The power of tea

You may have heard about the powers of tea. It’s been credited as helpful for heart heath, fighting cancer risk, reducing stress and even good for weight loss. While tea certainly is not a cure-all, studies have shown numerous ways in which the ingredients in certain teas can be beneficial to your health.

However, with grocery stores and health marts practically overflowing with so many types of tea: green, chai, and teas with downright hard to pronounce names, selecting the right tea might seem overwhelming. To help you choose the tea that best suits your needs, it is useful to know a little of the science behind tea.

Scientists recognize tea as being black, green, white or oolong teas – all of which come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. These are true teas, and you’ll know you are getting the real thing when you see “tea” listed as an ingredient on a product’s nutrition label. You may be surprised to learn that herbal teas are not tea at all, but rather infusions from plants that have a much different nutritional profile. Herbal and flavored teas taste and smell wonderful, but there is little evidence that they offer health benefits derived from real tea.

A study done by UCLA, found that drinking three cups (or more) of either green or black tea a day can reduce your risk of stroke by 21 percent.  The health benefits associated with tea come from its high levels of antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids and catechins, which fight free radicals in the body and prevent healthy cells from being harmed. Other studies have found that drinking a couple cups of tea a day may also help lower cholesterol and protect against certain cancers.
So what is the difference between black, green, white and oolong tea?

Black tea

Black tea is the most common type of tea in the US and accounts for 75 percent of the world’s tea consumption.  Like all tea, it comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The leaves wither, get rolled up and then enter a lengthy fermentation period. This process gives black tea its distinctive smell and strong flavor, and it maximizes interaction between the antioxidant catechins and polyphenol oxidase. Research has found that catechins help reduce cholesterol, decrease blood pressure and prevent the risk of stroke from occurring.

Green tea

Green tea leaves go through a very different process than black tea. This type of tea gets picked, dried, and heat-treated, so that fermentation does not occur.  Green tea contains epigallocathechin gallate (ECGC), which may help to boost metabolism by speeding up the brain and nervous system. The caffeine in green tea along with EGCG has been shown to increase fat oxidation by 12 percent, which is equivalent to burning an extra 80 calories a day.

Oolong tea

Oolong is extremely high in polyphenols, which activates the enzyme responsible for breaking down triglycerides and helps fight the battle of the bulge. Oolong tea is made by bruising the leaves, allowing the release of some of the polyphenol oxidase present in the leaves.  This type of tea is then heated and dried before it goes to market.

White tea

White tea comes from the buds and young leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant; it is the least processed of teas and it has the highest antioxidant levels. White tea also contains flavonoids, a class of antioxidants that inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent the development of new ones from forming.

Tip: To preserve tea’s nutritional value it’s important to store it properly. Air and moisture will degrade loose tea leaves and tea bags, so be sure to keep these in airtight tins at room temperature.
Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a nationally known registered dietitian based in New York and the creator of a proprietary high-fiber nutrition program for weight loss, wellness and for treating various medical conditions. Tanya authored the bestselling weight loss book The F-Factor Diet, and she is the first dietitian with a national line of high-fiber foods, which are sold under the F-Factor name. Become a fan of Tanya on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit her website Ffactor.com.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/19/power-tea/#ixzz1sk6eNOSC

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Sugar-free coffee or green tea: which is healthier?  
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Sugar-free coffee or green tea: which is healthier?

Sugar-free coffee gives you taste and benefits of coffee with fewer calories. Green tea, on the other hand, is a healthy drink because it is a decent source of antioxidant polyphenols.
A refreshing and calorie-safe beverage, green tea works as a good substitute for unhealthy beverages regularly consumed in today's lifestyles. So, now that both sugar-free coffee and green tea are healthy, we wonder which is healthier. Let's take a look...

Advantages of green tea
Green tea contains flavonoids (epigallocatechin ) gallate, or EGCG. New research published in the Journal of Nutrition reports that flavonoids EGCG extracts of green tea lower the harmful effects of high blood sugar. This EGCG can prevent damage to the major organs like the coronary arteries lining of the heart muscle. (via)

Some researches have found that green tea reduces the respiration quotient and increases your metabolic rate, albeit temporarily and to a marginal extent only. One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, reports that those drinking green tea increased their total energy expenditure by 3.5 percent and a jump in the proportion of energy came from fat, which rose from 31 to 41 percent. (via)

Advantages of sugar-free coffee
A longitudinal study in 2009 found that moderate coffee drinkers had a reduced risk of developing dementia in addition to Alzheimer's disease. Some preliminary research evidence shows that coffee acts against beta-amyloid plaque that may have a causative role in Alzheimer's. These findings were published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

A moderate coffee drinker who drinks around 3-4 cups of coffee in a day had 65 % less chances of getting dementia later in life. This is a new study from the University Of Kuopio, Finland and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

Research has shown that a person who is a moderate coffee drinker has less chances of getting gallstones diseases. Two such studies were done by the Harvard School Of Public Health.

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive drug in the world. If you take caffeine in the form of coffee, it will increase the effectiveness of the pain killers, especially in migraine and headache medications.

Some primarily studies has shown that coffee helps boost short term memory. The study in 2005 was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) In which they demonstrated that caffeine modulates short-term working memory. Some cognitive performance tests of simple reaction time, choice reaction time, incidental verbal memory, and visuo spatial reasoning, have shown that participants who regularly drank coffee were found to perform better on all tests.

Roasted coffee contains antioxidant, which in turn contain the anti-cancer compound methylpyridinium. Coffee also increases your energy level after you drink it. But it is a temporary hike. Caffeine can stimulates the central nervous system for a few hours.

Bottom-line: Both, sugar-free coffee and green tea come with their own benefits. Each benefit kicks in only for a few hours, whether it is increased metabolism or migraine relief. Thus, both beverages are good - but in controlled measures. Research suggests that coffee and green tea are good in doses of maximum three cups a day. Therefore, if one uses them as substitutes for unhealthy beverages, they - each - benefit you. Remember, that no single beverage can keep you away from disease and weight gain. If you rely on green tea for weight management without eating healthy and exercising, even eight cups won't help you. Therefore, pick the beverage you prefer based on taste as this will help you develop a lifelong habit, and stick to overall healthy lfiestyle guidelines.


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Green Tea – The Magic Shrub: Benefits of Green Tea

The truth about green tea

HEALTHY FOODS — By Mini Padikkal — Green tea is the second most popular drink consumed worldwide after water. It has many beneficial roles which have made it very common among people. Green tea, the unfermented leaf of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, is richer in polyphenols than other types of tea.
This is because it is produced by steaming fresh leaves instead of fermenting them as done with black and oolong teas. Green tea retains useful natural products called polyphenol catechins (EGCG-epigallocatechin-3-gallate) the most active of which are believed to be responsible for the health benefits of green tea.
People prefer to drink green tea because of its attractive flavour and taste. Green tea is a popular natural remedy for many health problems and has been used for thousands of years. The following are some of the benefits of green tea and why you may want to consider pouring yourself a few cups a day.

EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate): One of the major benefits of green tea has to do with a compound called EGCG. This is a powerful antioxidant. Not only does it prevent cancer cells from growing, but it also kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. This has been scientifically tested, and in 1994 the National Cancer Society published results finding that green tea reduced certain cancers in men and women by 60 per cent. The ingredient EGCG is a potent antioxidant; about 200 times more powerful than vitamin E which neutralises pro-oxidants and free radicals. EGCG can also block the cancer promoting effect of carcinogens in the body. In addition to cancer, the powerful EGCG compound also boosts your overall immunity. Other health benefits include combating depression, headaches, and infection.

Obesity (overweight) is a well-known risk factor for insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes. Patients can benefit from using green tea every day to help boost metabolism. Weight loss benefit of green tea comes from high concentration of poly phenols in green tea which helps to oxidise fat and encourage thermogenesis. Thermogenesis in the body can be defined as the rate at which the body burns calories. Studies have shown that green tea can increase the feeling of fullness stimulating the breakdown of fats. This can help facilitate weight loss by reducing the appetite and food intake.

Patients with diabetes can benefit in many different ways by adding this powerful anti-oxidant to their daily diet. Green tea is low in calories and natural sugars so diabetic patients can enjoy this beverage and reap the many health benefits of this drink without increasing their glucose levels. Research studies have found that green tea can improve glucose metabolism and benefit diabetics in the following ways:

• Improving glucose metabolism by increasing insulin sensitivity • Lowering fasting blood glucose levels • Improving kidney function • Improving liver function • Lowering triglyceride levels • Reducing damage to insulin- producing cells

Green tea is the best anti-aging supplements available. The most important of the active ingredients in green tea is EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) and this EGCG is responsible for most of the anti-aging health benefits.

The natural antioxidants in tea may have a strong effect on heart disease, controlling blood pressure and lowering cholesterol. Green tea also helps lower your bad cholesterol while boosting your good levels. This can prevent heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Green tea is the perfect choice to improve outer appearance as well as the inner health of people. The anti-oxidants included in the tea not only improve your health but can also improve the appearance of your hair, skin and even improve your eye sight.

Green tea can help beat bad breath, according to scientific research. The study found that antioxidants in the tea, called poly phenols, destroy a number of compounds in the mouth that can lead to bad breath, tooth decay and even mouth cancer. The most common way to reap its benefits is to drink about 3 cups of green tea a day (provides 240-320 mg poly phenols). A cup is made with 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in 8 ounces boiling water. Add a little honey for a special treat. In cold weather there is nothing more satisfying than hot tea and in warm weather nothing greater than iced tea. You can really drink this all year round with ease. Green tea is available in most of the shops in Sultanate in different flavours. So sit back, relax yourself and enjoy the benefit !

— The writer is a dietician at
Atlas star Medical Centre, Al Khuwair, Muscat.

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Green Tea – The Magic Shrub: Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea can save lives: Study

Green tea can save lives, says a recent study.

Drinking one or two cups of green tea every day could help you fight bad breath and even prevent mouth and esophageal cancer, claims the study published in the journal Archives of Oral Biology.

The researchers say the antioxidants, called polyphenols, found in the tea, help in eradicating several compounds in the mouth that can lead to bad breath, tooth decay and even mouth cancer.

Earlier research on the beverage proved that it helps reduce cardio-vascular problems, induces weight reduction and also boosts immunity to a great extent, the latest findings have given more reasons for people to switch their morning coffee with the healthy green tea.

The latest study examines the properties of the polyphenol called epigallocatechin 3 gallate (EGCG) in particular, which helps reduce dental plaques and thus destroys the bacteria that cause bad breath.

“Green tea is rich in flavonoids and has a lot of anti-oxidants. The presence of polyphenols makes it anti-carcinogenic and helps in preventing cancer. It also increases the metabolic rate and reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s,” points out Dr. Meenakshi Bajaj, dietician at the Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital.

Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea, but the different manner in which it is processed results in it retaining less caffeine and more polyphenols. As it is consumed without milk or sugar it helps in weight reduction.

“A lot of people are consuming green tea these days and it is a healthy trend. However, it is potassium high, so patients suffering from kidney failure should refrain from drinking green tea,” said Dr Bajaj.

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Benefits of Green Tea
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Green tea can save lives: Study

Green Tea – The Magic Shrub: Benefits of Green Tea

Also known as virgin or tea unfermented tea, green tea is made from the leaves of Camelia sinensis. Black tea is different from that due process requires getting off the natural process of fermentation. Immediately after harvesting, leaves are steam, dry run. The drying preserves vitamins (A, B, E and C) and minerals (iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium)

Green Tea - The Magic Shrub: Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea also contains: essential oils, TEIN, catechici tannin, flavonoids (quercetin, quercitrina), amino teaflavina, tearubigina, proteins, alkaloids (theobromine, theophylline, dimetilxantina, xanthine, adenine).
There is a legend about how green tea first became a drink: A Chinese emperor was drinking hot water when some leaves dropped into his cup. He quickly become fond of the drink and its popularity spread. Those leaves were from a tea shrub, and he is reputed to be the first imbiber of green tea. The only drink more popular in the world today than green tea and its brown cousins is water.

In the last couple of decades many of the powers of green tea have turned out to have scientific merit. Among these, the most significant are the polyphenols found in green tea, which are powerful antioxidant chemicals that work to prevent many different kinds of cell damage.

TOP TEN POWERS OF GREEN TEA

1) Regular consumption of green tea may help guard against heart attacks.
2) 10 ounces of green tea markedly increase your body’s antioxidant powers for a minimum of two hours. This amount of green tea yields the same benefits as 10 ounces of red wine.
3) Green tea helps to lessen indigestion.
4) There is evidence that green tea may help obese people to burn off more fat calories.
5) Green tea contains an antioxidant called EGCG, which attacks cancer cells.
6) Preliminary research indicates that green tea may also help to prevent stomach, skin, and breast cancer.
7) Drinking green tea regularly has long been associated with a longer life.
Green tea helps to prevent arthritis, and those who already have arthritis find that green tea is effective in reducing inflammation.
9) Capsules of green tea have a more powerful antioxidant effect than green tea taken as a liquid.
10) Green tea extracts used in shampoos and skin creams have not been shown to provide tangible health benefits.

