In our last blog post, we discussed the various Japanese teas, their flavours as well as how to brew these delicate teas. In this post, we will go into detail about the health benefits of Japanese teas and why they are a fantastic choice of drink.

During the ancient times in Japan, tea was consumed as a medicinal drink by the wealthy and elite. When you look at the ingredients and their health benefits it offers, it is quite clear why.

Almost all tea comes from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis (tender tea leaves). The difference in each is actually how it is processed. Black teas are the most heavily processed and undergo a fermentation process, whereas green tea goes through very little processing, meaning it retains high-levels of catechins. These are a powerful antioxidant which have various health benefits. Catechin, also known as tannin, has germicidal properties and helps your intestine performance, so it is believed it can help prevent things like food-poisoning and various lifestyle-related diseases.

So what has been proven by research?

It has been shown that green tea helps to improve blood flow, and recent studies show that it helps a range of heart-related diseases such as high blood pressure. Green tea also helped to reduce cholesterol, something people in the modern world often battle with.
As your brain needs healthy blood to function well, it’s a no-brainer (pun intended) that if green tea helps improve your blood flow, it will also be good for your brain activity.

A study carried out in Switzerland highlighted greater brain activity in the memory area of the brain in green tea drinkers compared to non-green tea drinkers, which suggests that green tea is beneficial for memory.

Does green tea help you lose weight?
Green tea will not help you lose weight on its own, but it is a wonderful alternative to sugary drinks which of course are packed full of calories. Some studies have also shown that the minerals in green tea also help to increase your metabolism (4-5%).

Fresh breath and tooth decay
Green tea also contains both Fluorine and Flavonoid. Sound familiar? Well Fluorine is an ingredient in toothpaste and helps to prevent tooth decay, while flavonoid prevents bad breath.

Image from Google Images

What about caffeine content?
The caffeine content in green tea is very low. The lowest in fact of all teas. Caffeine does, however, have many helpful qualities. It increases alertness and energy as well as helping brain function. The problem with caffeine is more the amount you drink, and green tea contains just the right amount to benefit from without overloading your system (in the way coffee can). This means you can say goodbye to caffeine crashes too!

Does it help prevent cancer?
This is something that is often mentioned and many blog posts will assure you that green tea is the magic answer to preventing cancer. It is true that green tea aids healthy cell growth, however, the research into cancer prevention is still very young and as of yet has not been proven.

Time to relax
As this is low in caffeine, green tea is a wonderful option for unwinding at the end of a busy day. The theanine content in green tea actually produces a calming effect.

What vitamins are in green tea?

• Vitamin A – great for moisturising your skin and strengthen your digestive organs.
• Vitamin C – helps to prevent colds and is great for keeping your skin bright and non-fatigued!
• Vitamin E – proven anti-ageing benefits.
• Vitamin B1 & B2 – these vitamins enhance your development and turns sugar into energy.

So as you can see, drinking green tea has many health benefits, from lowering cholesterol to helping you relax. We offer a wide range of green teas from Japan and China. Explore the collection and let us know your favourite!