So many good words have been said about it that it’s even somehow inconvenient to discuss the benefits and harms of green tea. But many, although they know about its healing abilities, cannot say exactly what they are. Usually the matter is limited to a couple of properties - “cleans blood vessels”, “helps to lose weight”. What is then unique about the drink? Let's find out!

Healing talents of weakly fermented tea

Green and black tea are not even relatives, otherwise they are essentially the same “character”, because tea leaves for the first and second types are collected from the same bushes. It's all about processing. Green tea, unlike black tea, is not fermented. The moisture is simply evaporated from it. Thanks to gentle production technology, it completely retains the valuable substances inherent in it by nature.

What are these components that determine the properties of green tea and its benefits and harms? It contains a veritable arsenal of antioxidants. There are as many of them in a cup of emerald drink as in ten glasses of fresh apple juice! About 15-30% of its composition comes from tannins. These are up to 30 types of polyphenolic compounds, including tannin, catechins and others.

The unique aroma of green tea is provided by the presence of essential oils, and they largely determine the quality of such a drink. It contains amino acids, among which glutamic acid should be noted - it normalizes metabolism and restores “shaken” nerves. Green tea contains plant proteins, so it will not only make you drink, but also nourish you.

To explain the benefits of green tea, just look at the list of its medicinal properties.

The healing effects of green tea:

• inhibits aging, prolongs youth, increases lifespan: this effect is associated with a high content of antioxidants;
• reduces the likelihood of getting cancer: Japanese scientists conducted studies for 12 years that confirmed that daily use such a “product” significantly reduces the growth rate of a malignant tumor (but to obtain this result you need to drink up to 1.5 liters of tea, which is 19 cups);
• increases immunity;
• removes waste, carcinogens, neutralizes toxins;
• supports the heart, reduces the risk of heart attack by half;
• promotes the destruction of excess fat, suppresses appetite, which helps in the fight against excess weight;
• improves metabolism;
• removes “bad” cholesterol;
• stabilizes blood sugar levels;
• increases the strength of blood vessels;
• reduces cravings for alcohol;
• activates brain activity;
• protects the liver from the destructive effects of alcohol;
• reduces pressure (by 10-20 units);
• prevents caries and gum inflammation;
• provides sharp vision;
• gives vigor, increases performance;
• neutralizes Negative influence waves emitted by a computer monitor.

It is widely believed that green tea is better than plain water, quenches thirst and restores water losses.

Does drinking harm your kidneys?

What is green tea for the kidneys? Is such a drink beneficial or harmful to this vital organ? It is a powerful diuretic. If you drink it like water - often and in large quantities, you can lead yourself to dehydration. This will increase the concentration of salts and acids in the kidneys. As a result, stones will appear in them.

It is strictly not recommended to consume it in large quantities for those people who suffer from diseases of the urinary system. Urologists advise limiting yourself to a couple of small cups per day. And after drinking tea, you should definitely drink 250 ml of plain water to compensate for the loss of fluid.

That's how I cured it! Possible negative consequences

Among drinks for daily use (we are not talking about herbal infusions), it is difficult to find a more multifunctional “medicine” than green tea. Its benefits and harm to the body are incomparable.

But this does not mean that if you drink it in liters, you can throw away all the medicines from your home medicine cabinet and forget the way to the clinic. Green tea requires careful handling. If you drink it excessively, too strong, and even on an empty stomach, you may encounter very unpleasant side effects.

Adverse reactions that green tea can cause:

• headache;
• nausea;
• dizziness;
• sleep disorder;
• irritability;
• loose stools;
• tremor of the limbs;
• heartburn;
• feeling of discomfort when urinating;
• convulsions.

To avoid such “surprises”, it is enough to adhere to simple rules: drink only high-quality tea, consume no more than 2-3 cups per day, take the last portion at least three hours before bedtime, do not swallow a scalding drink (if its temperature is above 60 degrees, it will increase the risk of stomach cancer).

Important! If you drink green tea in liters, you can end up with liver problems, as an overdose of polyphenols will occur.

And I would drink, but my health does not dictate!

If you drink it without taking into account contraindications, then all the benefits of green tea will come to naught. Even such an eminent “doctor” is not for everyone.

Diagnoses for which it is better to avoid this drink:

• urolithiasis: since green tea has a fairly pronounced diuretic effect, it can provoke the movement of stones;
• anemia: this drink impairs the absorption of iron in the body;
• ulcers, serious pathologies of the digestive system: if there are such problems, then you will have to exclude this tea from the menu, because it increases acidity;
• nervous disorders that are accompanied by overexcitation, insomnia, tachycardia: tea will only aggravate the patient’s condition, as it contains contains caffeine;
• hypotension: green tea will cause your blood pressure to drop even lower, but this will not happen if you prepare it in a weak concentration, but if you pour a heaping spoonful into one cup, your blood pressure may drop to critical levels;
• gout.

Green tea is not suitable for young children either, because their nervous systems are still developing. This means that there is no need for them to take “stimulants” (even natural ones).

There are different opinions as to whether green tea is allowed for expectant mothers. Its benefits and harms to the body of a pregnant woman have not yet been fully studied. But gynecologists do not recommend using it in the first trimester, as it causes the uterus to become more toned, which creates a risk of fetal rejection.

Starting from the fourth month, such a strict ban is lifted, but in order to eliminate even the slightest risks for the baby, it is better for a pregnant woman to limit herself to one cup of this “medicine” per day.

Drink according to the rules!

How to use its healing and health properties to get all the benefits of green tea? To feel for your own health healing power drink of Japanese centenarians, you need to learn how to prepare it correctly.

Five main secrets of making green tea:

• for brewing, use a faience (or, in extreme cases, ceramic) teapot with a lid;
• take clean (not tap!) water, add 1 small spoon of tea leaves per 250 ml of liquid;
• pour them into a preheated teapot;
• rinse the tea leaf with mild boiling water (this will reduce the concentration of caffeine), then fill it with hot water (with a temperature of 70 to 85°);
• do not dilute the tea with water, but instead of sugar, take honey (add it when the temperature of the drink drops to 50 degrees).

