Green tea is the most popular drink in China and one of the most famous in the world. It is much healthier than black, and many amateurs say that it has a subtler and more pleasant taste. It is produced from the same plant, but by a different method, as a result, the leaves retain their medicinal properties.
Green tea production
Green tea differs from black only in the method of production, and they are made from one plant - a tea bush, which is officially called Camellia Sinensis. To get a drink from the leaves of this plant, it is necessary to subject them to fermentation and other procedures. Green tea oxidizes less in time than black tea, it is fermented by only 3-12%, and not completely.
The tea leaves are harvested from the plantations, then they are treated with high temperature steam and left to oxidize for a couple of days. Fermentation is stopped by heating or also by steam. In some cases, the tea is not fermented at all, resulting in special varieties of green tea or white tea.
The benefits of green tea
Due to the minimal fermentation, the tea leaves retain a good chemical composition, which made this drink popular as a healthy drink. As in a fresh plant, this tea contains about five hundred trace elements: potassium, calcium, magnesium, fluorine, as well as various organic substances - proteins and fatty acids and almost all vitamins. Therefore, tea is recommended to drink with vitamin deficiency: it increases immunity, restores the lack of vitamins, activates all systems of the human body. The high amount of vitamin C makes this drink a good remedy for colds.
Green tea contains polyphenols and catechins, which have a wide range of health benefits. Today, scientists are studying these substances to make cancer drugs. It is known that catechins are an excellent prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Green tea contains caffeine, but not in pure form, but in bound - in the form of a substance called theine. It is softer and healthier, but it has the same invigorating properties - it improves efficiency, tones up, gives strength, activates activity. The antioxidants in tea leaves slow down the aging process in cells. The Chinese people believe that green tea increases life expectancy. It also gradually lowers blood sugar levels, reduces stress, has a detoxifying effect and helps with poisoning and gastrointestinal problems.
The harm of green tea
Like any medicine, green tea is only good in moderation - overuse of it can cause health problems. Do not brew it too hard and drink more than 5-7 cups a day. Otherwise, the nervous system gets a lot of stress and is overexcited: pressure drops, there is a breakdown, headache, dizziness, nausea.
Strong green tea is undesirable during pregnancy, with anemia or nervous exhaustion. It is not recommended to drink this drink with alcohol: the substances forming in this case are toxic. Also, do not drink tea on an empty stomach, this is fraught with the appearance of gastritis or ulcers.
