Sunday, September 14, 2008

The Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea is a drink that the most reported as have many healthy benefits. The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. Green is a miracle drink. This tea besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue

What is the secret of Green tea to prevent cancer? The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.

Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

About Green Tea

Green tea is a type of tea beside black tea. Grean tea is preferably because this tea contain high epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.

Green tea is indeed the most widely consumed drink in the world after water. Green tea is very popular in China and there are many varieties of green teas available today. The green teas are favored in these regions because of their fresh and subtle taste.

The green tea has been grown in the Fujian and Zhejiang provinces for centuries now and the best of the Japanese green tea is grown from the Uji region of Kyoto. Apart from these two countries green teas are also grown in Vietnam and Sri Lanka in a big way.

Green Tea has been in use throughout China and Japan for centuries and it has been a must for the population there. Many studies have shown that drinking green tea daily reduced the risk of different types of cancers among the older generation.

Various studies on Green Tea at various times have shown that Green tea to reverse the process of stomach cancer and a whopping 50 percent reduction in risk for stomach cancer.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Tea Recipe, Wild Mint Tea Mix

This Tea recipes from The Parlor. This recipe can be your choice.

Lina's Wild Mint Tea Mix

1 cup lemon balm leaves
1 cup spearmint leaves
4 tablespoons orange peel -- grated
1/2 tablespoon cloves

Mix the herbs. Instructions: For each cup of tea, steep 1 tablespoon of herbal tea mix in 1 cup boiling water.

Mint Tea Punch
Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
3 cups water
2 black tea bags
1 cup fresh peppermint leaves
4 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Bring water just to a boil. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and fresh peppermint leaves. Allow to steep for five minutes. Remove tea bags and mint leaves using a strainer. Stir in sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add this mixture to the orange juice and cranberry juice. Refrigerate until well-chilled (1-2 hours). Serve in a tall glass with ice and a sprig of mint.

TEA Recipe: Traditional Indian Tea

First, all of these ingredient should be fresh (or as fresh as possible). You can get all these spices in Indian-american grocerry stores.

1. Brooke Bond Red label, Mamri, or Tajmahal Black tea [DO NOT USE GREEN OR LEAF TEA, IT WILL RUIN THE TASTE].

2. Cloves, cinamon stick (good quality), fresh ginger (powder or prepackaged cannot be substituted), whole black pepper, cardomon pods.

3. Optional items: White khas-khas (Indian name of a spice, which is round dried seeds); and soanph (green dried, not roasted)

4. Half-and-Half milk. No other milk can be substituted (if you really want the taste of real chai)

PREPARATION METHOD FOR 1-CUP CHAI:

In a clean deep dish container, put 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup milk (Half-and-Half), 1 full teaspoon black tea and spices as follows.

1 pod cardomon
2 pea size fresh ginger (mulched)
1-2 big size whole black pepper
1/8 to 1/6 cinnemon stick

On a hard piece of paper, crush all of them together. Immediately put this mix in dish with water and milk. Keep them on heater plate or gas range for about 15 minutes, keep stirring continuously. Add sugar to your taste. Drain on strainer and serve in a cup.

The idea is to burn water from the tea while mixing the spices into the leftover tea. You may have to experiment with the quantity of water and milk to the final quantity of tea. In my experience, 2:1 ratio works better, i.e. I use 2 cups of (milk + water) for making one cup of chai. 1 cup of water is burned in the process. This provides smooth taste of chai.

Please note: Chai making can be fun, but you cannot cut time. I have always made the best chais and never thought of time. Belive me it is time well spent.

source: vijay, chai recipe