Important! According to experts in tea traditions, such a drink reveals all its healing properties only from the third brew!

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“People drink tea to forget the bustle of the world”
Teng Yen

An ancient oriental drink - of divine origin, as the ancients claimed. The birthplace of green tea is China. The ancient Chinese were aware of the healing properties of tea, which they called “the fire of life,” believing that it strengthened the spirit and body. Green tea acts very “smartly”: it blocks the growth of “bad” cells, but at the same time supports the vital activity of nerve cells.

There are many legends about how green tea came to be. One of them says that in the 6th century AD. Buddhist preacher Bodhidharma (Damo) arrived in China. He made a vow not to sleep for nine years, but two days before the end of the term he still fell asleep. Waking up, Bodhidharma angrily cut off his eyelids and threw them to the ground. At this place a bush grew, the leaves of which had miraculous property drive away sleep. There are several variations of the legend, but in all cases the tea bush grew from soil fertilized by centuries of a pious monk.

Tea in China was highly valued - emperors gave it to their dignitaries as a sign of encouragement, and already in the 6th century it became favorite drink nobility And by the 10th century, tea had become the Chinese national drink and item of trade. Tea was brought to Europe in the 16th century by the Portuguese and Dutch, and spread across the Atlantic to New Amsterdam. In Russia, they learned about the existence of tea in 1638 - the Mongol khan presented the Russian ambassador in Mongolia with four pounds of black tea, and he handed them over to the royal court in Moscow. But when the Chinese say “tea,” they mean green tea, and they only drink it various varieties. People accustomed to black tea are always surprised that green tea “doesn’t smell like tea.” Indeed, it has a tart, exceptionally subtle aroma, reminiscent of the smell of freshly dried hay or a wilted strawberry leaf.

In one of the ancient Chinese manuscripts it is written: “Tea strengthens the spirit, softens the heart, removes fatigue, awakens thought and does not allow laziness to settle in...”.

In real green tea, the “four tea jewels” are especially evident: tenderness and three “freshness” - color, aroma and taste.

1. Tenderness is the charm of the first hatching buds and leaves tea leaf.
2. The freshness of the color is the transparency of the drink, which plays with the entire palette of green colors: from yellow-green to rich and winning emerald.
3. The freshness of the aroma is the unique smell of each variety: from the light and transparent breaths of the spring breeze to the thick and persistent smells of the earth.
4. The freshness of taste is its endless shades that form beautiful melodies.

Composition of green tea

Unlike black, it is not fermented, therefore useful material remain unchanged in it and have the exceptional ability to release into the solution only useful components, useless and harmful substances remain in an undissolved state. The chemical composition of tea is not constant; it changes during the growth of the tea bush and during the processing of tea leaves. An infusion of high-quality green tea is a concentrate of the most valuable flavoring, medicinal and dietary substances.

The beneficial properties of green tea are due, first of all, to the presence of polyphenolic compounds in it, in particular catechins, the content of which makes up 30% of the dry weight of green tea. Due to the peculiarities of processing the leaves, namely the absence of a fermentation stage, green tea contains significantly more catechins than black tea. The most beneficial of the catechins is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Its content reaches 65% of all green tea catechins.

Tea is beneficial primarily due to its antioxidant properties and the ability of catechins to neutralize free radicals. Green tea catechins are even more powerful antioxidants than vitamins C and E. The second important property of catechins is the ability to bind metals into strong complexes, converting them into a non-toxic form. The third quality, still little studied, is that green tea catechins influence certain molecules (proteins, complexes of proteins with nucleic acids) that are responsible for the fate of the cell: causing its death or, conversely, promoting survival and division. But it is not yet fully understood how this property of catechins affects the body as a whole.

The tonic effect of green tea is associated with the presence of caffeine, and its concentration in the tea leaf is higher than in coffee, and the effect is milder and is associated with the combination of caffeine with tannin (a substance that stimulates mental and physical performance). In addition, tea caffeine does not accumulate and does not linger in the human body even with very frequent use tea. In addition to caffeine, green tea contains alkaloids that have a vasodilating and diuretic effect.

Research by Dutch scientists has confirmed that daily consumption of 1-2 cups of tea reduces the risk of aortic atherosclerosis by 46%, and consumption of 4 cups by 69%.

Drinking green tea daily helps fight overweight. An especially nice detail: unsweetened tea contains no calories! And it helps you lose weight. Tea accelerates metabolic processes occurring in the body. And if the reason for excess weight is a decrease in the body’s metabolic processes, then you need to drink more green tea. Studies have shown that the beneficial substances contained in green tea speed up metabolic processes and help burn an additional 70-80 calories. If you drink 5 cups of green tea a day and exercise for 15 minutes, you can significantly reduce body weight.

It is a storehouse of vitamins and microelements. It contains potassium, copper, vitamins C1, B1, B2, PP, K. They strengthen the walls of blood vessels and have a strong antibacterial effect.

All the joys of drinking green tea

Green tea against breast cancer

The American Association for Cancer Research has stated that polyphenol E, which is part of green tea, helps stop the growth of cancerous tumors. This discovery, which was announced at the Eleventh International Conference on Cancer Prevention, shows that green tea may be a treatment for breast cancer and for the prevention of this disease. Scientists followed forty women with hormone-independent breast cancer, half of whom were given polyphenol E in amounts of 400, 600, or 800 milligrams twice a week for six months. Another group of women took a placebo. Throughout the study, women had blood and urine tests taken at the fourth and sixth month of follow-up. Biological markers such as proteins, growth factors, and lipid biomarkers were analyzed to show the mechanism of action of green tea extract. Polyphenol E acts as a blocker of the development of vascular endothelium and hepatocytes, which cause the growth of cancerous tumors, allowing them to move and invade healthy tissues of the body. In addition, scientists noticed that there were trends toward reductions in cholesterol and vascular endothelial growth factor in those who took polyphenol E. Research on green tea and breast cancer is not yet over. Scientists plan to conduct several more related experiments. For example, how does green tea extract work if a woman is at high risk of developing breast cancer.

