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What is the difference, you may ask. Green tea does not go
through the oxidation process that is used for other teas. (Hence the green
color in contrast with the oxidized brown-black color of black tea). With this,
the tea holds the maximum amount of antioxidants and polyphenols possible. If
you are not already familiar with antioxidants from my previous posts, these
are chemicals that will protect your cells from oxidative stress and free
radicals (basically what makes us age and have all sorts of diseases).
Among other benefits, green tea contains caffeine, so it
makes a good substitute for coffee. You can have many cups of green tea through
a day, while coffee consumption more than 3-4 cups is not advisable.
There is something green tea can provide to those who want
to lose weight as well. Consumption of the tea raises metabolism rate by 4%,
and it encourages fat oxidation, which means your body will be more effective
in burning the stored fat.
An interesting fact that may convince you: green tea
consumption has a significant tradition in Asia, but at the same time there is
a high rate of smoking. However, the rate of cancer and cardiovascular diseases
is still lower than the average.
If you'd like to try green tea for yourself, be sure to
choose loose leaf tea, as you can never be sure what they grind into tea bags,
and often lesser quality tea makes its way into your cup this way.
A bonus tip if you want something very delicious: try
jasmine tea! I can guarantee that you will find it so super delicious, subtly
sweet and aromatic that you'll find yourself drinking tea all the time.
