Tea to many is just an everyday drink; something to wash down a meal or relax with after a tiring day, but in reality it is much more than this. Tea is good for bones and teeth, and its vital chemical compounds have been found to fight against cancer, help stabilize diabetes and help prevent cardiovascular disease. It can even make your skin look healthier. You can drink it, medicate with it, cook with it, water your plants with it, and even keep your cat’s litter tray smelling fresh and pleasant with it.
The most beneficial and healthful tea though, is one which is barely processed and comes from the Camellia sinensis bush.......Green Tea. Tea is man’s second most popular beverage after water, and one fifth of all tea drunk in the world is green tea. Today, there is not just one green tea, but hundreds, and many varieties with several grades of qualities. this group of choices is further enhanced by the changes, season to season, of the quality of teas. Like wine, a particular harvest may be spectacular one year and mediocre the next, but unlike wine, green tea has a very short life span and must be consumed quickly or it will lose colour, aroma and flavour. There is much more I could write here on history, countries of origin, types etc., but for most of us the most important thing is what it can do for us, so lets skip straight to the benefits. Studies of tea’s value in maintaining good health have been conducted and reported in medical journals throughout the world. All of these studies agree on one point: Green tea is an inexpensive, healthy drink with possible long-range benefits, especially if taken daily throughout a lifetime.
The studies suggest that green tea may help lower the risk of cancer, inhibit aging (I like that one), reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, help lower blood sugar levels, fight viral infections, and even prevent cavities, bad breath and gum disease. While drinking green tea will certainly cause no harm, the best reason to drink it is because it does have time-tested benefits such as antioxidation of fats and possible anti-cancer properties. One cup does all disorders cure, With two your troubles will be fewer, Three to the bones more vigour give With four forever you will live, as young as on your day of birth, A true immemorial on the earth. Chinese Poet. Some articles written have indicated that green tea can be a protective, preventitive drink. It is well known that green tea contains enough flouride to help prevent tooth decay. It is also rich in polyphenols, which acts as antioxidants, as well as vitamins C and E and beta carotene. Japan is a country noted for its excessive cigarette smoking, but ironically has a relatively low lung-cancer rate, in fact smokers in Japan have a 45 per cent lower risk factor than say, America.
It has also been found that typical consumption of green tea by the Japanese is four to five cups per day. The Japanese have also maintained for years the nutritional value and alkaline properties of green tea which are known to counteract the acids contained in fish and meat. The Japanese people also have lower rates of cancer of the liver, pancreas, breast and skin, and researchers believe green tea may play a large role in preventing these forms of cancer. The Japanese people also have a different diet from us, and this may also be a factor in the results, but reasearch is continuing world-wide on the properties of green tea.
SOME OTHER USES FOR GREEN TEA. Green Tea Soother. This is an all-purpose astringent and antibacterial solution. Using spring water, brew up some green tea, end leave till cool. Strain, or remove tea bags and pour into a sterilized bottle and refrigerate. You now have your soother. Uses. Use as a mouthwash. An antifungal or refreshing foot bath. For minor cuts, grazes or rashes, soak a cotton pad in the soother and apply directly on to the affected area for at least five minutes.This can be done up to four times daily. To sooth sunburn, soak a flannel in the solution and place over the area for about fifteen minutes. For puffy, red or tired eyes, soak cotton pads in the soother, squeeze out, and let the pads rest gently on your lids for about ten minutes. Repeat if necessary. To keep shoes and feet fresh; allow spent leaves to dry, crush them and sprinkle in you socks or shoes. They not only deodorize, but help ward off fungal infections You can also use the spent, dried leaves in your cat’s litter tray to help with odours and deter fleas. Leftover tea and leaves are also great for plants both indoor and out as it is rich in nitrogen. Like other teas, green tea in also a great dye, making white or cream fabrics a pastel sage.
I could go on forever here, but I think you understand the versatility of green tea now, and some of its properties. It can be bought loose or in tea bags, and is relatively inexpensive. I personally drink it straight, but it is entirely up to the individual whether you want to add honey, sugar, lemon or milk. So if you decide to try, or already do drink green tea, don’t look on it as just a refreshing drink, but as a whole new adventure.