Green Tea
Unlike black tea, green tea is made with minimal oxidation. A process, called firing , applies high heat to kill the leaf enzymes to stop oxidation on its track, which resulted in the high catechins content of green tea.
Green teas are heated (often by roasting or steaming) soon after harvest to prevent leaf oxidation. Within the broad category of green tea you will find vast differences in flavor and aroma. Green teas are produced in various countries.
The flavor and character of a green tea is defined by the "varietal" of tea bush that is harvested, the season of harvest and the method "cooking" used to halt the oxidation. Additionally, the soil, the elevation and the ecological condition of the tea garden contribute greatly to the flavor and characteristics of a green tea.
No matter the origin, green tea is classified first according to the method of heating used by the tea maker to preserve the tealeaves character.
Styles of Green Teas
Chaoqing: Pan Fired, Dry Stir Fried or Dry Roasted Tealeaves ( Dragonwell.)
Hongqing: Baked, Coal Basket Cured or Oven Cured Tealeaves (Ancient Emerald Lily )
Ban Hong Chao: Combines Chaoqing, Hongqing and other specialty techniques ( Green Jade)
Zhenqing: Steamed Tealeaves (Sencha, Fukujyu and Bancha)
Saiqing: Dry Roasted, Rolled, Kneaded and Sun-dried tealeaves (The base for Pu-erh )
Take a look at all the Green Tea's we have available in our store.
Research on green tea and its components shows an impact on obesity and weight gain in both laboratory animals and human subjects. Green tea has an impact on food intake, body weight, body fat, and cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels. With the high rates of overweight and obesity seen in the United States, green tea could prove to be a valuable natural treatment option.
Animal Studies
One study supplemented a group of female laboratory mice with green tea (from 1% to 4% of their diets) for 4 months to determine which effects it may have on food intake and weight. At the end of the study, researchers found that green tea supplemented mice had significantly decreased food intake, body weight gain and fat mass. Levels of cholesterol and triglycerides were also lower. Another animal study supplemented green tea catachin EGCG (50-100mg/kg) in pure form and found that it, but not other green tea catechins, reduced or prevented an increase in body weight in lean and obese Zucher rats.This was an effect that appeared to be reversible and associated with a reduction in food intake.
Human Studies
Intake of green tea was found to increase thermogenesis. The thermogenic effect was found to be greater that that due to the amount of caffeine found in tea. A study in 10 subjects found that compared to placebo, green tea resulted in a significant (4%) increase in energy expenditure. In addition, the excretion of norepinephrine was higher during treatment with the green tea that with the placebo. This supports the finding that there was an increase in thermogenesis due to increased norepinephrine levels in the body. Researchers then treated the subjects with caffeine in amounts equivalent to those found in the green tea (50 mg) and found that caffeine had no effect on energy expenditure or fat oxidation.