What’s in Your Green Tea?

July 03, 2013                    

Story at-a-glance

• An analysis of green tea products found that antioxidant epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) levels in bottled green tea can range from just 4 milligrams (mg) per cup to 47 mg, while brewable green tea (from tea bags, loose tea or a K-cup) contained levels ranging from 25 mg to 86 mg per serving
• Green tea brewed from loose tea leaves appeared to offer the most potent source of antioxidants like EGCG
• The analysis also found tea sourced from China contained up to 2.5 micrograms of lead per serving compared to no measurable amounts in brands that got their tea leaves from Japan
• When selecting tea of any kind, it should preferably be certified organic (to avoid pesticides) and grown in a pristine environment because tea is known to accumulate fluoride, heavy metals and other toxins from soil and water

By Dr. Mercola

Green tea, prized for many generations in China, Japan and even Britain, has made a name for itself in the US, where many now drink it daily due to its many associated health benefits. 

However, while green tea is recognized as an abundant source of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a catechin polyphenol, and other antioxidants, not all green teas are created equal. 

If you’re drinking green tea hoping to increase your antioxidant levels, you should know that some green tea brands contain very little antioxidants, while others may contain significant amounts of lead.

 

One Variety of Tea Tested Contained Almost No EGCG

EGCG is easily the most talked-about green tea compound. As one of the most powerful antioxidants known, the health benefits of EGCG include a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, glaucoma, high cholesterol and more. Several studies have also found that EGCG can improve exercise performance, increase fat oxidation, and may help prevent obesity, as it’s known to have a regulatory effect on fat metabolism.  

If you drink green tea, you probably assume you’re getting a healthful dose of EGCG with each cup, but new research shows that’s not necessarily the case. An analysis of the strength and purity of more than 20 green tea products by ConsumerLab.com found that EGCG levels in bottled green tea can range from just 4 milligrams (mg) per cup to 47 mg, while brewable green tea (from tea bags, loose tea or a K-cup) contained levels ranging from 25 mg to 86 mg per serving.¹ 

One variety, bottled Diet Snapple Green Tea, reportedly contained almost no EGCG, while Honest Tea Green Tea with Honey contained only about 60 percent of the 190 mg of catechins claimed on the label.² Added sugars or artificial sweeteners were also common in the bottled tea brands. 

 

This Type of Green Tea Contained the Most Antioxidants 

Green tea brewed from loose tea leaves appeared to offer the most potent source of antioxidants like EGCG. One variety, Teavana contained 250 mg of catechins per serving; green tea sold in bags from brands like Lipton and Bigelow contained lower levels, although represented a more cost-effective alternative. 

The different tea brands also varied significantly in the amount of caffeine the products contained. While some contained virtually none, others contained 86 mg per serving, which is similar to the amount of caffeine in a regular cup of coffee.

One green tea supplement even contained 130 mg of caffeine in a single capsule, which is more than is found in a cup of coffee! But higher antioxidant levels is only one reason why you may want to choose loose tea over bags…

 

Some Tea Bags May Leach Hazardous Compounds Into Your Tea  

Some tea bags are made with synthetic polymers, such as nylon, thermoplastic, PVC or polypropylene. While these compounds have high melting points, the temperature at which the molecules in polymers begin to break down is always lower than the melting point, which could allow the bags to leach compounds of unknown health hazards into your tea when steeped in boiling water.  

Paper tea bags are also potentially problematic, as they are frequently treated with epichlorohydrin, which hydrolyzes to 3-MCPD when contact with water occurs. 3-MCPD is a carcinogen associated with food processing that has also been implicated in infertility and suppressed immune function. I recommend purchasing tea from manufacturers who can certify that their tea bags do not contain epichlorohydrin, and avoid plastic tea bags. Alternatively, you can opt for loose tea instead.

