Green Tea Antioxidants

Antioxidants - Benefits to the Macula

"Almost every single one of the risk factors we have for macular degeneration can be linked to free radicals."

Dr. Lylas G. Mogk, M. D.

Many of the risk factors that contribute to the development of macular degeneration can be tied to free radicals and the damage they cause.

Free radicals are unstable electrons that cause damage to our cells and especially to the macula where there is a lot of oxidation. Antioxidants disable these damaging free radicals.

Green Tea Antioxidant Levels

However, the antioxidant content and flavor of the tea is dependent on several factors:

1) If the leaves are from the first or second harvest

2) The variety of the plant

3) The growing conditions

4) When it was harvested

5) How it is processed

6) How it is stored

7) How it is brewed

Possibly because it is less processed,the green tea antioxidant level is higher than black tea.

Best Green Teas

1) Choose loose tea leaves

The tea leaves need room to expand. Tea bags or tea balls can affect the flavor of the tea. Let the tea leaves sit loosely in the water and steep for a few minutes, and then strain.

2) Freshness

The longer it is stored the less flavor is in the tea

Buy your tea leaves from a local tea shop or a reputable on line company.

Brew Green Tea

1) Brew tea at a lower temperature - around 140°F - 185°F. Do not use boiling water. You can boil your water first and then let it sit for a few minutes before you use it.

2) Let it steep for 1-3 minutes. The longer it steeps the more bitter it will taste. Also, the lower the water temperature, the longer it needs to be steeped.

3) Green tea leaves can be reused up to 3 times (but don't let them sit overnight and reuse them)

Green Tea Plants

green,

black, and

oolong.

Did you know that green, black tea and oolong tea come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis?

The leaves are simply processed differently. However, green tea is prepared from unfermented leaves and therefore has the highest polyphenol content. Black tea has higher levels of caffeine.

Camellia sinensis grows throughout Asia and parts of the Middle East and Africa.

Green Tea Antioxidants - Polyphenols

"The antioxidant properties of polyphenols have been widely studied, but it has become clear that the mechanisms of action of polyphenols go beyond the modulation of oxidative stress."

"Current evidence strongly supports a contribution of polyphenols to the prevention of

cardiovascular diseases,

cancers, and

osteoporosis and

suggests a role in the prevention of

neurodegenerative diseases and

diabetes mellitus."

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 81, No. 1, 215S-217S, January 2005 © 2005 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

There are no calories in this tea.

Green Tea and Caffeine

How much caffeine? It depends on several things:

1) How long you let the leaves brew

2) The number of times you use the green leaves - the first brew will have the most caffeine, and then subsequent uses will have less

3) Amount of tea leaves used

4) What part of the plant was used - the teas made from the bud and the two closest leaves are higher in caffeine

Green tea does have less caffeine than coffee.

Green tea: 20 to 60 mg. of caffeine in around 8 oz of tea,

Coffee: 60 - 100 mg. in 8 oz of coffee.

It has taken me a while to substitute green tea for my morning java, but now that I've made the switch I now look forward to my morning cup of tea.

If you are sensitive to caffeine don't drink this tea in the evening or buy Organic, Caffeine Free Green Tea

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