Useful properties of green tea

Green tea is popular with so many people. And, of course, everyone has ever heard that green tea is extremely useful. However, not many know what properties this wonderful drink has.

Green tea has been known to people for more than 4000 years. The ancient Chinese legend says that in the era of creation, the great ruler of the Sun and the founder of medicine and art of agriculture, Yan Di ordered his followers to boil water in the cauldron, and when the water boiled, several leaves of green tea were brought into the cauldron by a gust of wind. The water has turned to a pleasant green color and has acquired a wonderful aroma and taste.

Scientists also attribute the discovery of green tea to the great healer of ancient China, Shen Nun. It is he who for the first time describes the beneficial properties of green tea in the pages of his treatise "Trunks and Grasses". However, until the Three Kingdoms era (about 220 AD), green tea was used exclusively in various religious and temple ceremonies. And only in the middle of the third century AD the tradition of collective tea began to take shape, and the drink itself began to become firmly established in the life of ordinary Chinese.

At one time, Japanese people appreciated the useful properties of green tea. They got tea at the end of the first millennium, and they had a traditional tea ceremony.

At all times healers, and then scientists, recognized the truly amazing properties of this drink. It was believed that he relieves fatigue, strengthens eyesight, and Taoists have even included green tea as part of their elixir of immortality.

Useful properties of green tea directly depend on the nutrients that are contained in tea leaves. One of the most important and most useful substances that is contained in tea is catechin, a natural antioxidant. This substance binds free radicals, and therefore removes excess cholesterol from the body. That is why green tea has a positive effect on the heart and blood vessels. In addition, it significantly slows down the aging process. It is also believed that antioxidants inhibit the development of cancer cells. Thanks to the catechin, green tea improves digestion, reduces blood pressure.

Green tea contains thiamin, or vitamin B1. This substance normalizes the exchange of sugar, and also promotes the normal operation of the cardiovascular system. No less useful and vitamin B2, riboflavin. It speeds up the formation of antibodies, which means it increases immunity. He plays an important role in the process of enriching cells with oxygen, and for the appearance of the skin, hair and nails, vitamin B2 is very important.

Since the beneficial properties of green tea depend on its composition, the method of treating tea leaves is of great importance. Thus, in India and China, the leaves are fried in an oven, resulting in a large number of useful substances from the leaves volatilizing. Such tea turns out to be less useful, and less tasty, because for the color and taste of tea the same substances as for its benefit are responsible. In turn, in Japan, tea leaves are treated with hot steam, which allows you to keep all the flavor, flavor and all its benefits in tea. That is why, when buying green, it is so important to pay attention to the country of the producer.

Few know what is green and black tea. They are made from leaves of the same plant. The difference is only in the way the leaves are treated. Tea leaves are collected and lightly dried to remove excess moisture, and then treated with steam. Green tea is produced in this way. Its chemical composition is practically the same as that of fresh leaves. The production of black tea involves another stage - fermentation. In the process of fermentation catechin is converted into compounds such as tiaflavin and tiarubigin.

Green tea is often consumed in combination with other plants, for example, green tea with ginger is very popular. It is believed that in this combination, this drink is very well invigorated and perfectly quenches thirst, especially in the summer heat.