Green tea does not appear to interact negatively with any medications. It also appears that high levels of green tea consumption do not bring on any negative effects. When green tea does have an unpleasant impact, however, it is usually because of the caffeine contained in it. A simple solution is to purchase decaffeinated green tea. Green tea supplements are also lower in caffeine than the regular brewed green tea.

One caution in terms of effectiveness is not to boil green tea, as this destroys its powerful attributes. There are no clear dietary guidelines for green tea. It is, however, thought that 3-4 cups of green tea per day provides a full measure of protection against cancer, arthritis, and aging. As a supplement up to 250 mg of green tea is recommended as a twice-daily dosage to get the full anti-aging benefits

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Benefits of Green Tea
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Jeju's green image befits a world-class environmental forum

As the early morning light hit the green rolling hills of the O’sulloc tea garden in Andeok district, Seogwipo City, late last month, those present for the first tea leaf picking of 2012 could say spring had truly arrived on Jeju.

Geography has made the first tea crop on Jeju an important event for the domestic tea industry.

“Symbolically, it’s important because we’re introducing the fresh [tea] out onto the market first,” said Howard Kim, group director for KPR & Associates. Inc., the public relations firm for O’sulloc farm. “This proves that Jeju is the perfect place to grow tea.”

The island’s clean environment is also a fitting venue for the world’s largest environment symposium. Held every four years, 2012 marks Jeju’s turn to host the World Conservation Congress (WCC).

The Korean government signed O’sulloc to be an official sponsor of the six-day event, Sept. 6 to Sept. 15.

In recognition of this agreement and the first tea picking of the season in the O’sullock tea fields, members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) — the parent organization of the congress — Jeju WCC Promotion Office employees, and WCC Korea Organizing Committee members were on hand for a press event.

“Sulloc tea and its parent, Amorae Pacific, are sponsoring the congress and supporting the congress and all the aims of the congress as well,” said IUCN Director of Global Communications John Kidd. “And of course the congress being here in Jeju, it is wonderful that Sulloc being such an important part of the Jeju economy is supporting the congress.”

He added that not only will O’sulloc be a WCC sponsor, but “all the delegates who come to the congress — thousands and thousands of people — they’ll all have a chance to have some Sulloc green tea.”

Since 2009 the farming of the tea is 100 percent organic and a growing local business, so “it’s nice that a congress like the WCC, which is so much about sustainability, environmentally friendly agriculture has a supporter like O’sulloc green tea,” said Kidd.

With less than six months until Jeju hosts the congress, Kidd told The Weekly about some of the latest developments.

For one, the IUCN has been promoting the congress, and will continue to do so, through its various international events like the upcoming Rio+20 conference in Brazil this June. During this event, the IUCN — along with several Korean members — will be on hand to promote the Jeju WCC.

Kidd also outlined work on the World Leaders’ Dialog — a series of five debates by heads of state, important environmentalists, and business leaders, as well as a first in the WCC’s 64-year history — and elaborated on the themes that will be tackled during these sessions.

Nature+Climate, Nature+Food, and Nature+Economy, will look to find “nature-based solutions to climate change, food security, and economic growth,” Kidd said.

Nature+People will look at how societies manage and preserve nature through governance, and Nature+Life will examine the importance of biodiversity to our existence by questioning the economic and social value of nature.

Currently, the Jeju WCC Promotion Office is planning to transform the congress into a month-long affair expanding the venue from just the International Convention Center Jeju in Jungmun, Seogwipo City, to various locations on the island like the Haenyeo Museum in the northeast and other cultural sites.

“We have already meet the [residences] of the 11 spots and they support our plan,” said Kim Yang Bo, director of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province WCC Promotion Office. “They have come together to make the congress.”

He told The Weekly that the 11 locations have already compiled a total of 350 different programs that include festivals, concerts, and workshops to highlight the different village cultures and histories.

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Green Tea May Muddle Olympic Doping Tests

By Maria Cheng | AP

Olympic doping officials are considering whether to tweak their tests after a recent British study showed green tea might hide testosterone from the standard test used to spot it.



The study was a test in a lab dish so scientists aren’t sure if the effects will be the same in people. But some experts say the results are intriguing enough that Olympic testing could be updated to include that possibility.
“It’s interesting that something as common as tea could have a significant influence on the steroid profile,” said Olivier Rabin, scientific director of the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA. He said other foods and beverages, such as alcohol, are also known to muddle test results.

“We may need to adjust our steroid (test) to allow us to exclude whether a test is modified by food or training or disease, before we can say that it’s doping,” Rabin said. He said they might have to raise their normal threshold for what is a considered a legal amount of testosterone to allow for any such interference.

In the study, researchers added green and white tea extracts — or catechins — to testosterone and tested whether the enzyme that usually detects testosterone in the body could still identify it. Tea seemed to reduce the testosterone concentration by up to 30 percent and appeared to work best when testosterone was only slightly higher than normal. Similar results have been found in rodent studies, Rabin said.

Experts say athletes taking testosterone for doping purposes typically have 200 to 300 percent more in their bodies than normal.

WADA has tight controls on other commonly consumed substances like caffeine. It bans diuretics that could mask drug use and warns athletes about taking nutritional supplements, which could be spiked with banned drugs.

The researchers said it was too early to tell what the effect of green tea might be in humans, but said other beverages or foods likely produced similar effects.

“There’s no reason to think we just happened to pick the only food in the world that does this,” said Declan Naughton of Kingston University, who published the green tea research with colleagues in the journal Steroids.

Naughton said the green tea contains catechins, also found in white tea, which seem to stop an enzyme involved in detecting testosterone. By preventing that enzyme from working, testosterone largely goes unnoticed in the body and doesn’t get passed into the urine — where officials usually test for the hormone.
Charles Yesalis, a doping expert at Pennsylvania State University, said officials needed to react quickly.
“Athletes will not wait for the clinical trials,” he said. “I’ll bet there are already lots of athletes out there drinking loads of green tea,” he added.

Yesalis said many scientists were aware of foods that could skew drug tests but would not talk publicly about them. “There’s no sense helping out the doping athletes by telling them what to eat,” he said.
Yesalis was unconvinced that new tests could solve the problem. “There’s too much scientific uncertainty that can cloud the results,” he said.

WADA’s Rabin said all atypical results from doping tests involved an expert analysis, not just a lab result. “There’s a human interpretation of the data,” he said, explaining that officials regularly accounted for potentially troublesome results by considering things like intense exercise, jet lag and diet.

Rabin also said it might be possible to test for testosterone in blood rather than the standard urine test.
Some experts said the limited effects of foods like green tea on masking illegal drug use would be too small to help doping athletes. “You would probably need to drink the tea continuously to get any sustained but minor effect,” said Andrew Kicman, head of research and development at the Drug Control Centre at King’s College London, which is providing the anti-doping laboratory for the upcoming Olympics.