Patients with type 2 diabetes,

Those who drink green tea no longer suffer from sudden changes in blood sugar levels when overeating sweets. These effects are due to increased cellular sensitivity to insulin and glucose uptake by adipose tissue cells.

If you are tired and have a headache

One glass of tea contains about 0.05 g of caffeine, that is, the same amount as in a headache tablet. No wonder the ancient Chinese used tea to treat headache. Moreover, “tea” caffeine does not accumulate in the body, so you can drink tea every day, finding in this drink a source of vigor and clarity of thought.

Sleeping tea

Excessively strong tea...causes drowsiness. To do this, you need to increase the usual dose of tea leaves by about 10 times and drink it with milk.

Green tea strengthens capillaries

It is known that fragility and fragility increase in all people with age. blood vessels, including the smallest capillaries, their permeability increases, and there is a danger of internal hemorrhages. And the older a person is, the more fragile his blood vessels are. Green tea will come to the rescue here too, of course, if you drink it regularly. It will strengthen the walls of blood vessels, increase their elasticity, and reduce the risk of internal hemorrhages. Almost all this enormous work is done by tannin (a complex mixture of various phenolic compounds), which gives tea a unique tart taste.

If you have hypertension

A drink for the treatment of this disease is prepared as follows. Before brewing, lightly rinse the crushed dry green tea with warm water. boiled water to reduce the caffeine content in it, which has a stimulating effect on cardiovascular system. Then pour boiling water over the washed tea (at the rate of 3 g of tea per 1/2 cup of water) and leave for 10 minutes. Drink one glass 3 times a day after meals. The total amount of liquid consumed during the day is reduced, taking into account tea, to 1.2 liters, so as not to overload the cardiovascular system.

Tea drinking against sclerosis

If you regularly drink green tea, you will never know what sclerosis is. On the one hand, it prevents the deposition of fats and fat-like substances - lipids - on the walls of blood vessels, on the other hand, it destroys already deposited fatty layers, that is, it prevents and treats sclerosis.

Alzheimer's disease

Scientists from Newcastle University have found that green tea blocks the destruction of a substance called acetylcholine, which serves as a signal transmitter between nerve cells. Although the causes of Alzheimer's disease are not yet fully understood by scientists, it is known that in such patients the level of acetylcholine in the brain is sharply reduced. The action of modern drugs is based on increasing the level of acetycholine to normal. In the brain of a healthy young person, tea maintains acetylcholine reserves at sufficient levels. At the same time, both the black and green varieties of the drink act on the same principle, but unlike black tea, green tea blocks not two, but three enzymes that destroy acetylcholine, and the effect lasts longer.

Stomach help

Thanks to its bactericidal properties, green tea destroys pathogenic microbes in the stomach and intestines, inhibits and even stops putrefactive processes. Therefore, if you have an upset stomach, drink strong green tea for 2-3 days.

If your eyes are tired

The eyes usually get tired from working at a desk for a long time in poor lighting, sitting for a long time in front of the TV or computer on, or reading for a long time... The fact that the eyes are tired is indicated by a dull look and reddened eyelids. If you notice these symptoms, lie down on the sofa and place sterile cotton swabs soaked in a strong infusion of a mixture of green and black tea on your eyelids. You should not throw away the remaining tea grounds - wrap them in gauze and also place them on your eyelids on top of the tampons. With tampons and gauze, lie on the couch for 15-20 minutes.

If toothache is tormenting

If you have a toothache, take a strong infusion of green tea into your mouth, in which you have previously placed several crushed cloves of garlic on the mucous membrane of the gums. This infusion has bactericidal and astringent properties. Hold the infusion until the pain goes away. Eliminating the smell of garlic from your mouth is quite easy - chew a pinch of dry green tea.

Cold

Tea is a wonderful remedy for a wide variety of colds. Firstly, it increases urination and sweating. And this cleanses the body. Secondly, it has an antipyretic effect. Thirdly, it enhances pulmonary ventilation, expanding the airways and increasing the depth of inspiration, which is especially good for bronchitis, tracheitis and pneumonia. And fourthly, it warms and disinfects the nasopharynx. As you can see, green tea perfectly destroys the entire “gentlemanly” set of cold symptoms. But at high temperatures green tea should not be abused, as it will put excessive strain on the heart and kidneys. If your forehead is not glowing with heat, no high temperature, then to treat a cold, tea can be drunk in any quantity (the more, the better!)

If you are injured

Very strong tea can be used to wash fresh wounds. Thanks to tannins, tea coagulates proteins, that is, it has approximately the same hemostatic effect on the blood as hydrogen peroxide, only weaker.

Sunburn

If you fall asleep on the beach and get sunburned, try green tea to relieve your condition. Believe me, it is very effective. The recipe is quite simple: brew tea, cool it quickly and apply generously to the burnt skin with a cotton swab. Don't be lazy and repeat the "ablution" as often as possible.

Lack of vitamins

In winter and spring, many suffer from a lack of vitamins. This manifests itself in drowsiness, fatigue, unreasonable irritability, and decreased appetite. Vitamin deficiency is a pre-disease, which, if not eliminated, can become a disease. Green tea, which contains almost all the vitamins existing in nature, will help get rid of it.

Despite all positive properties green tea, do not abuse this drink:

