Green tea and healthIn China, tea has a very high status, not only as a stimulant, but also as a beverage that has positive properties for our health and our body. According to traditional Chinese medicine, there is a suitable tea for every season, which has a very positive influence on our life energy, the so-called "Qi".
This bath additive consists of only three ingredients that “have it” in them”.
The first ingredient is Epsom salt, also known as Epsom salt or magnesium sulfate. Epsom salt is said to not only draw toxins from the body, but has many positive aspects for our body. The magnesium and sulfur are absorbed directly through the skin during a bath, for example.
The second ingredient is baking soda. Since this is very alkaline, it is said to neutralize the acids on our skin and help wash away oil and sweat.
The last ingredient is green tea, which is full of antioxidants. The green tea is also supposed to conjure up a beautiful and soft skin due to its high mineral and enzyme content. (more …)
Feel good with Matcha – Antioxidants
Green tea has a huge supply of ingredients. Its healing properties were observed centuries ago. The chemical compounds initially called tannins are responsible for this. Today, chemists count these substances among the polyphenols, which are also among the most important antioxidants.
Antioxidants are the most effective defenses our bodies use to fight free radicals. They neutralize free radicals by forming biochemical bonds with them. Most antioxidants "donate" an electron to free radicals, thereby converting them into stable, non-toxic metabolites. These can then neither slag nor damage the body cells.
Polyphenols are found in red wine, chocolate, grapes, green tea and other foods and are essential to us.
Meanwhile, the content of antioxidants per gram in various foods is measured in ORAC units (ORAC = Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity)
According to this, the Japanese Matcha tea has the highest ORAC value of 1573!
Matcha – the healthy green tea miracle
"After a flight of twelve hours and the seven-hour time difference, you initially fall into a deep sleep from which only a shrill alarm clock can rouse you. This is how I felt on my first morning in Japan. Then the full program, which included several tea tastings. In total I have a good liter of green tea. Tasted a few cups of Matcha. The result was a stimulating time: in a good mood during the day, but in the evening no spark of well-deserved bed-happiness. The brain could not be turned off; even squats and push-ups, which were barely feasible in the tiny room, did not help. Still wide awake at three in the morning. No trace of physical or mental fatigue. So it went three days. Two nights. At night I began to ponder why the Japanese are such an industrious people. …"
Mr. Dr. Happiness I got to know in Japan. He first came to Japan to do research for his new book. Matcha – " the healthy green tea miracle" was the exciting topic of his explorations.
A year later I hold my personal copy in my hand. The book is a small but very interesting and detailed guide to matcha. Step by step Dr. Happiness in loose. Funny way the mystery of matcha. Lots of interesting information about the traditional background, the medicinal aspects as well as the enjoyable use of matcha are interspersed with funny stories, like the little anecdote above.
The book is absolutely recommendable for the tea drinkers, who would like to learn more about the exquisite beverage.
Here you can buy the book.
Tea and caffeine
One question I get asked very often: How high is actually the caffeine content in black, green and white tea?
Since white, green, oolong and black tea all come from the same plant, all teas contain caffeine. Caffeine in tea is often referred to as "tein", "theine" or "teein", although the chemical composition is identical to caffeine. An average cup of black tea contains only half the caffeine than the same size cup of coffee. But the caffeine content in black tea is significantly higher than in white tea. My research has revealed the following information:
Tea type Caffeine content, mg * average per cup Span
Matcha (2g powder) 64 – Black tea (cup 200ml) 40 25-55 Oolong (cup 200ml) 30 12-55 Green tea (cup 200ml) 20 8-30 White tea (cup 200ml) 15 6-25 Decaffeinated tea (cup 200ml) 2 1-4 Herbal tea (cup 200ml) 0 – Double espresso (cup 60ml) 45-100 Filter coffee 60-120
A true natural "energy drink" is matcha. For matcha, tea leaves are ground into a fine powder. This is poured with hot water. Beat it frothy with a bamboo whisk.
Matcha drinkers, take the tea leaf whole in the form of powder dissolved in water, and thus a higher concentration of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and caffeine. A cup of matcha made from 2g of tea powder contains approx. 64 mg of caffeine, which can be almost as much as a double espresso. Stars like Lady Gaga and Madonna drink Matcha to keep themselves fit and awake.
*)The above data are average values. Different types of tea and coffee have different caffeine content. In coffee, the caffeine content is also significantly influenced by the way it is roasted. Source: International Food Information Council, All About Tea by William H. Ukers; Caffeine by The Institute of Food Technologists' Expert Panel on Food Safety & Nutrition; Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan.
Hot tea against heat
Summer has long since arrived. We are experiencing the hottest days of the year. The thermometer exceeds the mark of 35 degrees, the asphalt begins to shimmer and the sun burns on the skin.
If you want to cool down with a drink in these temperatures, it is best to drink hot tea. People in hot countries of our earth can serve as a role model for us. At temperatures far above 30 degrees, drink hot black, green tea or mint in small sips throughout the day. Even then we sweat, but only slightly.
There is a plausible medical explanation for this. The body produces so much heat that our body temperature remains constant. Drinking cold drinks stimulates the body to produce heat to compensate for the coolness in the stomach and esophagus. If we take hot drinks, the body gets an additional heat signal, the body shuts down heat production. This leads to a constant light sweating, but not torrential sweating. The hot tea thus provides us a short time later, the longed-for refreshment without burdening the circulation.
Peppermint leaves provide a special freshness kick. Add a few fresh peppermint leaves to your favorite tea. Receptors in the mouth respond to the menthol in peppermint leaves. Provide a pleasant feeling of freshness.
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