Green Tea - A Tea for Life

By Andreas Moritz  

For more than thirty years, Western researchers have known that the occurrence of solid tumor cancers is far less in countries where populations consume large amounts of green tea. Cultures that are endowed with a long tea tradition have much to contribute to individual and global health. However, this applies only to green tea. Regular black tea, presently very popular almost everywhere, has not much to do with real tea. Real tea is derived from the tea plant Thea sinensis or Thea asoncica, not to be confused with herb teas such as peppermint, chamomile or fennel.

Both black and green teas originate from the same tea plant, but their methods of processing are different. The breaking of the leaves of the plants and exposing them to the oxygen of the air produces black tea. The resulting natural fermentation process destroys the most important biological ingredients of the tea - the tannins. By contrast, during the production of green tea, the leaves are stabilized through exposure to both humid and dry heat. This eliminates fermentation-producing enzymes and safeguards the nutrients.

Due to fermentation, black tea assumes drug-like qualities. Since tannins and other important nutrients are no longer present in the tea, its caffeine appears in free and unbound form. The stimulating effect of the quickly released caffeine causes the addictive effect of black tea. It triggers a 'fight or flight' response in the body. Since the body treats the ingested caffeine as a nerve toxin, the adrenal glands naturally respond by secreting the antidote adrenaline. This defense response by the body has a stimulating and enlivening effect. However, as the effects of the caffeine and adrenaline diminish, the body starts feeling tired and may end up exhausted.

Green tea works in a different way. The large amounts of tannins in green tea make certain that the caffeine is taken to the brain in only small and well-dosed amounts, which actually harmonizes the energies in the body. Unlike black tea, the original green version of the tea makes the body's own energy-use more efficient. This helps the consumer of green tea improve his vitality and stamina without having to experience the 'up and down' effect so often accompanied with the consumption of black tea.

The value of tannin has been studied for centuries all over the world. Besides its ability to bind caffeine, it also has healing properties. Green tea is particularly helpful with intestinal disorders and high blood pressure. It has been shown to be 20 times more effective in slowing the aging process than vitamin E. Studies have demonstrated that the success rate of green tea in reducing oxidants in the body (considered responsible for aging) is 74 percent compared to 4 percent with vitamin E. The vitamin C content of green tea is four times higher than in lemon juice and it contains more B-vitamins than any other known plant. This makes green tea useful for facial skin conditions such as rosacea/acne. Apart from drinking green tea, you may apply it directly to the skin before bedtime and after washing your face in the morning.

Since green tea is highly alkaline it naturally helps combat hyperacidity. People who drink green tea also suffer less from arteriosclerosis. It also keeps the blood thin and prevents coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, researchers from the University of Osaka, Japan, have been able to prove that green tea kills microbes responsible for cholera and tooth decay; it also destroys salmonella germs before they even have the chance to enter the stomach. A substance called 'EGCG' has been found to retard tumor growth. The Botikin Hospital in Moscow reported that green tea is more effective against infection than antibiotics, without producing any harmful side effects.

Green tea has over 100 ingredients that have been found useful for a number of conditions, it inhibits cell mutations leading to cancer, reduces blood fats, balances serum cholesterol levels, prevents high blood pressure, increases heart efficiency, improves brain functions, enhances metabolism, improves vision, supports secretion of saliva, increases growth of hair, reduces body fat and weight, stimulates digestion and helps clear urinary tract obstructions.

In a study testing the preventative action of green tea, a team of researchers from the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) found that green tea prevented breast cancer in women by 30 percent if they consumed about half a cup per day. If they drank more than that, their risk of developing breast cancer was further reduced. Women who regularly drank black tea, on the other hand, didn't have a reduction in their breast cancer risk. The good news is that this study revealed that you don't need to drink buckets full of green tea to benefit from it.

The best green tea comes from the Shizuoka area in Japan; it grows organically and has no additives. People living in this area have a much lower cancer rate than those living in other areas of Japan. A reliable brand is Sencha sold by Kurimoto Trading Co., Japan. With over 130 ingredients, it is the richest of all green teas. Other brands are Ocha or Bancha; you should be able to find at least one of them at a good health food store.

Note: The effectiveness of green tea depends on how you prepare it. Take 1½ teaspoons of green tea for 2 cups of tea. Bring water to a boil and turn the heat off. Put the tea into a pot and pour the boiled water over the tea as soon as the water has stopped bubbling. After no longer than 35-45 seconds, pour the tea through a sieve into a teapot, otherwise the tea loses much of its effectiveness. You may use the same leaves a second time by applying the same procedure.

