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Green Tea    Black Tea 

Benefits of Green and Black
Surveys conducted in Japan show that people who consumed green tea had much lower incidence of stomach, liver, pancreatic, breast, lung, esophageal and skin cancers. The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. 

Green tea may prevent cancer in the following ways:
Protecting cells against mutation from cancer causing agents
Protecting against free radical damage
Protecting against cellular damage from ionizing radiation
Green tea may protect against cardiovascular diseases by:
Inhibiting abnormal clotting inside vessels
Reducing total cholesterol and elevation of HDL cholesterol
Reducing high blood pressure by inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme
Inhibiting oxidation of LDL cholesterol in the lining of the arterial wall
Green tea has also demonstrated an ability to reduce blood glucose levels, inhibit bacteria and viruses, and act as a powerful antioxidant.

Making a Great cup of Tea
Herbal Teas:
  (Infusions) Take 1 to 2 tablespoons of the herb that is being infused and place into a re-useable teabag, or a non metallic tea strainer. Place the teabag into a  glass or porcelain container that has a lid.  Bring  8 ounces of water to a boil.  Once the water has come to a boil pour the water  into the contain that has the tea bag in it and cover for 1 - 5 minutes.  Covering the cup keeps the volatile oils potent until ready to drink.  The reason the difference in time depends upon whether it is leaf, stems,  or seeds. 

DARJEELING
Black Tea
North India
3-5 minutes
Delicate, slightly astringent flavor.
ASSAM
Black Tea
North India
3-5 minutes
Full-bodied with a rich, smooth, malty flavor. If you have never tried this tea before....you are really missing something.
CEYLON
Black Tea
Sri Lanka
3-5 minutes
Brisk, full flavor with a bright color
A wonderful taste for the Savvy tea drinker.
EARL GREY
Black Tea
China (sometimes a blend of China and Darjeeling)
3-5 minutes
Flavored with the natural oil of citrus bergamot fruit.  Ah!, if you are a Star Trek fan, this is what Captain Pacard orders, from the replicater.
OOLONG
Partially Fermented
China and Taiwan
5-7 minutes
Subtle, delicate, lightly flavored tea
Oolong is the tea that is usually served at Chinese Restaurants.
GUNPOWDER
Green Tea
China    3-5 minutes A clear amber liquor with a sweet aroma and a pungent taste
The reason this tea is called Gun powder, is because the leaves are rolled into small pellet looking balls.
ROOIBOS
Specialty Tea
South Africa 2-4 minutes Rooibos has captured the sun's energy and the soil's nutrients and given them to us in the form of the vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, enzymes, and most especially the enzyme superoxide dismutase, (SOD)  which appears to be the prime scavenger of free radicals.
TEA
When the word tea is mention what comes to mind?   Black Tea?   Green Tea?   Oolong Tea?   Herbal Tea?  Medicinal Tea?   All green, black and oolong teas come from thea sinensis, an evergreen shrub.   The kind of tea produced is defined by the method in which the leaves are processed.  Green tea is the first tender leaves of spring that are picked, partially dried, rolled, steamed, crushed and dried again with hot air.   Oolong tea leaves have been allowed to semi ferment for an hour.   Black teas are slightly dried, rolled on tile and fermented for 3 hours to strengthen the bouquet and flavor, yet reduce the bitterness.   Names like oolong, black or jasmine tea refer to how the tea was processed.   Names such as Assam, Darjeeling, or Ceylon refer to the country or region when the tea was grown.   Names such as pekoe, orange pekoe refer to the leaf size. 

Tea is enjoyed by people all over the world.   Whether the it is green tea, that is brewed perfectly before the taste of the tea turns bitter, or the rich aroma of the black tea that has been steeped to the precise color of  golden brown to insure that the taste is superior, and luxurious.  Herbals teas are renown for their medicinal properties as well as their fragrance.

Tea is versatile and the taste can be changed simply by adding milk, honey, Stevia, or a slice of lemon peel to the tea.

Green Tea
Green Tea Benefits - Green tea contains antioxidants, polyphenols, theanine, as well as a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals.

Polyphenols - Polyphenols are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in green tea, and have been associated with heart disease and cancer prevention. The slight astringent, bitter taste of green tea is attributed to polyphenols.

Catechins - Catechins are a category of polyphenols. In green tea, catechins are present in significant quantities, more specifically; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins – with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.

Tannins - A group of simple and complex phenol, polyphenol, and flavonoid compounds, bound with starches, and often so amorphous that they are classified as tannins simply because at some point in degradation they are astringent and contain variations on gallic acid. Produced by plants, tannins are generally protective substances found in the outer and inner tissues. All of the tannins are relatively resistant to digestion or fermentation, and either decrease the ability of animals to easily consume the living plant, or, as in deciduous trees, cause shed parts of the plant to decay so slowly that there is little likelihood of infection to the living tree from rotting dead material around its base. All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting structural proteins in the skin and mucosa.

Black Tea

Tea leaves contain a number of unique compounds in significantly high levels. Included among them are flavonoids and phytochemicals. Flavonoids have long been know to have anti-oxidant properties which prevent cell damage thought to contribute to more than 50 diseases. Flavonoids also appear to inhibit the formation of blood clots, thus reducing the risk of stroke, and help prevent oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (the "bad" cholesterol), which can damage arteries. Both black and green tea may help prevent certain kinds of cancer, including breast, colon and lung cancer by detoxifying cancer-causing agents.

  • Carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, has antioxidant and protective properties.
  • Thiamin (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2) are both essential for releasing energy from food.
  • Nicotinic acid and pantothenic acid are necessary for the release of energy from fat and carbohydrate.
  • Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is essential for a healthy immune system.
  • Vitamin B6 is involved in the metabolism of proteins
  • Black tea also affects the bacterial enzyme glucosyltranferase which is responsible for converting sugars into the sticky matrix material that plaque uses to adhere to teeth
Green The Leaves are spread out on floors or racks and allowed to wilt for a few hours. Then they are then heated to remove moisture and to stop the oxidation process. The leaves are then left to dry until a small amount of moisture remains. Green teas have long been enjoyed for their health-giving qualities as well as their unique and often subtle flavor. Interestingly, the aroma and taste can be quite different from one another. The color of the liquor can range from a bright jade green to a pale yellow and is best when drink without any additions.
 
Oolong Combining elements of green and black tea processes, Oolong tea is semi-fermented, that is, moisture are kept within the leaves for a longer period of time than the green tea leaves. After wilting, the usually larger, older leaves are carefully rolled around on rattan trays in order to "bruise" their outer edge. The black outer and green inner parts of the leaf give this tea its characteristic qualities. The flavor is usually a light brown and can sometimes reveal a slight fruity taste. Some high grade Oolong leaves can even be brewed up to 10 times without fading in flavor.
 
Black Taking up to ten separate steps to process, black tea is fully fermented leaves and is also referred to as red tea for the dark reddish color of their brew. The leaves start out whole but are usually broken or torn during processing. Taste can range from slightly fruity to pungently smoky and are sometimes taken with milk, sugar, lemon or other additives.