So much has been said about this powerful tea, however, do we know how to choose the perfect green tea?

Choosing proper green tea is like choosing fine wine. You need a lot of details like where it was grown, when was it picked and which part of the plant was used up. The best way to get the most antioxidants out of green tea is by buying the loose leaves and gently brewing it. When you check the labels, bottled green tea has only 12 milligrams of catechins, flavored green teas have about 43 milligrams whereas regular green tea has an astounding 127 milligrams of catechins.

Green tea is at its freshest and best quality if it is harvested in the months of April and May. Reason being, the tea tree has had the whole winter to regenerate itself and produce the best quality leaves and buds.

Use your God-gifted senses to choose the right green tea.

Appearance

The first rule of buying green tea is that it should be sold as a whole leaf. Choose green tea with vivid colors, shading, thickness, and length. If they appear dark, dull and dry with no uniformity, chances are they have been mixed with tea seeds and stems.

Taste

Premium green tea offers a fresh delicate flavor and this flavor should ideally last even as an aftertaste in your mouth. If it tastes astringent or bitter, the tea quality is not up to the mark.

Aroma

Green tea always has a floral and delicate aroma. If you identify nuttiness or fruitiness in the aroma, then bingo, you have landed yourself the best quality green tea. If it has a burnt or musty odor, it has been stored in an incorrect manner and is not of the best quality.

If you are a tea novice, you may want to try the following tea types:-

Jasmine Green tea - Beautiful floral aroma and sweet taste.
Matcha - Gives you an extra health boost, little expensive but so worth it. Add it to your lattes or try baking with it. It has a bittersweet aroma.
Dragonwell (Long Jing) - These leaves are flat and have a Jade color. One of the most popular teas.
Hojicha - A toasty mellow tea which pairs well with sweet as well as savoury dishes.
Biluochun (Green Snail Spring) - So called because the tea is rolled into a tight spiral resembling the shell of a snail. Fresh and fruity tea.
Sencha - Mostly served along with sushi, this tea is best served by infusing it in warm water, around 70 deg C, never into boiling water.
Gyokuro (Jade Dew) - This tea is grown covered in shade. By limiting light, the generation of catechins from amino acids is suppressed giving us tea that's smooth, light and with a good amount of depth.

Moving on to the proven benefits of green tea.

Green tea may help you live longer - Green tea drinkers lower their risk of cardiovascular diseases, which may help them live longer.
Death of all causes: 23% lower in women, 12% lower in men.
Death from heart disease: 31% lower in women, 22% lower in men.
Death from stroke: 42% lower in women, 35% lower in men.

Reduces your risk of Cardiovascular disease - This one was obviously next on the list. Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in the world. Green tea increases the antioxidant capacity of your blood, which protects LDL particles from oxidation. This is one part of the pathways toward heart disease.

Helps you lose weight - Many studies have shown that green tea can decrease body fat, especially in the abdominal area. Green tea can also increase your metabolic rate. However, this needs to be coupled with a proper nutritious diet and exercise.

May lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes - Some studies show that green tea can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels.

May lower your risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's - The catechin compounds in green tea can have protective effects on neurons, lowering the risk of these conditions.

Increases Fat burning - Green tea has shown to increase metabolic rates and increase fat burning in humans.

Contains Bioactive compounds that improve health - Tea is rich in polyphenols which helps in fighting off cancer and reducing inflammation. Green tea consists of 30% polyphenols including a catechin called EGCG. These help in reducing the formation of free radicals in the body hence protecting cells and molecules.

Now the part that no one tells you about, the Side-effects:-

Stomach Problem - Caffeine might be the concern here since it increases the acid involved in the digestive process causing pain or nausea.

Iron Deficiency and Anaemia - Excessive amount of green tea consumption can lead to Anaemia and iron deficiency.

Teeth stains - Tea contains tannins and it is acidic in nature causing the tea to stain your teeth. Caffeine in green tea can reduce the absorption of calcium, weakening teeth or limiting growth.

Fertility - Consuming green tea too often can lower fertility. In another study, subjects treated with green tea showed a decrease in serum testosterone.

Frequent Urination - Green tea can actually aggravate the bladder causing spasms leading to bladder control issues. Caffeine can even constrict the smooth muscles of the bladder, making urination difficult. If so, you may have caffeine sensitivity which causes you to urinate frequently.

Kidney Issues - Studies show that polyphenols that are said to prevent cancer and heart disease may also cause kidney problems if green tea is consumed in great quantities.

Osteoporosis - Caffeine is found to inhibit calcium absorption in the body as well as increase the rate of calcium excreted from the body. An excessive high dosage of green tea can also be a source of prooxidants, negatively impacting the bone matrix.

Acute Liver failure - Catechins in green tea provide great benefits like lowered cholesterol and reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. However if taken in high doses, especially similar to the dosage in weight loss supplements, these catechins cause liver toxicity.

Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears) - According to the American Tinnitus Association, drinks that contain caffeine are known to aggravate tinnitus. Green tea containing caffeine can lead to the condition.

Dizziness - Long-term caffeine dosages of above 1.5 grams per day can lead to certain symptoms like vertigo and dizziness.

Heartburn - Green tea being acidic could irritate the esophageal lining causing heartburn or acid reflux. So people generally suffering from these conditions should take precautions while having green tea mainly the bottled green tea and not so much the brewed green tea.

Diarrhoea - If you are new to green tea, loose motions may occur. After a while though, your body will get used to it. One way to reduce this is to avoid having green tea on an empty stomach.

There are several other conditions that may occur however the bottom line is moderation. Never go over the top with green tea just because someone told you to do so or, you read it somewhere online. Drink only as much as your body needs and listen to your body speak with you.
For now, stay healthy and let Nature take its course in your life!

* These home remedies are not a substitute for your regular medication. Please consult your doctor if you have any medical concerns before trying them out or have any reaction to the same.

Back to Blog