteria and inhibits some viruses like influenza one. Catechin can further inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans, which is one harmful dental bacterium. It is the reason behind plaque formation, and can easily lead to tooth decay and the creation of cavities. But, consuming green tea will actually improve your dental condition by reducing the growth of Streptococcus mutans. Green tea can even reduce bad breath.

Lower the Chance of Type 2 Diabetes

In the past few years, Type 2 diabetes has reached its epidemic stage like never before and has already affected 400 million people globally. This disease will involve a higher blood sugar level, which means your body fails to produce the much-needed natural insulin. Green tea is proven to improve insulin formation in your body and reduces blood sugar levels. It helps in keeping a check on your BP as well. One study indicated that people drinking green tea would have a 42% lower risk of developing diabetes.

Reduce Risks of Cardiovascular Diseases

Stroke and heart disease are some of the biggest reasons behind death. However, some studies have clearly proved that green tea helps in keeping these cardiovascular diseases at bay. You can maintain total control over your LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and even triglycerides if you can add green tea to your diet plan. Furthermore, this drink can dramatically increase the antioxidant involvement in blood, which helps in protecting the LDL from getting oxidized. Green tea drinkers have a 31% lower chance of getting involved with any cardiovascular disease.

Drink More Tea

Running down through the vital information will help you understand why people are more into green tea these days. You can even give it a shot and never regret making this decision. After all, it is all about maintaining good health so that you don’t have to take various medications. Green tea, being a natural substance, will gel with your body well.

Sources:

Wikipedia – Green tea

Ochadokoro – Ingredients and Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

ITOEN Global – Major Component and Benefits Green Tea

Healthline – 10 Evidence-Based Benefits of Green Tea