Does Green Tea Contain Toxins?

Some web sites on the Internet claim that tea is very high in fluoride content. Fluoride in tea is supposedly much higher than the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set for fluoride in drinking water. Another site confirms that information, adding that the typical cup of tea exceeds one milligram of fluoride, which is well over the recommended amount for fluoridated drinking water. On yet another site, it says that fluorine and its compounds in food are entirely different from chemically-produced sodium fluoride. It states that once an element is extracted from the soil and incorporated into plant life, its properties change greatly. All this can be greatly confusing for those concerned about fluoride poisoning.

Yes, fluoride is found in tea and also in mother's milk. This applies also to areas where there is no fluoride in the drinking water or air. Numerous plants contain naturally occurring fluorine or fluoride compounds. The hideous version of fluoride that is added to drinking water in so many parts of the world is the poison we ought to protect ourselves against. "Fluoride, once touted as an osteoporosis treatment, is, in fact, toxic to bone cells," says John R. Lee M.D. Thankfully, the American Dental Association, which has for many years been one of fluoride's biggest advocates, changed course when it alerted its members in 2006 that parents of infants younger than a year old "should consider using water that has no or low levels of fluoride" when mixing baby formula.

If the naturally occurring fluoride in green tea were even remotely toxic (like the fluoride added to drinking water), it would not have shown to have such a wide range of preventive and curative effects. The body's immune system would reactively respond to it and become weakened in the process, yet quite the opposite is true. Green tea inhibits cell mutation, stimulates digestion and enhances brain functions. Synthetic fluoride has the exact opposite effects.

The fluoride - or fluorine - that occurs naturally in tea and other foods is so volatile that most of it evaporates in the heating process. The synthetic sodium fluoride added to water, on the other hand, remains stable when heated. So the sodium fluoride in your cup of tea is of much greater concern than the natural fluoride in the tea itself. Excessive fluoride intake can lead to hyperthyroidism. If you have been diagnosed with this disorder you should consult with a doctor of Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine or an ND (doctor of naturopathic medicine) who is knowledgeable about nutrition and its effects on the body's endocrine glands.

Andreas Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine. He is the author of 13 books on various subjects pertaining to holistic health, including The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation and Cancer Is Not a Disease. His most recent book is titled 'Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time'.

Moritz is also the creator of Ener-Chi Art ( www.ener-chi.com ) and Sacred Santémony.

Much of his life's work has been dedicated to understanding and treating the root causes of illness, and helping the body, mind, spirit and heart to heal naturally.

Connect with Andreas at: http://www.facebook.com/enerchi.wellness

Copyright © 2011 by Andreas Moritz

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The Importance of Alkaline Foods for Your Immune System

By Tina C. Loren 

Many people are not aware of how important the foods that they eat are to their health and well being. Foods can be either alkaline or acidic in nature. What determines if a food is alkaline or acidic? This is determined in part, by the amount of "ash residue" that exists once you have consumed a particular food and it has been fully digested. The higher the ash content the more acidic the food is. The higher the mineral content, the more alkaline the food would be. Therefore, if a food has a higher ash content it is more acidic and consuming a lot of acidic foods will eventually weaken your health and immune system.

What is Acid Alkaline Balance: The ideal diet to follow is one that is 80% alkaline and 20% acidic. However, in the United States, the very opposite is true. We consume a diet that averages out to be 80% acidic and only 20% alkaline. If we try to follow a more alkaline diet we will not only achieve better health but we can help to correct nutritional deficiencies and get many poor health issues under control. It is also important to note that in addition to your body becoming more alkaline through the proper food choices, you can also achieve more alkalinity by your lifestyle choices. For example, stress can make your body much more acidic. If you are continually experiencing stress you will tend to be more acidic even if you eat more alkaline foods. The body is a wonderfully complex mechanism that responds to everything that we do to it in either in a positive or negative way. The brain-body connection should not therefore be overlooked when you are trying to create a more alkaline balance in your body.

The Acid Alkaline Equation: For the human body to function at its best, the ideal alkalinity should be between 7.0 to 8.0 pH. pH is an abbreviation for "power of hydrogen". Anything below a 7.0ph would be considered acidic. Obviously the lower that number, the more acidic your body would be. The normal pH level of human blood should be at around 7.4. If the blood pH falls below 6.8 or goes above 7.8 it can be very dangerous because the body's cells will not be able to function properly and can be potentially life threatening. The natural process of the metabolism is to produce a certain amount of acid. This is why it is very important to eat as much alkaline foods as you can in order for your body to not develop an acidic state.