• “If coffee at the end of the period of action produces, although a very strong, but soon passing feeling of pessimism, then tea acts more treacherously - overuse This drink can cause melancholy. The property of this stimulant is to support mental work, and the harm lies in its strong effect on the nerve centers." Papus (Gerard Anaclet Vincent Encausse).
• It is known that green tea lowers blood pressure, so hypotensive people green drink you shouldn't drink;
• Researchers from the University of New Jersey have found that drinking too much green tea can lead to kidney and liver disease. If you completely replace the daily dose of liquid with green tea (which, by the way, is now very fashionable in the fitness environment), then such an excess can lead to poisoning of the body with polyphenols, and this, in turn, can cause serious changes in the tissues of the liver and kidneys. It is thanks to polyphenols that green tea is considered so healthy drink, but don’t get too carried away with it.
• You should not give strong tea to young children, as their bodies are too sensitive to this drink. In order not to worsen the child’s sleep, it is recommended to give him tea (preferably with milk) in the first half of the day.
• Yesterday's tea or tea left for later increases the amount of purine compounds and caffeine. This tea is primarily dangerous for patients with gout, hypertension and glaucoma. Leaving tea for a day not only loses vitamins, but also becomes an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. True, such tea can be used in medicinal purposes, but only as an external remedy. So, tea brewed overnight is rich in acids and fluorine, which stop bleeding. Therefore, yesterday's tea helps with oral inflammation, eczema and superficial skin damage. It is also useful to wash your eyes with yesterday's tea. If you rinse your mouth with it before brushing your teeth and after eating, you will get a feeling of freshness and strengthen your teeth.
• You should not drink tea before meals. This leads to saliva dilution, and food begins to seem tasteless. In addition, protein absorption may be temporarily reduced digestive organs. Therefore, drink tea 20-30 minutes before meals.
• You should also not drink tea immediately after a meal, since any heavy drink immediately after a meal leads to a significant decrease in the concentration of gastric juice, and this slows down the functioning of the digestive organs. It's better to wait 20-30 minutes.
• Do not take medications with tea. After all, the tannins contained in tea, when broken down, form tannin, due to which many medications are poorly absorbed. No wonder the Chinese say that tea destroys medicines.
• Nursing mothers should know that caffeine, which is found in any tea drink, can cause insomnia in an infant. However, excessive intake of strong green tea can cause severe sleep disturbances in adults. Also, negative reactions from abuse of green tea drink can be: exhaustion of the body, increased heart rate and even trembling in the hands.

All the main prohibitions on drinking green tea relate specifically to its strong, rich brew. Therefore, you should always remember that strongly brewed tea is more harmful to health due to its astringent properties than its weaker counterpart. The main secret of the healing effect of tea drinking is its moderate intake. The ideal dose of green tea is a couple of mugs a day.

Myths about green tea

Various sources of information talk about different properties green tea, then how about invigorating drink, then they attribute sedative properties to it.

What's the catch? There is something called Golden Rule tea party

In order to drink tea correctly, you should remember three numbers: 2-5-6. It's minutes. If we drink tea 2 minutes after brewing it, we get an exciting effect; after 5 minutes – calming; after 6 minutes, all the essential oils from the tea have already evaporated, and we simply drink a drink with a weakened aroma.

You should also remember that tea can bring the greatest benefit to the body only in the first 15 minutes after it is brewed. And after 5 hours of infusion, additional boiling of the tea leaves or adding boiling water to it, the tea can turn into a real poison for the body.

Tea can have its beneficial effect only when we consume it as a separate meal, i.e. at least with a half-hour difference from the main meal. But not during meals or immediately after.

Available for sale to us herbal teas and tea bags are often empty, filled with various flavorings. Such teas not only have no benefit, but can even be harmful to health.

How to determine the quality of tea?

Try to become tea testers for a while - specialists who can determine the quality of tea by appearance, infusion and other indicators.

Experts advise buying it by weight, and not in bags.

It has long been known that color is the main indicator of tea quality. Green teas in dry form (and partly in infusion) retain, oddly enough, their green color. It can have a variety of shades - from silvery green (or golden green) with a dull sheen to dark green or olive - depending on the type of tea. However, overheating when drying green tea sharply deteriorates its quality, and this immediately affects the color of the leaf: it darkens. It is generally accepted that the best varieties green tea ( Chinese varieties) have a pistachio color. Thus, light green tea is better than dark green tea. That is, the lighter the green shade of the leaf, the higher the grade of green tea. And vice versa, low grades, as well as stale, poorly sealed, spoiled green tea have a dark or dirty earthy green color.

An interesting detail: tea leaves are “hairy”, that is, covered with tiny lint, which has the amazing property of being preserved after all stages of tea processing. This pile gives the tea different shades, which are especially noticeable in sunlight. This is why the best green teas have a silver or golden hue. The time of collecting tea leaves also makes its own adjustments. So, spring harvest tea is slightly different sweetish taste, while the summer harvest tea is a little bitter. The best green tea is considered to be that which is collected before the onset of the season of “Purity and Clarity” (Qing Ming Jie) according to the traditional Chinese calendar. It is believed that at this time the earliest and most tender shoots have a special energy, and the first insects usually appear a little later. Therefore, tea harvested before Qing Ming Jie cannot contain fertilizers or chemicals. But very little of this tea is produced, and it practically never goes on sale. It is a huge misconception that an indicator of the quality of green tea is its rich aroma. The aroma of tea is given only by the essential oils that the manufacturer adds to it. The same thing that is sold in our stores does not even smell fragrant. essential oils, but is simply impregnated with artificial flavors.

Tea produced this year is considered fresh, while tea that has been stored for more than a year is considered old. To understand whether the tea is fresh or old, you should pay attention to the presence of broken leaves, cuttings and debris, which should be no more than 5%.

Beware of fake!

Tea was counterfeited always and everywhere, different ways. For example, in Western Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, such a type of falsification as adding rusty metal filings to tea was widespread. Such “additives” greatly increased the weight of each pack and made it possible to sell smaller quantities of genuine tea for more money and, therefore, pocket the difference in price. At the same time, the quality of the product did not suffer at all, and its “improved” composition could not harm the health of tea lovers, since the metal was easily sifted out or, if detected untimely, simply remained at the bottom of the teapot. Others use locally sourced tea simulant plants. To surrogate plant products belong to: carrots, fireweed, bergenia, as well as certain types of Caucasian cherry laurel. The danger of such fakes lies in the fact that often when mowing (even not collecting!), the procurers of this raw material often take other plants. Weed companions are often extremely poisonous (the so-called false bergenia, as well as wild rosemary, are especially poisonous). Without sorting or sifting out what they have collected, manufacturers of surrogate tea sometimes unwittingly, without wanting to, create rather toxic mixtures that cause poisoning and sometimes death of consumers of counterfeit tea.

