Archive for May, 2007

How is Green Tea Used

Green tea is an herb that comes from Japan, China, and other Asian countries, known officially as “Camellia sinesis”. The leaves of the plant are harvested and then steamed. When consumed as a beverage or through powder made from dried leaves, green tea has shown to provide tremendous health benefit. An active ingredient found in green tea is called epigallocatechin Gallate, more commonly referred to as EGCG.

How green tea is used varies slightly from one part of Asia to another, as well as within other countries. For examples, green tea is usually consumed as a hot tea in Japan and China, often enjoyed in formal settings of a teahouse. However, when asked, “How is green tea used” referring to the United States, you will find that the powder is used for baking, to make fruit smoothies, as a cold beverage, and more.

Now, how green tea is used is not as important as making sure it is used. In other words, whether steaming, boiling, or using the powder form of green tea will provide antioxidants that have been proven through one study after another to boost health. For instance, is has been shown that green tea helps fight cancer, lowers LDL or bad cholesterol, prevents tooth decay, and even serves as a dietary supplement for people wanting to lose weight.

Since there are so many different ways for using this type of tea, we wanted to provide some tips on how green tea is used in our culture. For athletes, good carbohydrates, proper level of fat, and many nutrients are required to compete. Green tea is loaded with rich bioflavonoid elements that can improve performance. In other words, consuming the right amount of green tea daily would keep a person healthy and when used in smoothies, boost energy.

Okay, how is green tea used in fighting weight? Well, we know that Americans are currently fighting an epidemic of obesity. More than any other time in history, our society is eating worse exercising less, and walking around with excessive weight. As a result, we see a significant increase in heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, boosted blood pressure, joint pain, and more. By using green tea, appetite is often suppressed, which means less food consumption.

Next question would be how is green tea used for benefiting children? Again, when taken in the right quantity, green tea is harmless to adults and to children. You could introduce green tea into your child’s diet, knowing you are doing something positive for his or her health while also providing food rich in nutrients. For example, instead of sending your child to school with chocolate chip cookies, why not make carob and green tea cookies. The flavor is delicious and your child will be thrilled.

The bottom line is that how green tea is used is multifaceted. With so many proven benefits, we see dentists recommending it to patients to help prevent and fight bacteria in the mouth that causes plaque. We see stressed out businesspeople using green tea as a soothing drink to relax. Finally, we see green tea used in the battle against cancer. Therefore, when you hear, “How is green tea used”, you know the answer is in many forms, all helping to improve overall health.

Julie Health writes about the benefits of drinking green tea and other beneficial green tea products at her website.

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grim warning for America’s fast food consumers

It's research that may have you thinking twice before upgrading to the large size at your favorite fast food joint. Saint Louis University research presented this week in Washington, D.C., shows the dangers of high-fat food combined with high fructose corn syrup and a sedentary lifestyle in other words, what may be becoming commonplace among Americans........

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What are the Ingredients in Green Tea

In the past decade, green tea has become an increasingly popular choice of beverage for a number of reasons. Known to help people lose weight while also fighting off things such as cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and bad cholesterol, green tea has become a part of people’s lives who are interested in being healthy. Interestingly, most people are completely unaware of the ingredients in green tea, which we wanted to cover in this article.

With more than 3,000 different types of tea, it is fascinating to find that green tea is among the top choice. Grown on the Camellia sinensis bush, the leaves actually produce three distinct tea types depending on how they are processed. For instance, unfermented leaves produce green tea, semi-fermented leaves produce oolong tea, and fully fermented leaves from this same plant produce black tea. For green tea, the leaves must be dried quickly, which is typically done in Chinese form by pan firing or steaming, which maintains the beautiful color, as well as high content of catechin.

When discussing the ingredients of green tea, keep in mind that this is more a reference to the nutritional value. Of course, you can purchase green tea in various flavors, which would change the actual ingredients in green tea. For instance, you might find green tea blended with mint in which case the additional ingredient would be mint or perhaps green tea blended with jasmine tea, again the additional ingredient being jasmine. Therefore, we are referring to ingredients in green tea as the nutrients.

The most vital of all ingredients in green tea is the antioxidant known as polyphenol, specifically Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, more commonly called EGCG. This particular green tea ingredient provides significant health benefits such as preventing cancer, lowering blood pressure, reducing LDL cholesterol, and even fighting oral bacteria that causes plaque, thus the reduction or elimination of tooth decay.