“It would be a very foolish athlete who’s thinking of doping with testosterone and thinks he could drink white or green tea to beat a drug test,” he said. “And I personally wouldn’t want to drink nine cups of tea on the day of a race.”

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/06/green-tea-may-muddle-olympic-doping-tests/#ixzz1rKNBJiRv

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Benefits of Green Tea For Skin 

Green tea could cloud Olympic doping tests

By MARIA CHENG

LONDON
 
Olympic doping officials are considering whether to tweak their tests after a recent British study showed green tea might hide testosterone from the standard test used to spot it.

The study was a test in a lab dish so scientists aren't sure if the effects will be the same in people. But some experts say the results are intriguing enough that Olympic testing could be updated to include that possibility.
"It's interesting that something as common as tea could have a significant influence on the steroid profile," said Olivier Rabin, scientific director of the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA. He said other foods and beverages, such as alcohol, are also known to muddle test results.

"We may need to adjust our steroid (test) to allow us to exclude whether a test is modified by food or training or disease, before we can say that it's doping," Rabin said. He said they might have to raise their normal threshold for what is a considered a legal amount of testosterone to allow for any such interference.
In the study, researchers added green and white tea extracts -- or catechins -- to testosterone and tested whether the enzyme that usually detects testosterone in the body could still identify it. Tea seemed to reduce the testosterone concentration by up to 30 percent and appeared to work best when testosterone was only slightly higher than normal. Similar results have been found in rodent studies, Rabin said.

Experts say athletes taking testosterone for doping purposes typically have 200 to 300 percent more in their bodies than normal.

WADA has tight controls on other commonly consumed substances like caffeine. It bans diuretics that could mask drug use and warns athletes about taking nutritional supplements, which could be spiked with banned drugs.

The researchers said it was too early to tell what the effect of green tea might be in humans, but said other beverages or foods likely produced similar effects.

"There's no reason to think we just happened to pick the only food in the world that does this," said Declan Naughton of Kingston University, who published the green tea research with colleagues in the journal, Steroids.

Naughton said the green tea contains catechins, also found in white tea, which seem to stop an enzyme involved in detecting testosterone. By preventing that enzyme from working, testosterone largely goes unnoticed in the body and doesn't get passed into the urine -- where officials usually test for the hormone.
Charles Yesalis, a doping expert at Pennsylvania State University, said officials needed to react quickly.
"Athletes will not wait for the clinical trials," he said. "I'll bet there are already lots of athletes out there drinking loads of green tea," he added.

Yesalis said many scientists were aware of foods that could skew drug tests but would not talk publicly about them. "There's no sense helping out the doping athletes by telling them what to eat," he said.
Yesalis was unconvinced that new tests could solve the problem. "There's too much scientific uncertainty that can cloud the results," he said.

WADA's Rabin said all atypical results from doping tests involved an expert analysis, not just a lab result. "There's a human interpretation of the data," he said, explaining that officials regularly accounted for potentially troublesome results by considering things like intense exercise, jetlag and diet.

Rabin also said it might be possible to test for testosterone in blood rather than the standard urine test.
Some experts said the limited effects of foods like green tea on masking illegal drug use would be too small to help doping athletes. "You would probably need to drink the tea continuously to get any sustained but minor effect," said Andrew Kicman, head of research and development at the Drug Control Centre at King's College London, which is providing the anti-doping laboratory for the upcoming Olympics.

"It would be a very foolish athlete who's thinking of doping with testosterone and thinks he could drink white or green tea to beat a drug test," he said. "And I personally wouldn't want to drink nine cups of tea on the day of a race."

Source

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Tea: the cup that cheers

By Zhang Yuchen (China Daily) China has around 1,500 varieties of tea. They are divided into seven main categories:  

Green tea: 
 
Green tea has historically been Asia's most famous tea and is popular in the West as well. The secret of green tea lies in the fact that it is rich in antioxidant sucatechin polyphenols, specifically epigallocatechin gallate, that fight cancer without any negative side effects. There are indications that drinking green tea also reduces cholesterol levels and may help to control blood clots.

Black tea: 
 
There are dozens of variations, each with its own characteristic, from very sweet and light to dark and dry. It's possible to find the perfect match for every taste preference. Famous black teas are Qimen Black, Yunnan Black, Lapsang Souchong and Minnan Black (also known as Tan Yang Kongfu).

Oolong tea: 
 
The spelling "oolong" (also "wulong") is a phonetic transcription of the Chinese characters, approximating to the sound of spoken Chinese, or more specifically, Mandarin. The correct transcription is "wulong cha" in pinyin. It includes the most famous Wuyi Rock teas and different types of tieguanyin.

Pu'er tea: 
 
Pu'er tea is grown in southern Yunnan province. The tea is famous for its health benefits, history and post-fermentation characteristics. Pu'er has both "raw" and "cooked" varieties. The raw version exhibits a green color and matures over a number of years. The cooked variety is black in color and has an earthy flavor.

White tea: 
 
Not as popular as other varieties, but good alternatives are Silver Needle and White Peony, and a white tea from Yunnan, a fermented white tea cake and white tea bricks. It contains a greater number of antioxidants than other teas.

Yellow tea: 
 
Nowadays, yellow tea is only found in a few locations in China, mainly because it is difficult to process. Only three varieties are well known: Meng Ding from Sichuan province, Junshan Silver Needle from Hunan and the Huoshan Yellow Buds from Anhui. Both the leaves and the brewed tea are yellow-green in color. The taste is fresh, with a slight hint of pepper.

Scented teas: 
 
Scented teas are made by combining high quality tea leaves with the fragrances and tastes of blossoms, for example, jasmine or pomelo flowers.

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Tea sends message of hope

By Andrew Stein

MASAHIR TAKADA, A tea master from Japan, prepares tea during his recent visit to Stone Leaf Tea House in Middlebury. Takada has created an aid project for victims of the devastating tsunami that hit northeast Japan last year. As part of his project, hundreds of Vermonters have sent tea with notes of hope to some of the victims. Independent photo/Trent Campbell

MIDDLEBURY — Barely one year after a tsunami devastated a portion of Japan’s northeastern coast — causing one of the biggest nuclear disasters in history — Masahir Takada made his way to Middlebury, further cementing his relationship with Vermonters who reached out to Japan after the disaster.

Takada is a tea master from Uji, Japan, the birthplace of Japanese green tea (see sidebar), who came to the U.S. this year to meet with his many tea contacts and extend a warm thank you for all of their support since the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. Before arriving in Middlebury last month to hold demonstrations at Stone Leaf Tea House and Middlebury College, he made an appearance at the San Francisco Tea Festival.