It is very important to remember that tea can be produced from genuine tea raw materials only by tea-growing countries: China, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Japan, Georgia, Azerbaijan. This means that tea from the USA, Germany, Holland, Denmark and other non-tea countries is either a re-export of Asian teas or a counterfeit. Real Chinese tea exports from China only "China National Tea Import and Export Corporation local products". After this inscription there must be an indication from which province of mainland China the tea was exported. Next is the inscription that this is a “Product of the People's Republic of China”. No inscriptions like “Made in China” on this Chinese tea No.

The packaging of good Indian teas may bear the inscription “Made in India”, but only from a few well-known companies, such as S.T.S., Baueprogg., A. Tos.

The packaging labels for green teas must contain an abbreviation made according to the international labeling system so that the buyer can receive the appropriate information about the tea. The "Ortodox" marking indicates that the tea was hand-rolled during the manufacturing process and the leaves were minimally damaged. Such teas are also often labeled “classic”. This is also an indicator of high quality tea. Tea produced using machine technologies is labeled as “STS”. If the package is marked “PURE” (“pure”), then it contains high-quality varietal tea of ​​one type, not mixed with other varieties, having its own unique aromatic and taste properties. The "Blended" marking indicates a tea mixture (blend) consisting of two or three different varieties tea, where one (two) is of low quality (often small-leaf Indian teas), and the other is of higher quality. There are also high-quality blends (for example, “Irish Breakfast” or “Russian Caravan”), where high-quality varieties are mixed to obtain unique taste or aroma properties. Often tea made from the top three leaves, with buds, is labeled as "Golden Tea", and without buds as " Silver tea". Elite teas should also have the inscription "first leaf", "second leaf"... This means that in this varietal mixture of tea, sorted (usually by hand) apical leaves predominate, coming immediately after the bud ("first leaf"), one leaf after the bud (“second leaf”), etc.

Brewing correctly

To the fussy inhabitants of the 21st century, accustomed to drowning bags with strings in boiling water, the Chinese art of tea drinking seems like a luxury. But a number of simple techniques can still be learned. For making tea, spring water or water with a low content of mineral salts is best suited. Before brewing, all tea utensils should be rinsed with boiling water. The amount of tea for brewing is determined individually, on average for green tea - one teaspoon per 150–200 ml of water. The temperature of the brewing water should be 80–85 °C. The first time, green tea is steeped for 1.5–2 minutes and completely poured into chahai, or “sea of ​​tea,” from where it is poured into cups. This ensures the same strength of the infusion in all cups. For subsequent brews, the brewing time gradually increases by 15–20 seconds. Depending on the variety, green tea can withstand from three to five steepings.

Green tea uses

It turns out that they not only drink tea, but also eat it. In some countries it is considered a medicinal food and is widely used in cooking.

For example, in Tibet, tea leaves replace greens and make soup from them. In many Asian countries dried leaves tea is widely used as a specific seasoning in the preparation of hot and cold dishes from meat and game, as well as fish and shellfish. In China, Burma and Thailand, fermented tea is used as an independent dish or as an addition to various meat and fish dishes.

Pickled tea salad

Fermented tea is popular in China and Thailand. Tea leaves are first boiled in boiling salted water, then flavored with soybean oil and garlic. It turns out to be a kind of salad from loose, wet tea mass.

Tea seasoning

In China, dry green tea and garlic are used to prepare a specific seasoning for dishes of meat, fish, shellfish, rice and vegetables. Dishes flavored with tea seasoning become healing (they contain the beneficial substances contained in tea and garlic) and bactericidal (green tea and garlic have bactericidal properties). As for the garlic smell, which is unpleasant for others, it is almost not felt, since it is absorbed by the tea.

Marinated meat

You can marinate meat in sleeping tea. This is done like this: place pieces of any meat on a layer of wet tea, cover them with the same layer on top and pour a little more tea infusion over it all. Keep the meat in the refrigerator for about a day - then cook it in any way. Tea marinade It won’t make all meat soft, but it will definitely change the taste. Moreover, its “taste” diversity will be provided by all sorts of teas.

Fish in tea

If you love fish dishes but are annoyed by the fish spirit, try this fish recipe with green tea. It is this that will rid the fish “masterpiece” of the unpleasant odor. Cut sea fish fillet (500 g) into small slices (2-3 cm thick), place in enamel pan and cover with an even layer of the prepared mixture: dry green tea and crushed peppercorns (ground pepper cannot be used). Cover the pan for 15 minutes, then pour over the fish sunflower oil, salt, sprinkle with chopped onion and leave to brew for 20 minutes. After this, add 1 glass of milk to the pan and put it on the fire. When the milk boils, add another one and a half glasses of milk, boiled rice and dry tea. The dish is simmered over low heat under the lid for several minutes. Take as much rice as you need as a side dish for the fish.

Shrimp in tea

This dish cannot be called cheap, but it’s still worth a try. To do this, take frozen shrimp and cook in the usual way. And before boiling, pour green tea into them and cook a little longer than is customary (the “rubberiness” that appears in overcooked shrimp in this case is not to be afraid of). Having tasted shrimp cooked in this way, you will understand that the experiment was successful, since the tea removes part of the specific shrimp aroma.

Green tea contains several times more vitamin C than lemon juice, vitamins P, B, K, PP, microelements fluorine, iodine, zinc. Fluoride compounds contained in green tea leaves protect teeth from caries, and gargling with green tea can stop the development of acute respiratory infections and flu. But the most amazing thing is that green tea retains all its beneficial properties not only when taken orally, but also when external use. Many cosmetics companies take advantage of the antioxidant properties of green tea. Its extract is widely used in the creation of restorative, rejuvenating, moisturizing and sunscreen skin care lines. Natural masks based on green tea leaves can be prepared at home, depending on your skin type by adding milk, cereals, sour cream. They also make lotions, lotions and even hair dye.

Green tea scrub recipe

Brew three large balls of jasmine tea, let the leaves fully expand. After 20 minutes, drain the water and mix the jasmine flower leaves with 2 teaspoons sea ​​salt(sold at the pharmacy). Apply the mixture onto your face with gentle movements and gently massage the skin for a minute, focusing Special attention T-zone. Then rinse off the scrub first with warm water and then cold water. The skin will become smooth and radiant.

