Green teas been around for quite some time now for, say, a couple of thousand years in mankinds history? Its the Japanese nowadays who are particularly keen on enjoying their green tea: their entire green tea market is barely enough to supply the massive local demand.

Theres no denying the fact that green tea is healthy. From lowering cholesterol levels to blocking cancer, numerous scientific researches have come up with a ton of healthy benefits for green tea.

There are at least three ways you can avail of the healthy goodness of green tea: through green tea leaves, green tea powders and green tea pills:

Three Ways to Take Green Tea

Green tea leaves take a bunch of green tea leaves or stems, steep them in water, take out the solid matter and drink the stuff thats left behind. There are a couple of technicalities, like chopping up the leaves or using certain parts of the camellia sinensis plant, but this is the traditional and most common way of drinking tea.

Now even though the tea is steeped and the leaves and stems are discarded, the health benefits of steeped green tea are still greatly observable. Thats because the scientific studies previously mentioned were all conducted using steeped green tea leaves. Now imagine what would happen if you could drink a purer form of tea, with all the solid matter included?

Green tea powder thats where green tea powder, or matcha, comes in. Matcha is finely ground green tea, and is the highest quality (and most expensive) green tea you can get your hands on. And since all the green tea parts get crushed up and tossed into the drink, you can expect to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to the health benefits.

Now before anything else, you have to discriminate between match and processed green tea powder. The latter is definitely not as healthy as the former. Anything thats processed, like powder crystals, go through a ton of chemicals and preservatives. All this stuff definitely doesnt help add up to the overall health benefits of green tea.

Green tea pills now this is where things get a little technical. Green tea pills claim to scrunch up all the healthy goodness that green tea has to offer into one, tiny package. No need for a lengthy drinking ceremony or meticulous preparation procedures. All you need is your mouth and a pill.

However, make sure that your source of green tea pills is reliable if you plan to take them as food supplements. When it comes to food supplements, there are always those who make a living off duping people into buying fake stuff. So watch out, and stick with reliable sources.

Just remember: whether you choose to drink green tea the old fashioned way or pop in a couple of green tea pills for a quick fix, green tea alone will only get you so far. It will be your lifestyle that ultimately determines whether youll live healthy or not. Just keep that in mind as you sip a cup of tea.

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Herbal tea has become very popular these days. Green Tea in particular has been known to fight cancer and help in the prevention and cure of many other diseases. There have been hundreds of reviews written about green tea health benefits. Numerous testimonials about its effectiveness have been made public which have contributed to the popularity of this herbal drink.

To learn more about green tea health benefits, we have to know its roots and its content. Green tea has been used by Chinese as a staple drink for hundreds of years. It was also used by people in ancient China and India for medicinal purposes. Green Tea was used to cure simple headaches, help in digestion, aid in curing food poisoning, and many others. Chinese have been aware of the green tea health benefits for hundreds of years. Recent studies show that Chinese men who drank green tea over the years have lower rate of cancer than those who did not.

GREEN TEA IS AN EFFECTIVE ANTI-OXIDANT

Green tea extracted from the leaves of a plant known as Camellia Sinesis is an herb that was first cultivated in China. Studies show that this plant contains a high level of catechin polyphenols called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. EGCG is a very effective anti-oxidant which inhibits cancer cell growth and disintegrates cancer cells. This chemical contributes to green tea health benefits because it lowers cholesterol level and prevents blood clots.

GREEN TEA VERSUS BLACK TEA

Other teas are known to have medical benefits too but green tea health benefits far exceed the rest. The basic difference of green tea from other teas is the preparation. Green tea is made from boiling fresh leaves of the plant while the also famous black tea is made from fermented leaves. The fermented leaves used in making black tea do not contain as much EGCG found in fresh leaves. The anti-oxidants found in black teas are far lesser than those found in Green teas. So far, green tea health benefits have been proven by several studies showing hard evidences.

GREEN TEA FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Recent studies also show that green tea health benefits include weight loss. The anti-oxidants in green teas help speed up burning of calories. Because it is a very good anti-oxidant, it also affects weight loss as it detoxifies human system to allow proper absorption of nutrients and flushing out fats.

GREEN TEA FOR HEALTHIER TEETH

Another known green tea health benefit is that it prevents cavities and promotes health in the mouth. Green tea has been found to contain minerals like fluoride that fight bacteria causing cavities. The polyphenols found in the tea strengthens teeth and prevents bad breath. Some people even gargle with green tea for healthier mouth.

RICH IN VITAMINS

Green tea has been found to contain Vitamin C that protects the bodys immune system, Vitamin B components that help burn Carbohydrates, and Vitamin E for healthier and younger looking skin.

Green tea health benefits patients suffering from rheumatism. The green tea has chemicals that decrease blood inflammation which results in the prevention of arthritis. This wonder beverage has also been reported to lower blood sugar, reduce stress and prevent high blood pressure.

The green tea health benefits are indeed outstanding. To date, there have been no reports of fatal side effects and so green tea continues to be popular and in demand.