Uji, which is located in western Japan’s Kyoto prefecture, was not directly affected by the tsunami. But after one of the most powerful earthquakes on record — magnitude 9.0 — triggered the most devastating tsunami in Japanese history, Takada worked day in and day out for much of the past year to help thousands of people who were left homeless and without families.

Not all green tea is made alike
What’s the difference between Chinese green tea and Japanese green tea? The way in which oxidation is stopped.

First, it’s important to understand that what distinguishes green tea from black tea is the tea’s level of oxidation. Green tea is the least oxidized of all tea categories and black tea is the most oxidized. Oxidation occurs when we bite into an apple and it turns brown. The same thing happens to tea when its cellular structure is broken and exposed to oxygen.

All green teas remain green because oxidation is halted at an early stage — generally, several hours after the leaves are picked. Heating the leaves to the point where the oxidizing enzymes are deactivated stops this process.

The main difference between Chinese green teas and Japanese green teas is how this oxidation is halted.

In China, tealeaves are roasted using a range of different methods, where in Japan they’re steamed. Chinese green teas are often characterized by a roasted honey flavor, where Japanese green teas exhibit more of a bright oceanic or seaweed element.

Either way, both kinds of green teas and many other teas that come from the tea plant species — camellia sinensis — are packed full of carcinogen-fighting antioxidants that have been proven to help humans detoxify their bodies.

THE PROJECT

When a German friend of Takada’s reached out to him after the natural disaster, Takada initiated what he calls “phase one” of his aid project — emergency packages. Using funds raised by the friend — whom Takada knows through the Japanese martial art of kendo — Takada created packaged sets of necessities: bulk rice, clothes, medicines, various foods and other provisions. The rice was from his own fields and other supplies were gathered from stores across the country.

“Fortunately, I had a lot of stock at this time, so I sent a lot of rice,” he said.

To receive and allocate these packages, Takada had point people in the Japanese cities of Sendai and Ishinomaki, places that were hit especially hard by the tsunami.

Phase two of the project is what brought him to Middlebury — tea.

Using the world’s most widely consumed beverage — and a centerpiece of Japanese culture — Takada delivered foreign sentiments of hope to those in need of encouragement.

“After this donation from the kendo people, I started to make another donation (on behalf of) the many teashops in Europe and the United States,” said Takada, who ships tea to high-end tea shops around the world.

Takada sent thousands of small tea packets, containing Japanese green tea, to these teashops, among them Middlebury’s Stone Leaf Tea House. On each packet was a space to write a note. The packets of tea were, in effect, postcards for families in need to receive warm wishes and tea.

“Each card had messages in English, Italian, French and many other languages,” he said. “On the backside I explained the meaning behind the project and sent it up north.”

Customers at Stone Leaf and the other teahouses were urged to write their message to the Japanese affected by the earthquake and tsunami and send the packets back to Takada.

In total, more than 2,000 tea postcards reached earthquake victims, including more than 200 from Stone Leaf customers and friends. Takada funded this part of the project. It was not aimed at attracting big donations, he said, that just wasn’t the point.

“The people who live in the foreign countries wanted to do something for Japan. This way people are directly attached to people … no big donations will disappear to some place,” he said. “Tea is the bridge between countries.”

To many, a little packet of tea might not seem like much to victims of a natural disaster. But to a society like Japan’s, where the smallest of gestures can carry the weight of the world, this notion spoke loudly about the feelings of foreign nations for the Japanese people, said Takada.

The Japanese scholar Kakuzo Okakura addressed this in his 1906 classic, “The Book of Tea.”
“Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others,” he wrote.

DEVASTATION AND RECOVERY

On a sunny day in the Middlebury teahouse in mid-March, over a pot of steaming tea, Takada flipped through a slideshow, recounting the devastation that followed the tsunami.

He showed pictures of crushed cars and leveled houses in Ishinomaki.

“This is the worst city,” he said. “Everything was destroyed.”

He showed a picture of the kendo dojo in Sendai.

“Some of the people lost their houses, but they still continued their practice,” he said. “It makes their spirit strong. If they stop this practice, maybe they’d lose the power.”

When asked if the tea regions were harmed, he replied, “Not by earthquake damage — by nuclear damage.”

As is well known, the nuclear power reactors in Fukushima, Japan, lost electricity to power water pumps and some of the nuclear materials began to overheat and disperse radioactivity.

While Uji’s tea and western Japanese tea regions were left untouched by the radioactivity, higher levels of radiation were discovered in coastal tea regions along the east side of Japan, including parts of Shizuoka, the country’s largest tea producing region.

The devastation wrought by nuclear contamination from the crushed Fukushima Daiichi reactor has left a sour taste in the mouths of the Japanese. Only two of the country’s 54 reactors are currently operating, and the government is looking to renewable sources of energy for the future, said Takada.

One year later, Japan is still reeling. Much of the Northeast is rebuilding from scratch, and dealing with nuclear contamination on such a massive scale presents many difficulties. Takada said citizens are concerned that the government will try to store the waste from the nuclear reactors in their cities.

Recovery has also been slower than expected because the government must now carry out city planning with new challenges in mind. In many cities, the government will no longer permit residential development along the coast, said Takada.

For those families and people whose homes were destroyed, Takada said they’re living in government housing.

“Everybody is doing their best to recover,” he said. “For the people who lost it all, most people are living in just a simple house that was built by the government. But the conditions are not so good. They want their own houses.

“They are recovering step by step.”

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Green Tea for Skin

Green tea cake with vanilla glaze

By Mollie Zapata

I bet that right now, in your pantry and fridge, you have everything you need to make this pretty little cake. It’s a Green Tea Cake, but there are no powders or potions required – just a few tea bags! And bonus points for those of you looking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a semi-classy way, because with just a few drops of food coloring, this tea-flavored cake becomes super-seasonal.

I used Zen green tea, which is infused with lemongrass and spearmint. The resulting cake was lightly minty-fresh-tasting and not too sweet. The frosting balanced it out nicely and added some necessary sweetness.

A lot of people seem to think that as a cake-blogger, things in the kitchen always go well for me. This is sooo far from the truth! One of the best things about baking is getting creative and experimenting … which inevitably results in some super-successes, but also some major baking-fails. This cake was almost a baking fail, but one that I managed to salvage into awesomeness.

Let me tell you how things went down: I envisioned a green tea layer cake, with a light and sweet marshmallow frosting, so I doubled the cake recipe to make two layers. Then I started on the frosting. It takes a long time to get the sugar to soft-ball temperature, so I waited and watched and waited and watched … until I kinda forgot to watch and it got too hot and started to caramelize! I poured it into the egg whites anyways, hoping it would work. It didn’t. What was supposed to be light and fluffy marshmallowy goodness turned into an off-white sticky mess. Bah. I tried to salvage it, but finally wrote it off as a total waste, and to my dismay had to dump it all and start over.