Interesting facts about tea:

• During the Chinese Tang dynasty, tea trade was declared a state monopoly, and large landowners were obliged to sell tea and receive bonds in return. They were allowed to buy other goods. These tea bonds soon became the first paper money (1024);
• It is to tea that we owe the fact that Heinrich Schliemann had the funds to excavate the legendary Troy. He earned part of his million-dollar fortune by selling tea. In his memoirs, Schliemann writes: “When cotton became too expensive, I abandoned it and began selling tea... My first shipment to Mr. Henry Schroeder in London consisted of 30 boxes of tea, after I managed to sell it profitably, I ordered 1000, then 4000 and 6,000 boxes, bought the entire tea warehouse of Mr. Günzburg in St. Petersburg on the cheap and in the first 6 months earned 140,000 marks on tea, while receiving another 6% of the capital”;
• the famous “Boston Tea Party,” when boxes of tea sent from London, unfairly taxed by the British, flew overboard - this “drop of tea” on the night of December 15-16, 1773 overflowed the patience of the Americans. The prospect of being left without their favorite tea prompted them to take decisive action - separation from England began. It’s a historical curiosity, but, in fact, the United States was, to some extent, born of tea;
• The British have their own tea drinking traditions. For example, pour milk into a cup first, and then tea. Or place a spoon across the cup, signaling that enough tea has been drunk - please do not add more. Those who were not familiar with local etiquette could pay severely. One day, a certain Prince de'Broglier was forced to drink 12 cups of tea before someone figured out how to manipulate a spoon. They say that one foreigner, in desperation, thought of hiding the cup in his pocket so as not to drink any more tea;
• Cardinal Mazarin introduced tea to the royal court of France, who took it as a cure for gout. Even by the end of the 17th century, knowledge about tea remained very scarce. It got to the point of being ridiculous: it was recommended to smoke tea like tobacco, lightly flavored with brandy, and it was recommended to whiten teeth with ashes. The French were drawn to fashionable exotics, and tea took pride of place here. Even if he didn’t like him, none of the high-society fashionistas dared to refuse him;
• Until the middle of the 19th century, Moscow consumed up to 60% of the tea imported into Russia. There was an expression “Muscovites-tea-drinkers”, although Little Russians and Cossacks disparagingly said: “Muscovites-water-drinkers”. The fact is that in these regions, even in the 19th century, they knew about tea only by hearsay and identified it simply with drinking water;
• based on auction results elite varieties tea held in Hong Kong and Guangzhou in 2005, the most expensive tea was the Chinese “Da Hong Pao” (“Big Red Robe”). The price per kilogram of this tea reached $685,000.

Health to you, readers!

Green tea is very useful product. But is it? There have been debates about the dangers and benefits of tea for a long time. Let's figure it out.

There is no doubt that tea gives us a pleasant pastime not only because of its taste and aroma, but because of its ability to tone, give strength and energy, and lift our spirits. Many people perceive green tea as medicine, because it tends to reduce arterial pressure, being hot and raising it if the drink is cold. Green tea has proven properties to lower cholesterol, fight fat deposits, and stimulate work immune system etc.

As you know, tea, be it green, black or white, is still tea. The only difference is in its processing and storage. If you go to special shop, then you can see many varieties of both green and black tea. The taste of tea varies from strong to delicate due to the production technology when choosing raw materials - buds, young green upper leaves or fully ripened leaves. The highest quality tea is obtained from the first leaves of the tea bush.

It is believed that the healthiest and most popular teas are grown in China and produced in Japan. If we compare green and black teas, or rather the technology of their production, then in the production of green tea they use more gentle processing of leaves, so green tea has much more benefit than in black.

Fermentation and further processing of tea

The fermentation of the tea determines whether it is black or green, red or white. Tea fermentation is the degree of oxidation of tea leaves during drying. It is believed that the less fermented the tea, the more it retains the original herbal taste, aroma of fresh herbs and beneficial substances.

How long the tea leaves will last depends on the further processing of the tea leaves (rolling). natural properties and how much better quality it will be brewed. Further drying of the tea is necessary to remove residual moisture, after which the finished tea product appears dark color, persistent aroma and mild taste. This tea is stored only in airtight, opaque containers.

Beneficial properties of green tea

Green tea contains the following beneficial substances:

• Caffeine or theine– psychostimulant. Green tea has more caffeine than black tea because green tea is processed more gently. Therefore, when they say that green tea is less invigorating, this is fundamentally wrong.
• Catechins– antioxidants that destroy free radicals and remove the metals cadmium and lead, radioactive compounds and mercury. They are also tannins
• Tannins– fight pathogenic microorganisms, have disinfectant, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties.
• Tannat- This is a combination of tannin with theine, which slows down the absorption of caffeine. If we compare the properties of green tea with coffee, then green tea has a milder invigorating effect.
• Polyphenols– flavonoids or substances that are responsible for the state of vascular permeability
• Vitamins: C, A, K, P, PP and group B, pantothenic acid. After processing, green tea retains much more vitamins than black tea.
• Microelements: potassium, copper, iodine

How to brew green tea

Preserving the beneficial properties of tea depends on how well we know how to brew it correctly.

First way

• Use a porcelain teapot to brew green tea.
• Rinse it with boiling water.
• Take one teaspoon of tea per medium cup and pour it into the teapot
• Pour the tea with purified water, which has not been brought to a boil (about 80 degrees) and brew for no more than three minutes - this is the first brew
• Fill it a second time hot water, but now insist 30-40 seconds longer than before
• This brewing of the same portion of green tea can be done up to 5-7 times and its properties do not deteriorate. They say that the third brew is the healthiest and tastiest when preparing green tea this way.

Second way

• To prepare tea we use a porcelain or clay teapot and bowl
• Pour dry tea into the kettle at the rate of one teaspoon per serving.
• Fill with very hot water and leave for a couple of minutes
• Pour tea into a bowl
• Pour from the bowl into the teapot
• We repeat this manipulation several times

When brewed this way, the tea “breathes” - it is saturated with oxygen and cools slightly. After 5-7 pours from the teapot into the bowl and back, pour the tea into cups and enjoy the drink.

