I have recently started sipping green tea a couple times a day while at work, is everything I've read about accurate? I'd like to hear any feedback from GT drinkers about benefits, side effects, weightloss, etc.
Its really hard to tell if all the claims made about green tea are true because it hasn't been intensively studied in the US. It is known that tea contains antioxidants which help prevent cancer. Some studies have shown EGCG to have metabolism boosting effects and caffeine is known to aid in weight loss.
I believe there is general agreement that tea (green in particular) is healthful and it is definitely better than most other beverages one might drink instead.
Here's an interesting article. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/he alth-benefits-of-green-tea?page=1
I love green tea and I drink it all year long! There are some good things to know about it if you're going to drink for health purposes.
1. Not all tea is created equal. Choose whole leaf (usually loose) over bagged tea. Bagged tea is frequently remnants/scraps/leftovers. Unfortunately that means it can include stems and other plant parts without your knowledge.
2. Brewing. Green tea is best brewed at no hotter than 175 degrees. If you brew the tea at a higher temp, you run the risk of scalding the leaves which gives off the trademark bitter flavor. Take a cue from the Chinese traditional brewing: let your loose tea "rest" in cool or room temp water for about 5 minutes. Strain off that water and brew at desired temp. The soaking helps to relax the leaves and you'll receive a much better flavor (and nutrients!).
3. Choose a quality tea. Again, this is similar to the loose vs bagged tea. There are all sorts of wonderful green teas available. I highly recommend the following:
- Genmaicha - Green tea with toasted brown rice. Perhaps the most common green tea in Japan. One of my favorites!
- Kukicha or Kukimatcha - A delicate green tea either with or without added matcha powder (high quality green tea powder)
- Vert du Vietnam - I realize this one is not widely available. If you happen to find it, it has a wonderful robustness with a rounded finish. I pair this green tea with everything from breakfast to dessert.
- Gyokuro - The Grand-Poohbah of tea. This is by far the top on my list. Gyokuro requires special handling as its being grown. Just a sniff of the leaves and you'll immediately know the difference between that and the "stuff in the bag". This is the smoothest, softest and most delicate of the green teas. It's also what matcha powder is frequently made from. This tea is highly prized in Japan and has long been associated with good health. Don't be shocked at the price - a little goes a long way and per ounce of tea it's actually cheaper than coke or pepsi!!
4. Organic over "conventional". I think this one speaks for itself, but if you're not going to drink the organic stuff, you might want to give your tea the cool-temp soak/rinse before brewing. If you're concerned about health, you're more than likely concerned with the idea of steeping pesticides before ingesting them.
5. If you can find a good local tea shop, see if you can get samples. I'd avoid the "flavored teas." Some of the additives are quite scary.
Good luck!
Sunny
I love tea in all flavors, green, white, black, oolong, whatever. I drink tea every day and find that green tea especially is one of my favorites. I agree with what sunnyhikes said, it's all true. There is a good site for ordering tea (ten tea) which I've used before.
It really is important to get a quality tea, it is worth the extra cash in my opinion to get a top grade tea. I don't really drink the tea for the health benefits although I think there are some for sure but mainly because it's yummy, a great way to get water and keeps me going through the day. I make a big thermos and have it at my desk at work.
I also make a chai with spices. I got a bunch of whole spices (cardamom, star anise, cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon, and ginger) and mix them with a cheap black Indian tea (loose leaf though of course) and it's really tasty.
By the way, I assume that you don't put any milk, honey, sugar, or anything in any of your teas, that ruins them.
Enjoy drinking up!
Original Post by gdavids36:
By the way, I assume that you don't put any milk, honey, sugar, or anything in any of your teas, that ruins them.
Oh yes, please don't add anything to your green tea. If it's a good tea, you really shouldn't have to. If you find it's too bitter, either the quality is low, the leaves were scalded or both. I use a handy little candy thermometer ($5 or so at a cooking specialty shop) to make sure my water isn't too hot.
If you're brewing at 175 and find that your good quality tea is still bitter, try again at a lower temp and increase the brew time by a minute or two. Remember, presoaking in cool water for 30 seconds to a minute can relax the leaves and really help the flavor come out.
If you have a Teavana (sp?) store near you, that's a good place to ask for brewing tips. I would avoid buying tea there though. They have an incredible markup and it's really too expensive.
I'd love to be able to afford a good quality tea, but I can't right now. I swear by green tea. I drink it every day, not just fr help in weight loss, but for it's other health benefits. I brew 3 bags in about 20 oz. of water for about an hour. I pour it into a lidded water cup and stick it in the fridge to drink the next day. If it helps, even a little with weight loss or maintenance, I'm all for it. I believe it helps me avoid plateaus. And since it has other benefits, how can you go wrong?
I love Green tea and Black tea to thats the only thing I drink besides water. I drink 4 to 5 cups of green tea a day and 3 cups of black. I dont add anything I like it just plain and hot.I drink it for health benefits and I just like the taste of it.I have never had any side effects from green tea.I have lost 87 pounds since February and I drink it everyday but then I didnt just do that I made many other changes I started eating healthy and added exercise to so I cant say its just from the tea but I think its helped.