 

Why Your Green Tea Should Come From Japan, Not China 

Green tea plants are known to be especially effective at absorbing lead from the soil, which is then taken up into the plant’s leaves. Areas with excessive industrial pollution, such as China (where nearly 90% of the world’s green tea is produced),³ may therefore contain substantial amounts of lead.⁴

According to the ConsumerLab.com analysis, tea from brands like Lipton and Bigelow contained up to 2.5 micrograms of lead per serving compared to no measurable amounts in Teavana brand, which gets its tea leaves from Japan. 

While the lead in the tea leaves is not thought to leach very effectively into the tea you end up drinking, if you’re consuming Matcha green tea, one of my favorites, it’s especially important that it comes from Japan instead of China. Matcha tea contains the entire ground tea leaf, and can contain over 100 times the EGCG provided from regular brewed green tea.

That said, because you’re consuming the entire leaf, you want to be sure it comes from a non-polluted, high-quality source. The best Matcha green tea comes from Japan and is steamed, rather than roasted or pan-fried. As a result, Matcha green tea retains all the nutrient-rich value possible from the tea leaf, without additives or contaminants.

 

A Word of Warning About Fluoride in Tea 

Both black and green teas are naturally high in fluoride, even if organically grown without pesticides. This is because the plant readily absorbs fluoride thorough its root system, including naturally-occurring fluoride in the soil. According to fluoride expert Jeff Green, there are reports of people who have developed crippling skeletal fluorosis from drinking high amounts of iced tea alone.⁵ 

If you live in an area with fluoridated drinking water, as the majority of Americans do, then you could be getting a double dose of fluoride when you drink tea. When selecting tea of any kind, it should preferably be organic (to avoid pesticides) and grown in a pristine environment because, as mentioned, tea is known to accumulate fluoride, heavy metals and other toxins from soil and water, so a clean growing environment is essential to producing a pure, high-quality tea.  

 

What Does the Research Say About Drinking Tea? 

Although I still believe pure water should make up the majority of your daily fluid intake, high-quality tea has numerous health benefits to offer, which vary by type. In addition to Matcha tea, I personally enjoy Tulsi tea (aka Holy Basil tea), which is a powerful adaptogenic herb that provides important therapeutic benefits. There is also growing evidence that the polyphenols in tea, including EGCG and many others, may be protective against cancer. Beyond this, the beneficial properties in tea have been known to:

• Neutralize the effects to your body of harmful fats and oils
• Inhibit bacteria and viruses
• Improve digestion
• Protect against oxidation in your brain and liver
• Help promote healthy gums

Drinking tea has also been linked to: 

Improved mental alertness and slowing of brain-cell degeneration	Reduced blood pressure	Protection against type 2 diabetes
Lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels	Lower risk of breast, colon, lung, ovarian and prostate cancers	Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke

 

How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Loose-Leaf Tea 

Choosing high-quality tea is extremely important. As the ConsumerLab.com analysis showed, the type of tea you purchase can make all the difference in the amount of beneficial antioxidants it contains, with loose-leaf teas appearing to provide the most.  

There is an art to brewing tea using loose tea leaves, but once you find your “sweet spot” you may never go back to bagged tea again. Here are a few simple guidelines for making the “perfect” cup of tea:

• Bring water to a boil in a tea kettle (avoid using a non-stick pot, as this can release harmful chemicals when heated)
• Preheat your teapot or cup to prevent the water from cooling too quickly when transferred. Simply add a small amount of boiling water to the pot or tea up that you’re going to steep the tea in. Ceramic and porcelain retain heat well. Then cover the pot or cup with a lid. Add a tea cozy if you have one, or drape with a towel. Let stand until warm, then pour out the water
• Put the tea into an infuser, strainer, or add loose into the tea pot. Steeping without an infuser or strainer will produce a more flavorful tea. Start with one heaped teaspoon per cup of tea, or follow the instructions on the tea package. The robustness of the flavor can be tweaked by using more or less tea
• Add boiling water. Use the correct amount for the amount of tea you added (i.e. for four teaspoons of tea, add four cups of water). The ideal water temperature varies based on the type of tea being steeped:
• White or green teas (full leaf): Well below boiling (170-185°F or 76-85°C). Once the water has been brought to a boil, remove from heat and let the water cool for about 30 seconds for white tea and 60 seconds for green tea before pouring it over the leaves
• Oolongs (full leaf): 185-210°F or 85-98°C
• Black teas (full leaf) and Pu-erhs: Full rolling boil (212°F or 100°C)
• Cover the pot with a cozy or towel and let steep. Follow steeping instructions on the package. If there are none, here are some general steeping guidelines. Taste frequently as you want it to be flavorful but not bitter:
• Oolong teas: 4-7 minutes
• Black teas: 3-5 minutes
• Green teas: 2-3 minutes
• Once the desired flavor has been achieved you need to remove the strainer or infuser. If you're using loose leaves, pour the tea through a strainer into your cup and any leftover into another vessel (cover with a cozy to retain the heat)