They say that tea has an invigorating effect after brewing for two minutes, but if you brew it for 5 minutes, the tea becomes calming. If you brew tea for more than 10 minutes, you can get a bitter brew.

Drinking no more than six cups of green tea per day is considered the most optimal; this helps normalize metabolic processes.

If you have eaten a lot of fatty foods, then after half an hour - an hour, drink a cup of green tea, this will help better digestion.

If you have a hangover in the morning, a few large mugs of strong green tea will bring you back to normal. Attention! If you have hypertension, then you should not drink tea if you have a hangover! Yes, myselfA hangover with hypertension is unacceptable.

If you get motion sickness on the road, chew the dry tea leaves and this symptom will go away unnoticed.

If you brew green tea with lemon, this will help preserve all the microelements of the tea in full and make it more beneficial than usual. After all, vitamin C neutralizes tannin, which interferes with the absorption of microelements and vitamins.

Harm and contraindications for drinking green tea

In addition to its beneficial properties, green tea also has contraindications and can also cause harm.

You should not drink green tea if:

• Increased excitability
• Insomnia
• Tachycardia and arrhythmias

Green tea, like other types of tea, is obtained from tea bush(tea or camellia sinensis), which is a plant of the genus Camellia families Teahouses. From the name “Camellia sinensis” one can correctly conclude that the tea bush was first cultivated in China. From there it came to Japan, then the Dutch brought it to the island of Java, and the British brought it to the Himalayas. After this, tea spread to India, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Indonesia, and South America.

The difference between green tea and its more popular black “brother” lies in the processing of the tea leaves. Let's talk in more detail about how green tea is obtained.

Green tea production technology

Green tea production technology consists of the following stages: fixation (steaming), curling, drying and sorting.

Fixing (steaming) is the treatment of tea leaves with steam at a temperature of 170-180 o C (Japanese method) or frying the tea leaves in braziers (hemispherical metal cauldrons), where it is heated to a temperature of 80-90 o C (Chinese method). The purpose of this stage is the inactivation (elimination of activity) of enzymes and associated chemical transformations. Thus, main feature in the production of green tea is that they try to stop the fermentation process (oxidative reactions) in it, and not intensify it as in the case of black tea. Steaming or roasting makes the tea leaves elastic, making them easy to roll. After the moisture content of the tea leaves drops to approximately 60%, the rolling stage begins.

The purpose of twisting is to crush the leaf tissue, after which cell sap is released on its surface.

After the twisting stage, the raw material is sent to drying. There the tea acquires an olive green color, and its humidity does not exceed 5%. Drying is carried out with hot air at a temperature of 95-105 o C.

Sorting is the final stage of green tea production, which consists of grouping teas according to their uniform appearance ( leaf tea or broken tea, tea leaf crumbs or seeding).

Important components of green tea

Alkaloids

Green tea has in its chemical composition caffeine, the content of which is higher than in natural coffee. The amount of caffeine directly depends on the correct tea production technology, as well as the initial growing conditions of the tea bush. Green tea also contains theobromine And theophylline.

Polyphenols

Up to 30% of the composition of green tea consists of polyphenols, in particular catechins, of which the greatest interest is Epigallocatechin gallate. This tea also contains tannin, the content of which is 2 times higher than in its black counterpart.

Vitamins and minerals

Green tea also contains vitamins (P, C, A, B1, B2, B3, E, etc.) and minerals (calcium, fluorine, iron, iodine, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chromium, manganese, selenium, zinc, etc.).

Benefits of green tea

Green tea has undergone many scientific and medical studies, and to this day continues to arouse interest in its properties, as well as its effect on human health. The results of these studies often contradict each other, but in general the following can be said about green tea:

• Catechins contained in green tea are actively absorbed by the lens and retina of the eye, resulting in oxidative stress in the eyes(the process of cell damage due to oxidation) is reduced for up to 20 hours. Hong Kong scientists have concluded that green tea may be promising in preventing glaucoma.
• Research conducted in Slovenia has shown that green tea extract has antimicrobial activity.
• Epigallocatechin gallate helps protect brain cells. An experiment conducted at the Israeli University of Technology on mice showed that this type Catechin fights Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
• Epigallocatechin gallate has been laboratory proven to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in prostate cancer. It is also combined with tamoxifen suppresses the development of breast cancer (in vivo experiment, i.e., on a living organism, was carried out on mice, in vitro experiment, i.e., in a test tube, on human cells).
• Green tea reduces the risk of developing memory and attention disorders by 2 times. The key to this effect, which has been confirmed in vivo in humans, may lie in the ability of epigallocatechin gallate to cross the blood-brain barrier.
• Green tea extract containing polyphenols and caffeine restores thermogenesis(heat generation by the body) and stimulates fat oxidation. As a result, the metabolic rate increases. The number of heartbeats remains the same. Due to these properties, the risk of developing heart disease when drinking green tea is reduced. And this was confirmed by in vivo experience in people who had acute myocardial infarction. When drinking green tea, the mortality rate among such people from a second heart attack decreased by almost 2 times.
• By itself, drinking green tea does not reduce cholesterol levels in the human body (although animal studies have shown the opposite). However, when added to green tea extract theaflavine(a pigment that gives dry tea leaves a characteristic shine) contained in black tea, cholesterol levels in the human body are reduced.
• Green tea improves human immunity and is also an energy stimulant (due to active fat oxidation).
• Systematic consumption of green tea leads to normalization of a person’s body weight.
• Containing a large amount of antioxidants, green tea extract prevents skin aging and protects it from ultraviolet radiation.
• Although there is no scientific evidence that green tea can reduce the risk of developing stomach diseases, as well as help with existing problems related to them, ethnoscience uses this tea as a remedy for dysentery, for stomach disorders, and also attributes to it the property of eliminating colitis.
• Science has not proven that green tea has any effect on diseases. respiratory tract, but traditional medicine says that green tea can treat rhinitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis, stomatitis and conjunctivitis (in the form of rinses and rinses). The results of such treatment are unknown.
• As for dentistry, green tea contains fluoride, so rinsing your teeth and gums with green tea is a preventative against caries.
• Thanks to the same catechins that reduce oxidative processes in muscles, green tea helps keep body muscles toned.
• Green tea can reduce the risk of HIV infection. In addition, it is able to stop the development of the disease in the infected person. These studies are only in the early stages and they are all related to the same type of catechin, called epigallocatechin gallate.
• Green tea reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Harm of green tea

Excessive consumption of green tea due to high content catechins in it can lead to liver diseases. Daily norm consumption of catechins – 500 mg. Many weight loss products are made based on green tea extract and contain more than 700 mg of catechins in a single dose, which poses a health hazard.