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More and more spend hundred and even thousands of dollars yearly on weight loss supplements in the hope of speeding up their metabolism. The main desire is to be attractive and accepted but it is becoming a more difficult goal to achieve. The fitness industry is booming but still a lot of people are unable to cut those fat in spite of all the exercise and diet efforts. In America, more than sixty per cent of adults are overweight and thirty per cent are considered obese. This is because: one, a lot of weight loss products promises unrealistic goals; two, dietary supplement manufacturers rely on the overweight persons failure to survive; and three, the information about the supplements in the market are just written by themselves just to make a sell.

Although the Food and Drug Administration has successfully banned illegal marketers, some products are still available. Consumers can be deceived of the labels which claims caffeine or ephedra fee not knowing that these supplements composes of other ingredients that may pose the same health risks. These include heart and digestive problems, headaches, insomnia, and even psychological side effects.

Other supplement manufacturers say that their products contains EGCG which is a phytochemical ingredient found in green tea. This so-called component claims to speed up metabolism but in reality poses to reduce the risk of cancer. Some studies denote that it could slightly increase the potential to burn calories and now can be found in many weight loss supplements. It has good points on the other hand since the body might conform to EGCG after a period of time. Eve the weight loss benefit could sum up to 60 to 70 calories a day. This helps prevent excessive weight gain.

A few other significant effects of weight loss supplements is that it may contain ingredients that makers claim will prevent the absorption of carbohydrates. One good example is Chitosan, which appears most promising, which in fact shows no positive result in fat absorption. It could even take up to seven months for men to lose just a pound of body fat and for women, there is no fat loss at all. Thyroid supplements act as thyroid replacements help regulate and optimize the thyroid at a higher level. This they say makes the body feel like a couch potato and wont perform the job it has to.

Since the number one reason why people eat is because they feel hungry, there is another type of ingredient that manufacturers made which increases the feeling of being full and decreases appetite, Guar Gum. However, recent studies show that it has no meaningful benefit at all to weight loss. It is ironic that manufacturers mix Psyllium that has the reputation of reducing eating and aiding weight loss for initial studies so far do not support this claim although it helps control blood cholesterol and sugar.

One of the latest innovations in the fat loss industry is by way of skin absorption. Theres a Cutting Gel, which is an epidril product by far the best selling in fat loss creams technology. Rub it where you want the fats cut. For now, it will seem safer to advise the age old remedies to excessive weight gain and that is to invest on walking shoes instead of diet supplements, go to the park and do brisk walking, go to the gym, and have a well balanced diet instead.

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Rooibos Tea – The Healthy Drink
Nettie Mae

Rooibos, or Red Bush Tea as it is also known, is not a true tea but an herb which is indigenous to the Cederburg area of South Africa. Due to its widely publicized health benefits it has grown into a billion dollar export industry since the mid twentieth century.

The tea has no caffeine and only half the tannin of ordinary tea. Apart from being refreshing to drink, in place of ordinary tea and coffee, it has the advantage of containing minerals and powerful antioxidants. Having no oxalic acid it also does not irritate the kidneys.

Japanese scientists, doing studies in the 1960’s, discovered Rooibos contains a powerful antioxidant similar to SOD which is thought to retard aging and quercetin (Q10) which is believed to have potent anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, Rooibos is also found to contain aspalathin which counteracts the atherosclerotic processes that result in heart disease. For these reasons, the Japanese promote it as an Anti-Aging Tea and import large quantities of the tea.

Research done in France found that hair lotion containing Rooibos promoted faster hair growth with improvement in the hair condition and caused no allergic reactions.

In South Africa research found that the polyphenol content in Rooibos is similar to green tea. Polyphenols help protect the body from damage by free radicals.

Rooibos has been found to be helpful with general health problems. It relieves digestive problems, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and constipation. Having a calming effect it helps with irritability, insomnia and depression.

Both pre-natal and breast feeding Mothers can use it to supplement their intake of manganese, calcium and fluoride by drinking Rooibos therefore promote strong teeth and healthy bones in their babies. Rooibos, when applied at every diaper change, can relieve diaper rash and, when drank by the baby, relieves colic.

Preparation of Rooibos is the same as ordinary tea. First warm the tea pot with boiling water and then place one teaspoon of tea or tea bag per cup required in the pot. Pour over boiling water and let infuse for a few minutes. The longer it is left before drinking the more antioxidants the tea will contain. Can be served plain, with hot or cold milk or lemon. It can be lightly sweetened with honey or sugar or just left without any sweetening. Rooibos also makes a wonderful ice tea.

In South Africa Rooibos Tea is often used in day to day cooking as not only does it add important minerals and antioxidants to the diet and help digestion, it also enhances the flavors of the cooking. Just replace the water in a recipe with the tea.

Next time you are in your health shop or in a department store stocking specialty teas, why not pick up a packet and try it out?
About the Author

Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired, Nettie Mae quit her 3rd shift factory job. To see what keeps her going, visit http://www.frutavida4u.com/nettiemae/.

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