Round 2 of the frosting I decided to stick to simplicity and just make a vanilla glaze. Though the cake didn’t turn out as I had originally envisioned, it did turn out delicious.

Green Tea Cake with Vanilla Glaze
For the Cake:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2  tablespoons green tea leaves (about 2 tea bags)
1/2 cup milk 
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Green food coloring and green sprinkles (optional) 
For the Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 tablespoons as needed
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  
Grease and flour a 9-inch baking pan.

With an electric mixer, or by hand, cream together butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of salt, and green tea. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is slightly coarse and sandy. This takes about 5 minutes.

Add in milk, egg, and vanilla extract. And beat until incorporated and the batter is smooth. Drop in food coloring until the batter reaches your desired green-ness (keep in mind that color tends to dull in baking, so if the batter looks a bit too bright you’re probably OK).

Pour batter into prepared pan. 

Bake for 22 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from the pan to cool completely before frosting.

To make the glaze: Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until it reaches a glaze-ish consistency. Spread the frosting on top of the cake and decorate with sprinkles if you’re using them.


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Green Tea for Face

Green tea can beat bad breath, cancer

LONDON: Green tea's status as a superfood is growing gradually, as a new study has claimed that drinking the beverage could help you fight bad breath and even mouth cancer. The study by a team from Israel's Institute of Technology found that antioxidants found in the tea, called polyphenols, destroy a number of compounds in the mouth that can lead to bad breath, tooth decay and even mouth cancer.

The new findings will add to green tea's status as one of nature's so-called "superfoods" , the Daily Mail reported . Past studies have suggested that green tea helps prevent cancer and heart disease and lower cholesterol - and even ward off Parkinson's and Alzheimer's .

In the latest study, the researchers examined the properties of the polyphenol called epigallocatechin 3 gallate (EGCG) in particular.

"EGCG constitute the most interesting components in green tea leaves," the researchers reported in the journal Archives of Oral Biology.

"All together, there is increasing interest in the health benefits of green tea in the field of oral health," they said. Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea but processed in a different way that means it retains less caffeine and more polyphenols . It has been drunk in China and the Far East for thousands of years and is fast becoming popular in UK because of its health benefits. It's drunk without milk, sugar so it is low in calories.

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Green Tea for Skin

Dying man's future in green tea leaves

Steve Horne is pretty close to a medical marvel.

An obese, fast-living chronic alcoholic with diabetes and a raft of health problems, his body began shutting down with doctors suggesting he had only 18 months to live.

Moving to Thailand to live out his last days in style, Mr Horne started drinking green tea while in Hong Kong on a three-week layover and his 150kg frame lost nine kilos and he went to the doctor in panic.

He came out with a clean bill of health and the advice that "whatever you are doing, it's working".
The now 88 kilo man visited Hawera last week to speak with members of Kiwilife Gym about his journey.
"I went into a 7/11 in Hong Kong and I've just picked one (tea product) up that was all in Chinese writing," he says.

He credits the drink, which he picked up by chance, with saving his life and creating a new business opportunity which allows him to help others.

Mr Horne is now 60kg lighter, diabetic medication-free, has acceptable cholesterol and actively exercises.
"It's happened to me so we can use that as a marketing thing," he says.

Mr Horne now sells Tao Ti nationwide as a healthy alternative to softdrinks and says it doesn't taste anything like most bitter green teas.

A portion of the profit from each bottle sold goes into the Bank of Dreams Charitable Trust, which he started after his epiphany.

"The more money we can make, the more we can give back to the community," he says.

The business model is based on the movie Pay it Forward and it's a principal he lives by.

"I come round the country talking to people and inspiring them with my story to make a difference to themselves and those around them."

Tao Ti Green Tea is sold at KiwiLife Health and Fitness Gym.

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All the tea from China

All the tea from China

AT the wood-panelled Lock Cha tea-house in Hong Kong Park, on the Island side in Admiralty, teamaster Terrance Cheng is explaining the intricacies of myriad types of classic cha, from health-giving green and flowery jasmine to the delicate phoenix oolong. 
 
Our little group forms an arc around Teamaster Cheng at a long wooden table; his utensils have been set out with surgical precision and he explains slowly and lovingly the procedure for proper teamaking. I am pleased to see that rinsing and warming the pot -- he refers to the process as "seasoning" -- before adding the tea leaves are crucial steps.

I grew up with a mother who insisted on the ceremony of tea-taking and would have quite liked to put on gloves and a hat if she had neighbourhood ladies in for afternoon tea in the front parlour (savagely dusted, reserved for "best" and if the Queen should happen to pop by).

Lock Cha, sometimes spelled as Lok Cha, was founded by Ip Wing-chi, a tea trader and connoisseur who retails pure, single-harvest, estate tea from a handful of China's provinces in green, red, greenish oolong, white, the increasingly rare yellow and twice-fermented black varieties. He also runs a larger tea shop on Queen's Road in Central, and prettily wrapped packets of leaves are sold at both outlets.

Teamaster Cheng explains that green tea contains a high amount of antioxidants and says that connoisseurs prefer theirs served in a glass "to better see and appreciate the delicate shape of the leaves".
He makes our pot of green tea with water of a lower temperature (just off the boil, I would say) than the phoenix oolong that follows.

The consensus among our group of novices is that the latter is more delicious, with distinct floral notes. Teamaster Cheng further advises that the longer the tea is steeped, the richer it becomes; I get the sense one could "grow" a pot all day, replenishing the leaves to form almost a kind of stock.

Our afternoon session is one of many free activities on offer as part of the Hong Kong Tourism Board's Cultural Kaleidoscope program, which gives visitors insights into various Chinese traditions, such as tai chi, feng shui and even making festival mooncakes.

With its calligraphy scrolls hung like vertical banners and ornamented room dividers, Lock Cha tea-house is a fragrant sanctuary that seems far removed from the purposeful metropolis on its doorstep. Also in Hong Kong Park is the uniquely specialised Museum of Tea Ware, housed in the 1840s-built Flagstaff House, the oldest surviving colonial building in this one-time British territory.

In a series of tall-ceilinged rooms with french doors is displayed a 600-strong collection of all the utensils and paraphernalia of oriental tea, including precious ceramics from the storied Ming dynasty and humble but pretty little Yixing purplish clay teapots that would have been passed down through generations of rural families.

Some of the more decorative pots have melon-stalk or animal-shaped lids or are designed like fish, with pouting lips for spouts. It's a curious collection and entry is free; you may never feel the same about teabags again.

