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All about Green Tea Green Tea Leaves (close-up) All real tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis leaf. Green tea (lu cha) is the result of curing the young camellia leaf using various methods and degrees of heat. Some green tea is cured with ovens, while others are pan-fried in a giant wok called a ding. In general, the longer, slower curing events tend to result in smoother, richer finished tea flavors. The most popular tea in China, hundreds of categories of green tea (lu cha) exist and a few of its rare cousin, yellow tea (which uses a slower drying phase than green tea). The different varieties are mostly characterized by their appearances and their province or mountain of origin. Visual indications of high-quality teas include the size of the leaves (smaller typically being the higher quality, but not always) and their intactness. The cheapest teas are the crumbled leaves and fanning, the scraps and dust leftover from processing. These teas are typically bagged and flavored with mint, lemongrass, or other strong flavors that cover the stale, oxidized taste. Teas considered highest quality are highly prized. Reserved mostly for the wealthy and for high government officials, these teas are rarely found outside of China. In tea shops, they are extravagant gifts rather than everyday teas. Other Chinese teas made from Camellia Sinensis include white tea, oolong tea, pu'er tea, and black tea, as well as jasmine tea (which is jasmine-infused tea leaves). GREEN TEA FLAVOR Powdered tea, called fanning, is mostly the tea which left over from processing, and is the cheapest tea. Since powdered tea steeps quickly in teabags, it is a convenient and inexpensive way to ship tea, and it makes it easy to use a portion for a cup. But powdered tea has an increased surface area, and therefore is immediately exposed to the air, which oxidizes it very quickly. For this reason, the highest-quality green tea is not ground or powdred. The best tea is kept in whole leaves, carefully packaged to be airtight, and used within two years-more preferably, within 12 months- of packaging. GREEN TEA VARIETIES There are a great many kinds of green tea, and Chinese green tea is very different from Japanese or other types of green tea. Chinese prefer the natural ta flavor, and rarely add anything besides jasmine. The exception is medicine; physicians in China routinely prescribe herbs or flowers to be added to tea. Drinking tea daily is taken for granted by most people in China, though younger generations drink less. GREEN TEA SERVING TIPS Use pure, whole tea. Some of the more serious tea companies provide test documentation to show it is free of pesticide residue. If you find a tea you like enough to drink daily, you may want to have it tested; metal toxins and fluoride have a cumulative, deleterious effect on the human body. Powdered teabags should be avoided because they tend to be stale, low-quality teas. With tea, the fresher the better. Use pure water. Never drink fluoridated water; there is no evidence that ingesting fluoride has any health benefits, but high levels are toxic and can even be immediately lethal. Avoid boiling hot water. Drinking scalding liquid isn't good for the body, but steeping tea too hot may cause it to lose its health properties. As with any plant, there is a big difference between the cooked and raw leaves. Green tea serving suggestion: Use whole tea. Do not use powdered tea bags. In studies we conducted using teabags versus whole teas, the teabags disappointed every single time. Find a convenient implement. Chinese steeping cups might be the easiest--a porcelain cup with a lid and a porcelain basket inside that you remove after steeping. French coffee presses also work well, and many great teapots are available online. Use pure water. Tap water contains chlorine and minerals which can drastically affect the taste of the tea. Infuse the tea with warm water, not boiling. Green and white tea should be in the 160-180 degree range. To steep the tea: put the tea in the steeping basket; put the tea in the cup or pot and add water; remove the basket and enjoy. Repeat. In China, people serve tea methodically according to tradition. Gongfu cha is the skill of serving tea (gongfu or "kung fu" means "skill"). In general application in China, tea serving is part of several aspects of the culture. As its background character, tea plays a significant role in certain Chinese ceremonies. GREEN TEA AND HEALTH BENEFITS - RESEARCH ARTICLES Title: Green tea extract may boost cancer-fighting enzymes (08/7) Publisher: NIH/Medline Plus Healthy subjects who received daily caffeine-free green tea extract capsules had an increased production of detoxification enzymes, which may provide some cancer-fighting benefits, study findings show. Full story > Title: Grant to Study Effects of Green Tea Drug On Prostate Cancer, Awarded to Moffitt Cancer Center (07/7) Publisher: Cancer Commentary The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $3.6 million grant over five years to a team of physicians and scientists - led by Nagi Kumar, Ph.D., director of Nutrition Research at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and associate professor in the College of Medicine at the University of South Florida – to study the effects of Polyphenon E in preventing the progression of early signs of prostate cancer. Full story > Title: Green Tea May Protect Bladder From Becoming Inflamed (05/7) Publisher: Science Daily Herbal agents could be used to treat inflammatory bladder diseases, according to a preliminary study that looked at the ability of green tea to protect bladder cells from inflammation. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study, being presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Anaheim, Calif., found that components of green tea protected bladder cells from damage in culture. Full story > Title: Drink Green Tea, Prevent Skin Cancer (05/7) Publisher: Medical News Today Green tea just keeps getting better. To add to the abundance of health-improving qualities of the beverage, UAB Researcher Santosh Katiyar, Ph.D., associate professor of dermatology, claims that it can reduce the risk of skin cancer. Full story > Title: Green Tea Compound, EGCG, May Be A Therapy For People With Rheumatoid Arthritis (04/7) Publisher: Science Daily The study, presented April 29 at the Experimental Biology 2007 in Washington, D.C., looks at a potent anti-inflammatory compound derived from green tea. Researchers found that the compound – called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) – inhibited the production of several molecules in the immune system that contribute to inflammation and joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Full story > Title: Green Tea May Fight Lung Cancer (03/7) Publisher: WebMD Green Tea Extract Tweaks Lung Cancer Cells in Lab Tests - Green tea may fight lung cancer and could inspire the creation of new lung cancer drugs, scientists report. But it may be too soon to count on a cup of green tea to curb lung cancer. So far, the scientists have only tested green tea extract against human lung cancer cells in test tubes, not people. Full story > Title: Green Tea And COX-2 Inhibitors Combine To Slow Growth Of Prostate Cancer (03/7) Publisher: Science Daily Drinking a nice warm cup of green tea has long been touted for its healthful benefits, both real and anecdotal. But now researchers have found that a component of green tea, combined with low doses of a COX-2 inhibitor, could slow the spread of human prostate cancer. Full story > Title: Cup Of Green Tea To Keep The Bacteria Away (01/7) Publisher: Science Daily Beneficial effects of green tea have been known for millenia, particularly in Asian cultures. An ancient Chinese proverb says: "Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one". A cup of green tea contains up to 200 mg of catechins, whose biological activity has been mainly attributed to its antioxidant activity. Full story > Title: Green Tea Slows Down Plaque Formation In Huntington's Disease (09/06) Publisher: US News She was able to show in an in vitro experiment that the substance epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), extracted from green tea, interferes with very early events in the aggregation process of the mutant huntingtin protein. Cytoxicity is also reduced. Moreover, the mobile function of transgenic flies carrying the Huntington's gene improved when they were fed the green tea substance. The journal Human Molecular Genetics has now published these research findings... Full story > Love of Tea Learn more about how tea grows in this beautiful tea book