How Alkaline Foods Can Help Reverse the Disease Process: Many diseases can develop when a body is in an acidic state. For example, cancer cells will thrive in an acidic environment and disease can proliferate in such a state. Another common problem that can develop is osteoporosis because when a body is acidic it is lacking sufficient calcium which is an alkalizing mineral. So clearly being in an acidic state can contribute to poor health and the onset of various disease conditions. A body that is alkaline has the ability to regenerate more quickly and remove excess toxins more efficiently than an acidic body.

Human beings were truly meant to consume a more alkaline diet and prior to only the past few recent decades has man eaten such an acidic diet. Traditionally we have eaten predominantly whole fresh foods including an abundance of fruits and vegetables. An unfortunate trend in our modern society has been to consume large amounts of processed foods which have contributed to the increase in diseases that proliferate today.

Some Food Guidelines for Alkalinity: There are many wonderful foods that you can choose from that are alkaline and can help your health and vitality. Raw foods of course, such as fresh fruits and vegetables are among the most alkaline foods you can consume. In this whole state, you are supplying your body with vital nutrition and enzymes that will nourish your cells and help strengthen your immune system, protecting you from degenerative disease development. Some other top alkalinizing foods include; fresh fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, sprouted grains and plenty of fresh clean water. Try to limit your intake of processed foods, artificial sweeteners, dairy products and eat meat proteins in moderation. A simple and very effective way to increase your alkalinity is to add a green drink to your daily diet. There are many high quality products on the market to choose from.

Reduce your intake of acidic foods. Examples of these types of foods include all processed foods, fast foods, any white flour products and dairy products. Also incorporate neutral balanced foods which are neither acidic nor alkaline such as brown rice and whole wheat products in moderation. And of course, drink plenty of water. By following these guidelines you should be able to create and maintain a healthy alkaline balance in your body and help to prevent the onset of disease by maintaining a strong and balanced immune system.

The Issels Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California is a world renowned alternative treatment center. The Issels Treatment is an Integrative Immunotherapy program with a 50 year history. Founded in 1951 by a pioneer in integrative cancer medicine, Dr. Josef Issels, MD., a German oncologist, The Issels Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California treats patients with all natural non toxic therapies for a variety of health conditions including cancer.

If you would like more information regarding the treatments available at The Issels Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California, please call 805-216-2007 or toll free at 888-374-7735. And please visit the website at: http://www.issels.com/Questionaire/questionnaire_IMC.aspx

By: Tina C. Loren

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Have you heard about Alkaline Foods?   

by Midc Nidc

Many of the niggling symptoms and wellness problems that we suffer from could be down to what we are consuming. Although a lot of people may be conscious that a wholesome balanced diet plan is important, extremely few know that the impact foods have on the body's pH may also have a large impact on how we feel.

If you remember and think back to your school chemistry class, you may remember learning about pH. In easy terms, it is how alkaline or acidic a liquid is. As far as the numbers go on the pH scale, a pH of 7 is considered to be neutral and any number lower than this is acidic and any number higher is alkaline - either way, the further the number is from 7, the more acid or alkaline it is. We don't really need to get much more technical than that.

Foods that generate much more acidic conditions are recognized as Acidic Foods and those that create more alkaline conditions are termed Alkaline Foods. The body is thought to function best under much more alkaline conditions, so including much more Alkaline Foods in the diet plan might lead to much more optimal wellness. The perfect ratio is thought to be 80% Alkaline Foods and 20% Acidic Foods.

There are a number of factors why it might be beneficial to cut back your intake of acid forming foods, include the following:

. The acids might trigger the minerals calcium and magnesium to be leached from the bones, growing the threat of osteoporosis.
. The rise in blood acidity could impact on red and white blood cell function.
. The body's organs might not work so efficiently when in conditions of increased acidity.
. There is possibly an increased threat of cancer occurring when cells are exposed to a much more acidic environment.

For people wishing to follow a more alkaline diet, it is feasible to refer to an Allkaline Foods List to offer guidance. There are a number of ways in which the acidity of foods can be calculated, but the more respected technique looks at their "potential renal acid load", which is determined by a food's content of protein, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and chlorine. As a general rule animal goods, so meat, fish, eggs and dairy create, are all classed as Acidic Foods, along with most grains. However, spelt, quinoa, millet and buckwheat, along with beans, seeds and nuts are more Alkaline Foods and can be bought from health food stores and bigger supermarkets. Fruits and vegetables can be eaten freely, though if you appear, some lists might differentiate in between them, as some are more alkaline forming than others. Although it is beyond the scope here, further particulars can be from an Alkaline Foods List.

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