[-] Sources and References

• ConsumerLab.com May 16, 2013
• NYTimes.com May 23, 2013

• ¹ ConsumerLab.com May 16, 2013
• ² NYTimes.com May 23, 2013
• ³ Tea Fact Sheet
• ⁴ Environ Pollut. 2006 Jan;139(1):125-32.
• ⁵ Am J Med. 2005 Jan;118(1):78-82.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/03/green-tea-benefits.aspx

Green Tea For Men’s Health

Dr. Geo Espinosa | Sep 27, 2012 | Comments 1

 

Over the years, there have been dozens of studies pclaiming the health benefits of green tea, along with some reports that have dismissed the claims.

Now a new review of the clinical evidence related to green tea and health has just been published, so it seems like a good time to look at the role green tea can play in men’s health. First, however, let’s explore the basics of green tea.

 

What’s Special About Green Tea?

 

Green tea comes from the same plant as black and oolong teas, Camellia sinensis, but it’s what tea producers do with the tea leaves that makes the difference among these types of tea. Oxidation is the process that alters the chemical makeup, appearance and flavor of tea leaves. Both black and oolong teas are processed in a manner that breaks down the cell walls and triggers enzymes to cause oxidation. Leaves for green tea are not broken down in this way and are not oxidized. The absence of oxidation not only makes the taste and appearance of green tea different from those of black and oolong teas, but it also means green tea retains high levels of important plant substances called catechins.

 

Experts generally agree that the medicinal powers credited to green tea come from catechins. Although black and oolong teas (as well as apples, apricots, berries and chocolate) also contain catechins, green tea is an excellent source, including one catechin in particular: EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate, which is credited as being the most powerful of the bunch.

 

Studies Of Green Tea And Health

 

In the latest meta-analysis, [1] eight studies on green tea and health were reviewed: two concerning cancer, two on weight loss and four on cardiovascular risk. The reviewers, researchers at the University of Bristol, reported several points of good news:

• “Positive evidence for risk reduction of breast, prostate, ovarian and endometrial cancers with green tea.” Numerous studies have looked at the effect of green tea on prostate cancer, and we discuss one of them below.
• “Green tea may reduce low-density lipoproteins and total cholesterol.” Men should be concerned about both of these factors, as they are risks for cardiovascular disease.
• A “considerable number” of trials suggest that “green tea does reduce body weight in the short term.” Being overweight or obese is associated with a wide range of health risks ranging from prostate cancer to heart disease, diabetes, gallstones, stroke and arthritis, among others.

Beyond this meta-analysis, other studies have examined the potential role of green tea in critical health issues. For example:

• In a large study involving 49,920 men who were followed for at least a decade, researchers examined the impact of drinking green tea on the risk of prostate cancer. They found that men who drank five or more cups of green tea per day had a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer when compared with men who drank less than one cup per day. [2]
• Catechins may also help men who have pre-cancerous prostate lesions called prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), a condition associated with a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. In a study of 60 men with high-grade PIN, half were given 200 mg of catechins daily while the other group received placebo. After one year, only one tumor had developed among the men who took catechins while 9 cases of prostate cancer were found in the placebo group.
• Although it’s a little soon to sing the praises of green tea for diabetes, a number of studies have examined its role and seen promising results. In one recent study in diabetic rats, the authors reported that “green tea reduced hyperglycemia [low blood sugar], prevented renal injury and autonomic dysfunction, suggesting reduced cardiovascular risk and target organ damage in diabetes.”[4]
• A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology reported that risk of stroke, cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage was reduced by 50 percent among people who drank several cups of green tea every two to three days.[5]