Also, excessive consumption of green tea can cause complications on the kidneys (green tea contains purines and their derivatives). In addition, since green tea somewhat complicates the process of removing uric acid from the body, it is contraindicated for people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and gout, as well as various diseases of the kidneys and gallbladder.

Green tea should not be consumed by people with increased nervous excitability.

Existing myths about green tea

• Green tea tones and calms. Green tea either tones or calms. If you brew green tea for 2 minutes, you will get a tonic drink, which will give us strength. If you brew it for 5 minutes, you will get a soothing drink, relieving stress.
• Green tea can be stored in teapot a day or more. In fact any tea must be drunk in 1 tea ceremony (in 1 sitting). Within a day, brewed tea will turn into poison, because... the minerals in its composition will be completely oxidized.
• It is harmful to drink green tea with milk. It is not true. Simply, when mixing tea with milk, the composition of the tea changes. Tannin forms chelate complexes with milk. In this case, the tea will simply become less tonic.
• Coffee and green tea contain equal amounts of caffeine. This is wrong. Green tea contains more caffeine than any type of coffee. This is partly due to the fact that a large amount of caffeine is lost during the processing of coffee beans.
• Green tea has hallucinogenic properties. This clean water fiction. Green tea can tone you up and can relax you. But it does not contain substances that can cause hallucinations.

Green tea is recommended for all people; it is advisable to drink it without sugar and buy the best varieties of large-leaf green tea. It is useful for both athletes and people who want to improve their mental performance, for example, to show better results at work.

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Beneficial properties of green tea

Tea strengthens the immune system, restores the functioning of brain vessels, improves cardiac activity, relieves fears and nervous tension, increases the amount of sexual energy and creates balance in all body systems. You can also lose weight by drinking strong green tea every day, as it has a diuretic effect. But so far only one property of green tea has not been fully studied - the fight against malignant tumors. Of course, tea helps even with cancer, but research still cannot understand how this happens.

This is most likely due to clearing bacteria from the blood and strengthening the immune system. Green tea reduces the level of radiation in the blood, this was proven after a survey of residents of Hiroshima was conducted. Their health was normal, precisely because they regularly consumed green tea. This is also associated with the removal of strontium-90 from the body, but if it is deposited in the bones, there can be no talk of any purification. People should drink green tea, if only because they spend a lot of time in front of the computer and TV, tea will reduce the effect of radiation on the body.

Green tea is used to enhance feelings of spirituality, as evidenced by the fact that green tea is consumed in Japanese and Chinese tea ceremonies. Thanks to tea, people can fully concentrate and relax, this helps improve mental concentration and the emergence of new ideas and goals. Many people note that after drinking tea, new thoughts appear in their heads, a solution to a particular problem is found, and so on. It is very encouraging that tea does not contain substances harmful to the psyche, so it can be used as a psychic stimulant without the slightest fear. Conductivity nervous system, reaction, vision, memory and concentration on creative activities improve when a person drinks green tea daily. Many people say that depression goes away quickly after drinking green tea, perhaps this is due to cleansing the body of toxic substances, although other people believe that tea charges with special positive energy that cleanses energy channels.

Also, don’t forget that you can have a great time and have a heart-to-heart conversation with a glass of green tea. You can learn something new about your friends, but you need to drink high-quality tea and always fresh. Of course, the shelf life is indicated on the packaging, approximately from one to three years. But fresh tea is much tastier than one that has been stored for 3 years. Before purchasing, read the production date; you also need to familiarize yourself with the composition of the tea; artificial ingredients are often added to improve the taste of the tea. Perhaps these substances were added to make the tea last longer, but these are preservatives that are harmful to health and deteriorate the quality of the tea. But the manufacturer may specifically add pieces of fruit, jasmine, lemon, chrysanthemum and hibiscus to tea in order to confuse buyers and divert attention from preservatives to additional ingredients. Additives may well be artificial fruit substitutes, so you need to buy pure green tea.

In our country, green tea was more popular than in Europe, since it was introduced before the 19th century. Next, all residents of Russia began to drink black tea, which is also very tasty, but not nearly as healthy. This is due to the fact that black tea undergoes additional processing. It is because of the black tea habit that people brew green tea incorrectly. You cannot brew it with boiling water in a huge teapot and then add sugar - this reduces the beneficial qualities of green tea. You need to use fairly warm water, but not boiling water, and let the tea steep for at least half an hour to experience its natural taste. Only properly brewed green tea has beneficial properties, but if you don’t want to waste time on brewing, buy green tea capsules at the pharmacy, they also have all the beneficial properties, however, you won’t be able to enjoy the true taste of green tea.

Harmful properties of green tea

Green tea has many advantages, but there are also disadvantages. For example, it can provoke a deterioration in thinking, concentration, increase blood pressure, and so on. You can avoid black tea and coffee because you don't want your blood pressure to increase, but keep in mind that green tea also contains energizing substances, and in the same amount. It also contains caffeine, which activates the central nervous system.

Older people and pregnant women should not drink strong green tea. Tea can affect the development of the fetus due to the general excitability of the body. Elderly people are at risk of tremors - hand trembling, as well as decreased immunity and insomnia. Tea is not recommended for people with stomach ulcers and hypertension.

To reduce intensity side effects green tea, you need to remember not to brew it too strong. The tea should be soft and delicate taste, which in no way annoys you. Do not drink hot green tea, as this has a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Drink fresh green tea half an hour before meals, then drink a glass 40 minutes later to speed up the digestion process. Do not steep the tea for too long, because the microbes in it multiply quickly and then poison your body.