Green tea is one of the most common hot drinks. It is consumed by about 70% of the population of our planet. The only green competition is black tea.
Do not think that these species are obtained from differentplants. The initial raw materials for the production of both drinks are the tops of the annual shoots (flushes) of the tea-plant, the evergreen Thea sinensis (also called Camellia sinensis). The main difference between green tea and black tea is only in the ways of processing the harvested plant material. To get green tea, the leaves are rolled, then pressed and dried. The technology for the production of black tea includes more stages of withering and fermentation. By varying the degree of fermentation depth, you can get such types of tea as yellow, white and red.
Undoubtedly, during fermentation some substancestea leaves are completely or partially destroyed, while others are modified. Green tea is devoid of this disadvantage: it retains all the useful physiologically active compounds and there are no harmful volatile chemicals, and the calorie content of green tea is reduced tenfold.
In China, 4 thousand years ago, green teaused to treat many diseases. It was noted that it promotes rapid healing for colds, gastrointestinal and skin diseases, and the rapid elimination of toxins is affected by the caloric content of green tea.
Since then, thanks to numerousresearch, studied the chemical composition of tea. A wealth of material has been accumulated confirming the beneficial effects of green tea on the body. It is established that the beneficial properties are due to its constituent catechins, vitamins, amino acids, pectins, saponins, saccharides, and minerals.
Catechins give tart taste to tea.Green tea contains up to 12 types of them. The chemical composition of catechins are derivatives of polyphenols and have hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, antioxidant properties. The antioxidant properties of epigallocatechin-3-gallate, for example, are 25–100 times stronger than the complex of vitamins C and E. Catechins improve digestion, strengthen blood vessel walls, promote elimination of heavy metals from the body, cholesterol, and eliminate excess platelets. The concentration of catechins in green tea is 8 - 15 times higher than in black.
Alkaloids of green tea (caffeine, theobromine,theophylline, adein) dilate the blood vessels of the brain. They tone up the nervous system, reduce fatigue, eliminate headaches. Being in the state associated with catechins, tea alkaloids have a less dramatic arousing effect compared to the alkaloids contained in coffee.
Amino acid content in 1g of green tea -0.1–10mg Especially important is the presence of theanine. Theanine gives the tea a special, sweetish taste. The higher the content of this amino acid, the higher the value of tea. Theanine not only in itself has a relaxing effect on the body, but also contributes to the synthesis of dopamine - the “hormone of happiness”. Recent studies have shown that theanine protects neurons in the brain from damaging influences, and also has anti-carcinogenic properties.
Green tea compensates for the lack of many vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, C, P, K, E) and mineral substances (K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Na, trace elements) in the body.
The caloric content of green tea per 100 grams without sugar is extremely low - about 1 kcal.
Proved the effectiveness of green tea in the following diseases:
• high blood pressure,
• malignant tumors,
• diabetes
• obesity,
• liver disease,
• diseases of the genitourinary system,
• enterocolitis,
• ORZ,
• immunodeficiency,
• glaucoma,
• allergy.
Yes, green tea has small calories.However, with diseases such as hypotension, tachycardia, insomnia, peptic ulcer, and during pregnancy, breastfeeding, despite the caloric content of green tea, its use should be eliminated or reduced. You can not drink green tea on an empty stomach, combine it with alcohol, drink them pills.