Enjoy Green Tea

Choosing to include green tea as part of your daily routine is an easy and delicious way to support your overall health. Enjoy green tea hot to start your day or cold with a lemon slice to cool down. Green tea makes a delicious smoothie as well as a unique slush.

Not all green tea is alike, and this applies not only to its taste but also to the amount of catechins in the leaves. If you want to get the most benefit — and the highest amount of EGCG — from your green tea, choose Japanese over Chinese green tea. A highly rated Japanese green tea is Matcha, which reportedly has about 10 times the amount of EGCG of other green teas. You can also enjoy the benefits of green tea in supplements, but be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before starting a supplement program.

Sources

[1] Green tea and green tea catechin extracts: an overview of the clinical evidence. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22986087
[2] Green tea consumption and prostate cancer risk in Japanese men: a prospective study. http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/167/1/71.long
[3] Chemoprevention of human prostate cancer by oral administration of green tea catechins in volunteers with high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia: a preliminary report from a one-year proof-of-principle study. http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/66/2/1234.long
[4] The effects of green tea consumption on cardiometabolic alterations induced by experimental diabetes. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299256/
[5] Consumption of green and roasted teas and the risk of stroke incidence: results from the Tokamachi-Nakasato cohort study in Japan. http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/37/5/1030.long

http://easyhealthoptions.com/mens-health/green-tea-for-mens-health/

Watch what you eat

Posted on 29 May 2012 - 12:36pm

Steve Yaplifestyle.steve@thesundaily.com



EXTENSIVE studies on mammals over the past 75 years suggest that by reducing 30% of calories from food and beverages, disproportionately higher health benefits can be reaped.

The bio-markers of ageing in humans seem to be affected in similar ways. So your rate of ageing is rather strongly influenced by your diet and lifestyle habits.

Mammals on calorie-restricted (CR) diets live much longer and are generally free from most common chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and cancer.

► The CR diet

This diet is not about reducing the quantity of food intake but eating less food and beverages high in calories, such as deep-fried and oily food, refined starches, refined sugars, soft drinks, sweet fruits and milk protein.

Good sources of complex carbohydrates include bamboo shoot, yam, asparagus, lentils, bean sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, berries, citric fruits, and most beans.

The CR diet is not for weight loss or fat reduction. It is a way of eating that maximises our chances of living longer on this planet.

► Benefits of CR diet

The SIR2 gene, which promotes longevity, is activated by, among others, the CR diet. High-calorie foods put stress on the body’s digestive system and create lots of free radicals that can speed up ageing.

Lower blood sugar means significantly lower risks of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, candidiasis (fungal infection), tumour growth and cancer.

Almost all major chronic diseases or health disorders are linked to excess sugar or calorie intake over a prolonged period.

Contrary to popular belief, taking sweet fruits (high in fructose) can cause insulin-resistance (pre-diabetes), hypertension (high blood pressure), uric acid elevation, gout, kidney damage, candidiasis, low general immunity and heart disease.

For fruits to be healthy, they should be organic, rich in enzymes and vitamins, and very low in fructose.

Fruits and other ingredients used in preparing the local delicacy, rojak, are acceptable. However, canned fruit juices are a no-no as they contain added ‘toxins’ in the form of sugar, colours, artificial flavours and preservatives.

Even fresh fruit juices served in restaurants contain added table sugar (sucrose) which, surprisingly, is slightly less harmful than pure fructose.

Consuming high-calorie food and beverages on an empty stomach, such as during breakfast, can lead to a major hunger spell, as well as blood sugar disorders and hormonal imbalances, in the hours to follow.