Another ingredient in green tea is 0.06mg of caffeine. Then, one bag of green tea contain between 80 and 100 mgs of the polyphenols with EGCG accounting for about 25 to 30 mgs of that. Then, other ingredients in green tea include theanine, which is a type of amino acid, catechin, chlorophyll, butyric acid, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E, F, P, and U, and certain minerals such as, saponin, saccharides, and pectin.

Each of these green tea ingredients works together to provide a wonderful product that is delicious, as well as healthy. Keep in mind that the way in which the product is made will determine the level of beneficial ingredients in green tea. For example, the Chinese people have long pan fired or steamed the leaves, retaining the highest level of nutrients. The Japanese will also steam, as well as boil and dry to create powder.

Today, you can purchase green tea in bags for brewing, in loose-leaf form, which is great for steaming, in supplements to include tablet and capsule form, or in powdered form. With powdered green tea, you can use it for baking cookies, cakes, pies, breads, or mixing in with other ingredients to make smoothies. The bottom line is that no matter how you consume this substance, the ingredients of green tea will benefit your life while providing you with a relaxing beverage or delicious food.

Julie Health writes about the health benefits of drinking green tea and other green tea products at her website.

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Study confirms health benefits of whole grains

A diet high in whole grain foods is linked to a significantly lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, as per an analysis conducted by scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "Consuming an average of 2.5 servings of whole grains each day is linked to a 21 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease in comparison to consuming only 0.2 servings," said Philip Mellen, M.D., lead author and an assistant professor of internal medicine. "These findings suggest that we should redouble our efforts to encourage patients to include more of these foods in their diets"........

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Benefits of Herbal Green Tea

When it comes to tea, herbal green tea is by far one of the most, well known, and beneficial. In fact, the benefits of herbal green tea are cherished around the globe. For more than 5,000 years, different Asian countries have enjoyed both flavor and health benefits of herbal green tea but it has just been in the past 50 years that people in America have taken advantage of green tea.

When you consider that some of the benefits of herbal green tea include the prevention of cellular damage to the body, thus reduction or elimination of cancer, lower blood pressure and LDL, better immune system and cardiovascular system, and even weight loss, it is no wonder that green tea is receiving such rave reviews. In this article, we will discuss just why herbal green tea is so beneficial.

You see, this particular type of tea contains catechin polyphenols such as EGCG, which is a strong and powerful antioxidant. Although other types of tea contain these antioxidants, the difference with green tea is that it contains the greatest concentration, thus the most beneficial of all teas. With EGCG, both circulatory and heart health are improved. For this reason, herbal green tea is recommended by many doctors to patients.

Now, when shopping around for herbal green tea, you will find different levels of catechins. Whether drinking green tea, baking with green tea powder, or taking a supplement of green tea, for optimal benefit choose a product with a level of 50%. You can check the labels of various brands to determine the percentage of catechins. Keep in mind that herbs are not monitored by the Food and Drug Administration so it is vital that you purchase products from a reputable company.

Since green tea helps with weight loss, it is common to find a number of diet pills containing herbal green tea. Typically, these products are a carefully formulated dose of caffeine and green tea extract, which has been proven to burn more calories than other diet pills. In some cases, you will find herbal green tea diet pills that also contain compounds such as silica, rice powder, cellulose, and magnesium stearate.

Many times, new products are introduced to the public, making huge promises that fall short. However, with herbal green tea, the majority of researchers agree that the components offer tremendous benefit. In addition to those benefits already mentioned, others include better concentration, regulation of blood sugar, better digestion, and more.

What we know is that people from Asian countries and France where herbal green tea is a staple have lower incidences of heart related diseases. In fact, in Japan, we see a reduction of 75%! The bottom line is that herbal green tea contains a number of medicinal properties known as antioxidants that prevent damage to the body, specifically the cellular system, caused by free radicals that occur naturally but increase in number, due to things in the environment. Therefore, adding herbal green tea to your daily routine is a great way to start living a healthier lifestyle.

Julie Health writes about the health benefits of drinking green tea and other green tea products at her website.

You may reprint the article above in its entirety provided the resource box and its links remain.

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