Green Scene

Ok so I've been drinking 1-3 cups of green tea every day for a few months now. I drink Costco's Kirkland Signature Japanese Green Tea/Matcha blend, and it is delicious and until yesterday, I knew it was good for me, but not exactly how. It came up in yesterday's blog that it is beneficial for weight loss, and I thought I'd look a little farther into it. I found on yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com that

"...it's rich in antioxidants, promotes heart health, aids digestion and regulates blood sugar and body temperature. It raises the metabolic rate and speeds up fat oxidation, thus helping people lose weight. Drink it daily to boost your metabolism. Some research has shown that five cups a day is the magic number for fat loss. As an added benefit, the theanine in green tea is also a great natural de-stressor..."

Wow. Pretty awesome stuff, huh? So what is this theanine? I found on wikipedia that theamine:

"...is a glutamic acid analog or amino acid derivative commonly found in tea..."

also, thyamine levels are highest in the Japanese tea, Gyokuro, so I checked out Gyokuro on wikipedia and found out some interesting and cool stuff. First, this tea is grown under shade and not the sun, for at least 2 weeks before it is harvested.

"This causes the amino acids (Theanine) and caffeine in the tea leaves to increase, while catechin (the source of bitterness in tea, along with caffeine) decreases, giving rise to a sweet flavour. The tea also gains a distinct aroma from the covering process."

Wow, pretty cool methods and results, I thought. Click on the title to check out more information on Gyokuro. I know I quoted a lot in this blog, but I couldn't have put it in more accurate terms myself. Drink some green tea!! Thanks for reading and check back tomorrow! Happy Friday!