The health issues created have a major impact on a person’s mental and emotional wellbeing.

On the other hand, a low-calorie breakfast with adequate plant protein intake can create an opposite, more positive, effect, which is highly beneficial to those who are suffering from hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia (blood fat disorder) or heart disease.

Refined starches such as noodles, biscuits, buns, bread and breakfast cereals not only lower one’s immunity against infections, they thicken the blood and also cause abnormal blood fats, insulin disorders, fatty liver, slow bile flow, gallstones, diabetes and osteoporosis, and even promote tumour growth.

► Mental health

Even a 20% reduction in the total calories we consume can help preserve our brain volume and functions for years to come.

Normal ageing is accompanied by brain shrinkage as neurons are gradually lost. Refined starch and sugar promote Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and senility even though our brain uses glucose as its main energy source.

► Food selection

Apart from cutting back on high-calorie meat, milk products, refined starches and sugars, those on a CR diet should also carefully select the type of protein they eat.

WHO endorses the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), which ranks protein foods based on their relative digestibility scales. The more digestible a protein source, the more of it is absorbed by our body.

Protein has higher calories than starch/sugar, but it suppresses appetite by stimulating the hormone leptin. What makes refined starch or sugar much more fattening is its effect on hormones like insulin and leptin, blood fat and triglyceride levels.

Dairy products are ranked the highest in terms of absorbability and, therefore, offer higher calorie impact on the body than, say, peanuts and lentils.

This may explain why milk products have been linked to heart disease. Those on a vegetarian diet consisting of beans and lentils have far lower incidence of plaque accumulation in their heart arteries.

Dietary fats are digested by the enzyme lipase. Fat absorption can be reduced by green, yellow, Oolong, or black tea rich in polyphenols (catechins) which inhibit lipase secretion leading to less fat (calories) being absorbed in the intestines.

Herbal tea from Hujang which is rich in resveratrol mimic the effect of a CR diet, whereas tea from the fruit extracts of Guarana or Garcinia Cambogia can reduce appetite by some 20%.

Deep-fried nuts contain harmful trans fat and are high in calories too. But pine nuts contain pinolenic acid (an edible fatty acid) which stimulates secretion of hunger suppressing hormones resulting in a reduced desire to eat excessively along with early satiety.

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/391231

Knowledge about tea whilst having dim sum...

From an email received on 18 Nov 2011
Source: Unknown

To all Chinese Tea lovers......

12 Things About Tea Your Local Dim Sum Restaurateur Won't Tell You


Master Leung Ka-Dong has been working at Ying Kee Tea House for almost 40 years.

"What type of tea do you usually order when you eat dim sum?" asks Ying Kee Tea House<http://www.yingkeetea.com/>  Master Leung Ka-Dong. "I usually order white hair peony because my family always orders it," I reply. "Did you know that almost all restaurants mix their white teas with black to add flavour and colour?" he says. No, I did not know that. I did not know that it's only in the recent 50 to 60 years that white, green and pu-erh have become Hong Kong 's most popular teas either. With a richer economy, Hong Kong people stirred away from simple black teas from India and Sri Lanka and began to enjoy tea for various health reasons or collect pu-erh tea like wine.Thanks to Master Leung, who has worked at Ying Kee Tea House since the early 1970s, I now know a little more about how to appreciate Chinese tea. Here are 12 things he told me about tea that no restaurateur would have:


1. Never drink tea on an empty stomach Always drink tea during or after a meal.  Our stomachs are acidic and tea is alkalizing. Acid and alkaline combined have a bloating effect.

2. Drink white tea if you are a smoker White tea is really good for the lungs and throat, so it is especially beneficial for smokers. A cup of white peony tea helps clear all the phlegm in our throats and cures coughs.

3. You won’t be able to tell the quality of white tea by its colourMost restaurants mix white peony tea with black tea to add colour and flavour because customers generally prefer tea that tastes richer and looks darker in colour. Pure white tea itself has hardly any flavour or colour compared to other teas.

