Green Tea - a boon to Mankind

Jit Kumar Khuraijam *

The appearance of green tea at three different stages (from left to right): the infused leaves, the dry leaves, and the liquor. This particular green tea is Xu Fu Long Ya, a fine Chinese green tea from Sichuan. This is a representational visual reference of a large percentage of fine Chinese green tea, though there are varieties that can be different. The infusion colour is a result of a 1.5 minute duration, at 1 g of leaves to 100 ml of water at 70°C.
Pix Courtesy :: Wikipedia/Alessandro Martini

On a winter morning, I was having a cup of tea sitting on the court (Verandah) in front of my flat. Suddenly, my eyes were caught by an old packet of Green Tea lying at one corner of the courtyard. Immediately, I picked it up and started examining it. I opened the packet. Inside the packet, there was a small pouch of green tea weighing around 50 grams. On the back side of the packet, it was written: "Green tea is the healthiest beverage on the planet." It made me curious. The term "healthiest beverage" stroked my mind; and, I started studying or researching about it.

I googled about Green Tea; and, I found many websites and many research papers which describe about Green Tea in different ways. I too visited "Wikipedia." I started watching videos related to Green Tea on YouTube. I too started collecting any news item that is directly or indirectly related to research on Green Tea; but; I was not convinced to accept Green Tea as the healthiest beverage.

Then, I called (ringed) my best friend, who is a doctor. After a formal "hi and hello," I started inquiring about Green Tea. He informed me that consumption of green tea on a moderate amount has many health benefits. On a short phone conversation with my friend, I gained much information about green tea.

Green tea was first originated in China in around 2737 BC during the reign of Emperor Shennong and became one of the most popular beverages in Asia. It is not only used as a beverage drink but also used as a dietary supplements and cosmetic items. Many varieties of green tea have been produced by farmers based on variable growing conditions, varied horticulture style, production processing, harvesting time, and climate. Because of its health benefits, people have widely preferred it as favorite drink. Moreover, Green tea has been an important component of traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Recently, scientific studies have revealed wide-ranging health benefits of Green Tea including lowering cholesterol levels. It is difficult to list down all the health benefits of it. Some of the benefits are:

1. It has bioactive compounds (polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins) that act as powerful anti-oxidant and protects body cells and molecules from damage and ageing.

2. Green tea not only contains correct amount of caffeine (lesser than coffee) but also has the amino acid L-theanine. Hence it keeps you alert and increses your brain function. It improves mood, vigilance, reaction time, and memory.

3. Most studies have revealed that Green tea boost the human metabolic rate and increases fat burning in the short term. Some studies showed that green tea increases energy expenditure by 4% and fat oxidation by 17%. Hence green tea can be an option of burning fat in short term.

4. Various studies have shown that Green tea has powerful antioxidants that may protect against cancer. Green tea drinkers have a lower risk of various types of cancer like Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer. Researchers have warned green tea drinkers not to use milk with Green tea as milk reduces the antioxidant value.

5. Due to high bioactive compounds present in Green Tea, it can protect one from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, the two most common neurodegenerative disorders in old age.

6. Since Green tea contains catechins, it protects one from plaque formation, cavities and tooth decay. Another study has confirmed that it can reduce bad breath.

7. Green has the capacity to control blood sugar levels thereby reducing the risk of developing type II diabetes in the long term.

8. Green Tea may reduce the risk of Cardiovascular Disease by lowering total and LDL (Low-density-liquid) cholesterol. It also protects the LDL particles from oxidation.

9. Green tea is a boon for obsessed people. It boosts the metabolic rate in the short term helping to lose weight. Studies have shown that green tea leads to decreases in body fat, especially in the abdominal area.

10. Green tea also helps in keeping your body cells young and protects cells from dying there by keeping you young.

In Short, Green Tea is a great source of antioxidants: flavonoids and catechins - known for inhibiting inflammation, preventing cancer and other cardio-vascular diseases. A regular intake of Green Tea in moderate quantity keeps our body cells clean and make it toxin free. Green Tea, further, helps in eliminating excess fat, especially fats accumulated in belly region. Green Tea has a pleasant aroma. It has comparatively lesser caffeine than coffee. It is useful for women in certain ways. It may help in regulating the monthly menstrual cycle in women. It may also provide relief from menstrual cramp by preventing nausea feeling, blotting, anemia, stress and other health concerns during menstrual period.

Green Tea is a natural stress booster as well. Due to city lifestyle, heavy MNC workloads, stress levels are much higher among people these days. Hence, anxiety, insomnia and other such problems are becoming common among people these days. Green Tea will certainly help people reduces stress. L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea has a soothing, calming effect. It is also believed that the L-theanine in green tea may help to reduce symptoms of anxiety. Despite the caffeine content, many people feel mellow after drinking a cup of Green Tea. This may be due to the L-theanine counteracting the effects of the caffeine. So drinking Green tea will alleviate your mood and make you feel better.

Having learned the above facts, I started having Green tea daily to keep myself healthy, young, and free from many diseases. In just few days, I have observed that it really does work. My belly fat reduces. I become more active, and my skin started glowing. I also feel that my memory capacity increases after I started having green tea. In short, I am happy with my decision to make Green Tea as my regular drink instead of other beverages. I would like to suggest all my friends who are overweight to make green tea a regular part of their life to lose weight and lower the risk of chronic diseases. Let us utilize it in our daily life to stay healthy and fit - free from diseases by consuming correct (moderate) amount of Green Tea.