Green Tea - A Tea for Life
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.
Copyright © 2011 by Andreas Moritz
