The Origins of Green Tea

Until the recent understanding that green tea is extremely good for your health, black tea has been the tea of choice in the west. Although black tea has some health benefits, it contains nowhere near the amount of antioxidants found in green tea. Black tea is also higher in caffeine content.

It is said that the Chinese emperor Sheng-nong discovered in 2737 B.C. that the leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant could be used for making tea. The emperor was boiling water one day next to this plant, when a few of the leaves fell into the water. Much to his surprise he found it tasted good!

Even though Britain, by far, is the most famous tea drinking country in the west, the Dutch are actually attributed with being the first nation to export tea to the west. The Dutch East India Company sent the first shipment of tea to Europe in 1606. It was a big hit, so by 1610 the Dutch were shipping tea back home on a regular basis.

There is, unfortunately, no way to escape these free radicals. They are natural byproducts of necessary chemical reactions that go on in the body all the time. It is only a problem when we don’t have a high enough antioxidant intake to counter them.

Siddhartha carried the leaves and seeds with him throughout his travels, eventually bringing them to Japan. The monks there embraced the tea and also used it for their meditation practices to help keep them focused. Eventually this practice of drinking green tea became an art in Japan, evolving into the famous Japanese tea ceremony.

It is possible that both these stories are independently true, they both evolved in close but still different geographical regions. However the very first record of tea consumption dates back to around 60 B.C. The Chinese poet Wang Pao (who served the Chinese emperor at that time) wrote about green tea in a slave’s contract called ‘Tan Yuch’.

The good news is that one average brewed cup of green tea provides about 1250 ORAC units. So four cups per day will provide you with the daily suggested amount of ORAC units. You can also buy green tea extract that can supply 5000 units or more in just one capsule.

Today green tea has become very popular as a health drink. Research has shown that green tea can help us lose weight by speeding up the metabolism. It is also high in antioxidants that can help to prevent cancer and heart disease.

Joseph Edwards enjoys writing about and drinking tea, especially green tea! He is also an advocate of green living, and, well, all things green! For more information about green tea visit Green Tea Benefits .