4. Only fine dining Chinese restaurants serve screw shaped green teaGenuine screw shaped green tea is the highest grade of green tea and the most expensive. At Ying Kee Tea House, it sells at HK$5,067 per kilogram (HK$380 per 75 gram bag). Produced only in Jiangsu Province Dong Ting Mountain , it’s also the rarest green tea in China , producing only about 1,000 kilograms a year. It must be consumed fresh, within a year after picking the tea leaves. Screw shaped green tea of higher quality is best consumed within six months even. If it is tasteless, solvent or extremely bitter, that means it has already gone bad. But while it is certainly expensive, screw shaped green tea has a very particular taste that not everyone may like. Even when it is fresh, it tastes more bitter than other teas. For all those reasons, screw shaped green tea is only served at fine dining Chinese restaurants, usually at hotels.

5. Treat pu-erh tea like a digestible detergent to flush all the grease awayAlways pair oily food with pu-erh tea.  Dim sum, no matter steamed or fried, contains lard. When you eat shrimp dumplings, there is always a piece of fatty pork in there to add flavour and fragrance. Pu-erh tea helps you rinse all the grease from the food out of your system. It aids digestion, blood circulation and lowers cholesterol levels. If you don’t have detergent at home, boil some pu-erh tea and use it to wash your dishes.  It’s like a digestible detergent.

6. Sweets go best with green teaSweet food is best paired with tea that is more bitter.  Loong cheng green tea helps moderate the sweetness of desserts. Like pu-erh tea, drinking green tea helps lower cholesterol levels and break down fat. But while most teas are best brewed in boiling hot water, green teas like screw shaped green tea and loong cheng only need to be brewed in water that is about 75 to 85 degrees. If the water is too hot, it will be difficult to maintain the same fragrance in the second brew.

7. Teh kuan yin goes best with spicy food
Spicy foods are best paired with teh kuan yin because it has a bitter sweet effect. If you ever visit a Chiu Chow restaurant, they always serve teh kuan yin tea with their spicy dishes. Plus, Chiu Chow city borders Shantou city and Fujian province, which is known for harvesting teh kuan yin leaves.

8. Fried food goes best with white teaBasically, any type of fried or deep fried food goes well with white tea. In Chinese medicinal terms, fried food is considered dry hot. White teas like white hair peony help release body heat.

9. Smell quality
Aside from pu-erh tea which is almost odourless, quality tea should always give off a fragrant smell. If you can’t smell the tea or see that it is very solvent, then it has probably expired.

10. You won’t be able to find good pu-erh tea at dim sum restaurantsIt is simply not cost-efficient.  Pu-erh tea is like wine. The longer you store it, the richer it becomes. Storage for at least three to six years is optimal. Regular pu-erh teas served at restaurants have generally been modified during the fermentation process to reduce storage time. By doing this, they lose whatever fragrance and flavour they originally had.Good pu-erh tea should look very smooth and deep red in colour, not black like regular pu-erh tea. You can also test the quality of your pu-erh tea by the stain it leaves on your cup after drinking it. If you see a stain surrounding the rim of your cup, that means you are drinking regular or low quality pu-erh tea. If your cup is left with no stain after consumption, you are drinking pu-erh tea of high quality.

11. Teh kuan yin, daffodil and oolong are all the same at dim sum restaurantsNo matter which of the three you order, dim sum restaurants will serve you low grade daffodil tea. All three teas come under the same oolong tea category, yet they are very different in flavour. Teh kuan yin tastes more clear and fragrant. Oolong is stronger and more solvent. And daffodil is the purest of them all.

12. The best moments of tea enjoyment are when you have timeDrinking tea is a matter of mood. And when I talk about mood, it mainly has to do with the condition of time. You’ve probably heard many rules about tea, from water temperature to colour. But at the end of the day, drinking tea is a very personal experience. Some people like their tea boiling hot while others like theirs lukewarm. Some may like theirs stronger than others. So it’s all about time. We need time to brew that perfect cup of tea.