Susan Kurosawa was a guest of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

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 Spring Forest Healing Fest
Black & Decker DCM18S

Green Tea House, Asian fusion restaurant, open in Alliance Town Center

FORT WORTH — North Fort Worth gets some good-looking sushi at Green Tea House, an Asian restaurant that opened in late February at Alliance Town Center off 35W and Heritage Trace Parkway.

Sushi not always being an easy sell out in the 'burbs, Green Tea House also offers Chinese food and bubble tea, and serves wine, beer, and sake.

"[Chef William Liang] has more than 15 years of experience cooking in Beijing," said a manager who answered the phone. "When he was in China, he cooked Asian fusion food, so he knows how to do Chinese, Japanese, and Thai."

The house specialty is a dish called Pecan Chicken, but there's an emphasis on healthy cooking, with vegetarian options such as Orange Peel Tofu, no MSG, low sodium, and a minimum of oil used in cooking.

The kitchen has an open design, and there's a sushi bar as well as a boba tea station. The restaurant is one of many opening at Alliance Town Center, a shopping complex built by Perot's Hillwood development company, with an exterior that vaguely mimics the West Village. It boasts about two dozen quick-casual and/or fast-food places such as Jason's Deli and Zoe's Kitchen, and a Baker Bros. American Deli opened on Monday, with a Mi Cocina coming soon. Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital will open there in the fall.

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1 Cup Coffee Maker

Teas provide benefits for drinkers

By Paige Steele

Tea drinking has played a major role in optimal health to those in the East for centuries and has more recently been widely touted in Western media.

The benefits of drinking tea are vast. Ranging from reducing cholesterol to combating cancer, different teas provide different health benefits and it's important to understand which teas provide which benefits.

According to tea enthusiast Brooke Kueser, senior in education, drinking tea is one of the best things a person can do for their bodies and notes that different kinds of teas provide different advantages to one's health. One of the most popular types of tea, and Kueser's favorite, is green tea.

"[Green tea] aids in weight loss, in that it increases metabolism," Kueser said. "It's also good for you because it contains the antioxidants that a person needs to keep a healthy lifestyle."

Kueser recommends drinking several cups of green tea a day, but admits that one works just fine for her.
"I've started drinking green tea this year," said Reagan Domer, senior in management information systems. "I've noticed a decrease in the amount of colds that I've had and would credit the green tea with that."
According to a Dec. 28, 2011 article on teamuse.com called "The Benefits of Tea" by Media Digest, green tea also helps fight allergies, arthritis and its antioxidants can help inhibit an enzyme cancer cells need to grow.

Black tea is another popular kind of tea among Americans. According to the same article, black tea has been shown to lower the risks of heart disease and is thought to be just as beneficial as green tea.
"Black tea is my favorite," Domer said. "It's a good alternative to coffee as it contains the most caffeine of any tea and Caribou Coffee in the Union has a really good one that I like a lot called Hot Cinnamon Spice."

For people who are looking for anti-aging solutions, they need not look further than oolong tea. According to Sept. 1, 2011 article titled "Oolong Tea Benefits" from teabenefits.com, oolong tea also helps with digestive problems, strengthens the immune system and combats tooth and bone decay.

"Lately I've started to drink oolong tea," Kueser said. "I think it tastes better than green tea and still has a lot of good qualities about it. Plus, tooth health is very important to me."

A tea that has become more popular recently is red tea, commonly known as rooibos tea. This special tea is only found in a bush in South Africa and is thought to have just as many health benefits and cancer-fighting qualities as green tea.

"I first started drinking rooibos tea when I studied abroad in South Africa my sophomore year," said Beth Caldwell, senior in psychology. "I drink a few cups every day and can drink it at night too since it's naturally decaffeinated and I've definitely noticed improvements in my overall health since including it in my diet."
Although each different kind of tea has slightly different health benefits, the effect on overall health remains the same as it is improved with the consumption of tea.

"I just really like the taste of tea and the health benefits are just a perk," Domer said.

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 Benefits of Green Tea
Wealth for Women Summit

Go for Green Tea and Coffee in 2012, With Angel Springs’ Eco Boilers

Businesses looking to make an environmentally friendly New Year’s resolution for 2012 could save money, time and energy with the new eco boiler range from Angel Springs.
Angel Springs, the UK’s leading service provider of both bottled and mains-fed water coolers, is offering a no-obligation, seven-day free trial on its eco boiler range for businesses wanting to save on time and electricity bills when staff make hot drinks.
Rather than the standard office kettle – which takes minutes to boil, creates queues, and can end up being overfilled and wasting energy – eco boilers only use the exact amount of water needed to make hot drinks in the office. They provide hot water on demand – and can instantly heat up to 156 cups per hour.
Angel Springs’ innovative eco boilers take cold water directly from the mains, pass it through BRITA Filtration technology then boil it to around 100°C using fast, efficient heating elements.
Eco boilers instantly heat the amount of water necessary to fill a cup – whether staff are filling up a single mug or fetching a round of hot drinks – so no electricity is wasted by boiling more water than is needed. Eco boilers also use far less power than traditional appliances.
“Eco boilers are a great addition for any office kitchen or catering environment,” explains John Murphy, commercial director of Angel Springs. “The boilers only use the amount of water needed, so businesses save on electricity bills, and it’s environmentally friendly, because there’s no waste.
“Staff can make a hot drink immediately and return to their desks, so businesses also save a lot of time.
“By taking a no-obligation, seven-day free trial, businesses can discover for themselves just how good our eco boilers are – both in terms of efficiency and cost-savings, and in terms of making a great-tasting drink!”
Customers who sign up for a seven-day free trial in December, and decide they wish to take an Angel Springs eco boiler, can get one installed for January.
It’s a great way to be more environmentally friendly, save time and costs, and start 2012’s New Year resolutions in earnest.
Notes to editors:
Angel Springs
Angel Springs is the longest-running water cooler company in the UK, supplying customers with fresh spring water, water coolers and water boilers for 21 years. The company employs 180 staff and is committed to working and developing successful relationships with local community groups, charities and businesses across the UK.

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Can a box of chocolates actually be good for us?

How Holiday Overeating Can Damage Your Skin

This time of year gives us so much to remember: family memories, decked-out décor, and eggnog-induced hilarity. But when it comes to those heavy, fatty, and sugary meals, it’s not just our brains that remember...our skin does, too.

When we flood our cells with excess sugar, metabolic byproducts called advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) can form. An AGE called glucosepane is believed to contribute to toughened, hardened collagen, which causes skin to be less flexible and supple as we age.

The best protection against excess glucosepane is to regularly consume small amounts of foods with a low glycemic index, like whole grains, leafy greens, and other fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. However, when Grandma is hovering over you, begging you to take seconds (or thirds) of her famous cornbread, it’s hard to say no. Here are a few ways to minimize the damage.

