What is green tea? Effects, notes when using green tea effectively

Green tea is an herb that is no stranger to everyone. However, not everyone understands this drink well. So today Tnhelearning.edu.vn will share with you the information about green tea.

What is green tea?

Green tea, also known as green tea, is the leaves of the tea plant that have not undergone the same stages of withering and oxidation as oolong tea, black tea or daily brewed tea.

This is a plant that originated in China , but now the production and growing process has spread widely to Asian countries.

Green tea leaves are also known as green tea

There are many types of green tea, depending on the growing conditions, there will be different cultivation methods in accordance with the time of harvest.

What are the benefits of green tea leaves?

Currently, green tea leaves are considered as a raw material for processing healthy drinks, according to herbalist Vu Quoc Trung , green tea has the following effects:

For health

• Supports the prevention of cardiovascular diseases : The substances in green tea contain the ability to control cholesterol levels as well as help regulate blood pressure, prevent atherosclerosis . Even if someone has had a heart attack, green tea can help prevent cell damage and speed up the recovery process of heart cells.
• Supports healthy skeletal muscle : The catechins in green tea contribute to slowing down the aging process of bones. One of those catechins, EGCG, stimulated an enzyme that promotes bone growth by up to 79%, helping to limit osteomalacia and osteoporosis .
• Enhances memory : Not only ensures ideal physical health, green tea also counteracts the effects of age on the brain . EGCG is involved in the production of brain cells, thereby helping to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases in the elderly.
• Boosts Immune System : Green tea contains polyphenols and flavonoids, which strengthen your immune system, make your body stronger, and have the ability to fight off infections. In particular, green tea water is effective against Covid-19.

Green tea has many great health benefits

For beauty

• Prevents Aging : Green tea also helps to smooth out the wrinkles on your face. Polyphenols in green tea are a substance that fights free radicals, helping to slow down the aging process.
• Helps burn fat, lose weight : This is probably the most effective benefit of green tea. Green tea can help burn fat and boost metabolism naturally, burning nearly 70 calories per day . Green tea can also block the conversion of glucose into fat cells. Therefore, you can lose weight if you combine drinking green tea every day with exercise and healthy eating.
• Reduces dark circles : Green tea has a great effect on reducing swelling and dark circles through reducing the dilation of blood vessels under the eyes. Besides, it also contains small amounts of caffeine and tannins, which help reduce water in tissues and tighten the skin around the eyes.
• Effective acne treatment : When the liver contains too many toxins, it will cause acne, lumps on the skin, making the skin less sharp. Thanks to drinking green tea, it will have a cooling effect on the body, improve liver function, and prevent the detoxification process through the skin that causes acne.
• Prevents tooth decay : Green tea is a common ingredient in toothpastes, preventing the growth of bacteria, especially bad breath. Moreover, the components present in green tea have the ability to kill bacteria and viruses that cause dental disease .

Green tea helps to keep fit and beautify the skin

How to make green tea leaves

Brew fresh green tea leaves

When boiling fresh green tea leaves, pay attention not to cook for too long , it will lose the activity of some substances in the tea leaves.

You should also choose the right amount of tea leaves to consider the dark and light taste , avoid too thick will be acrid. Freshly cooked tea can be stored in the refrigerator and should be used within the day .

How to cook fresh green tea

Prepare

• 100g fresh green tea leaves
• Teapot

Doing

Step 1 Wash fresh green tea leaves, maybe slightly crumple them.

Step 2 Put the tea leaves in a pot or kettle, fill it with water.

Step 3Heat over high heat until the water boils, then reduce the heat to low.

Step 4 Continue to cook like this for about 10 minutes , then turn off the stove.

Step 5 Let the tea cool and then pour it out. Ice can be added for ease of drinking.

Brew dried green tea leaves

Dried green tea is yeast-killed, so it can be stored for a long time in the box, convenient to use. Dried green tea leaves, when know how to brew, can keep the delicious taste of the tea leaves intact.

Note
The water to make dry green tea only needs to be about 80 degrees hot and the steeping time depends on the type of tea.

Properly brewing dry green tea

Prepare

• 5g dry green tea
• Teapot

Doing

Step 1Bring 1.5l of water to boil.

Step 2 When the water boils, turn off the heat and leave it for 10 minutes to cool down to about 80 degrees Celsius.

Step 3 Put the dry tea leaves in the pot. Add a little water to cover the tea surface to rinse the tea. Then pour the rinse water away.

Step 4Fill it with warm water and soak it for 2-3 minutes to be able to use it.

Should I drink green tea leaves fresh or dried?

Research shows that after processing, dried green tea leaves will lose about 14% of catechins . Catechin includes antioxidants, including EGCG, with the powerful antioxidant ability mentioned by many people.

Therefore, in this case, fresh green tea leaves will be better than dried green tea leaves because they retain more of the antioxidant EGCG.

Fresh green tea leaves are better than dried green tea leaves because they retain more EGCG

However, dried green tea leaves are easier to store than fresh green tea leaves. If stored well, dried green tea leaves can be used for about 1 year , while fresh green tea leaves must be used within a day , because they are easily oxidized due to exposure to air, reducing the quality of fresh green tea leaves.

Therefore, if you buy fresh leaves , use them as soon as possible from the time they are picked . If you want to use it for a long time, use dried green tea leaves . With today’s modern technology, the nutrients in dried green tea leaves after processing are only slightly lower than fresh green tea leaves, so you may not have to worry about the quality.

How to drink green tea for health?

The habit of drinking green tea will bring many health benefits, if taken at the right time and with a reasonable dose.

Taking the right dose at the right time will be very good

The right time to drink tea is in the morning after eating at least 1-2 hours . Or early afternoon after lunch 1-2 hours . Drinking tea at this time will help keep the mind awake and reduce the absorption of fat from food.

Research at the University of Maryland (USA) shows that every day should only drink 3-4 cups of tea (250 ml cups) is enough.

Attention
Do not drink tea on an empty stomach and before going to bed.

Some notes when using green tea leaves

Although green tea is very good for health and beauty, however, if you drink too much green tea (over 10 cups/day), it can bring unwanted side effects such as:

If used excessively, it will be harmful

• Causes anemia : The tannins present in green tea can make you iron-deficient anemia. Therefore, if you are a person who likes to drink green tea, you should add foods rich in iron and vitamin C.
• Causes osteoporosis : Consuming too much green tea can increase the amount of calcium excreted through the urinary tract, which can make you more susceptible to osteoporosis.
• Stomach upset : Drinking green tea on an empty stomach can increase stomach acid. This causes some side effects such as constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, etc.
• Insomnia : Tea is also a source of caffeine, so drinking too much can lead to insomnia, low potassium levels as well as caffeine-induced anxiety disorders .
• Women during menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, perimenopause should not drink much tea. During menstruation, the body needs iron supplements. Tea contains many tannins and oxalic acid that limit the absorption of iron by the stomach lining.

Above are some information about green tea that we want to share with you. Let’s practice the habit of using it sensibly every day to take full advantage of the benefits of green tea for your health and physique!

Source: Labor e-newspaper

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