1. Slow-Cook Your Meals
Slow-cooked meals are prepared at lower temperatures than those from a stove or microwave.  Lower temps result in less sugar released, so your body doesn’t produce as many AGEs during digestion.

What’s more, in a 2006 study by the American Botanical Council, vegetables were found to retain 80% of their raw antioxidant capacity when steamed, but just 30% when boiled, on average. So less cooking = more antioxidant protection and fewer AGEs—and a younger-looking you!

2. Avoid Sugary Glazes
Corn or maple syrup glazes contain high levels of sugar, which in turn increases blood sugar levels. Logically, the more blood sugar you have, the more sugar molecules you have forming AGEs.

3. Avoid White Bread and Pasta
According to an article by the Harvard School of Public Health, foods with a high glycemic index (like white bread) cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, while foods with a low glycemic index (like whole oats) are digested more slowly, causing a lower and gentler change in blood sugar.

4. Increase Antioxidant Levels with Colorful Veggies
Antioxidants combat free radical formation and even help to correct some already-produced damage to the skin. In the previously mentioned 2006 study, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) scores of twenty-seven vegetables were compared, and artichokes, beetroot, cabbage, broccoli, red chicory, red chili, and yellow pepper had the highest scores, thus the highest antioxidant potential.

5. Pile on the Herbs and Spices
Out of fifteen featured herbs and six spices tested, garden sage, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, cumin, lemon balm, and fresh ginger were found to have the highest ORAC scores. What’s more, salad dressings containing as little as 1.5 percent lemon balm or marjoram were found to increase antioxidant capacity by 150 percent and 200 percent, respectively. What a way to make a super-healthy dish even more beneficial!

6. Drink Green Tea
Green tea has been found to provide many beneficial effects for the skin, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and photoprotective properties. Although a study in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics green tea’s real anti-AGE superpower is in the heart, drinking green tea has still been proven in numerous independent scientific studies to be highly beneficial for your skin.

7. Drink Red Wine—But Just a Little
There is proof that red wine, grapes, plums, peanuts, and other plant products containing resveratrol may promote the activity of sirtuins, agents that are currently suspected to prolong the life of collagen-producing cells. However, the amount of resveratrol necessary to provide anti-aging effects hasn’t been pinpointed, and too much alcohol causes inflammation and dilates capillaries, so stick to one glass per day.

Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22179/121119-holiday-overeating-damage-skin#ixzz1h7kkXKB4

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Give the gift of good health
ab workout machines

 

Brooke Bond launches three variants of green tea rich in anti-oxidants

Brooke Bond Taj Mahal has launched the green tea range with three exciting flavours, Honey Lemon Green Tea, Earl Grey Green Tea and Darjeeling Green Tea. The range is available at high-end retail outlets and super markets in packs of 10 and 25 individually wrapped tea bags and priced at Rs 40 and Rs 90 respectively.

Rich in anti-oxidants, the variants offer a refreshing treat for health-conscious tea drinkers. The honey lemon version is a delicate and light refreshing green tea with a dash of honey and a juicy lemon flavour. The earl grey tea is an invigorating green tea blend with the extract of the bergamot orange fruit and Darjeeling tea is a classic variant with long Darjeeling leaves and a delicate aroma that is sure to overwhelm one’s senses.

Considering the growing health consciousness amongst consumers in India, the company launched green tea to offer tea aficionados a healthy drink in the hot beverage segment. The tea has been carefully selected from the finest gardens providing quality blends with a superior taste.

Commenting on the launch Arun Srinivas, category head, beverages, HUL said, “We seek to constantly engage our consumers with new and innovative products to cater to their changing lifestyles and needs. We at Brooke Bond Taj Mahal are expanding our product portfolio and in line with this are targeting the health and wellness market with the latest range of our offering - Taj Mahal Green Tea.”

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Coffee vs. Tea: Which Is Healthier?

BALANCING YOUR HEALTH: Green tea has many health benefits

By Dr. Linda Johnson

Green tea is a botanical that has been shown to protect people from many types of cancer, reduces inflammation, helps protect the liver, boosts metabolism and shows many other positive health benefits.

Second only to water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. China and India were among the first countries to grow tea. Main varieties of teas like green, black and oolong are processed differently. Green tea differs as it is made from unfermented leaves and contains the highest concentration of antioxidants called polyphenols.

We all know how important antioxidants are in our diet. They scavenge those nasty free radicals that alter cells and DNA. Some free radicals occur naturally in our body, but we are exposed to many environmental toxins such as radiation, cigarette smoke, air pollution and the sun.

The aging process and many diseases have shown to be impacted by free radicals. It only makes sense to do as much as we can to neutralize them and reduce or prevent the damage free radicals are capable of doing.

Green tea has been used as a medicine in China for more than 4,000 years. They used it to treat everything from depression to headaches. There have been many scientific studies conducted on humans and animals providing positive health benefits of drinking green tea.

Green tea is high in catechin polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is an antioxidant that inhibits the growth of cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Green tea is so high in EGCG because the leaves are steamed, which prevents this compound from being oxidized. Other teas such as black and oolong do not have this benefit because the EGCG is converted into other compounds due to the fermentation process. This high antioxidant level has also been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels and decrease the chance of getting a blood clot. Blood clots are the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.

You have probably heard that you should drink a glass of red wine every night because of its resveratrol effects. Resveratrol is also a polyphenol, but green tea contains a type of polyphenol that is twice as strong as resveratrol. So if you really don't like wine, green tea is much better for you in the long run.

Green tea has been reported to be helpful in rheumatoid arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It also seems to help prevent tooth decay and food poisoning because of its bacteria-destroying abilities.

Diabetes is so prevalent these days in children and adults because of the sugar laden diets and obesity levels. Green tea has been used to control blood sugar levels. Animal studies suggest that green tea may help prevent the development of Type 1 diabetes and slow the progression once it has developed. It may help to regulate glucose in the body.

Another healthful property of green tea besides its antioxidant effects include L-theanine, an amino acid that has calming effects on the nervous system.

Green tea can interact with medications and you should check with your physician to make sure it is safe to add to your regimen. Certain health problems such as kidney disorders, stomach ulcers, psychological disorders and heart problems can be aggravated by green tea.

Pregnant and breast-feeding women should also check with their doctor first before ingesting. Caffeine in green tea can be 30 to 60 mg in eight ounces of tea, compared to more than 100 mg of caffeine in eight ounces of coffee.

Although it's less, people sensitive to caffeine should opt for a decaffeinated variety. It still has the same benefits.

Dr. Linda Johnson is a naturopathic doctor based in Alamogordo. Contact her at 434-6400 or via email at balancedhealth@live.com.

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Tapping Pain Relief World Summit

Obesity, Blood Pressure, Smoking May Shrink Your Brain