I Adore Green Tea

It was 3 AM in the morning, I was barely alive. I was not tired enough to fall asleep just yet. In this post, I wanna inform you about something I adore very much. Lately, I just wanna to write something but instead of I have no idea, I was just confused how to pack the story into the word, I lost my word suddenly haha (maybe karena kebanyakan nganggur kali yah ini otaknya). I don't know why but tiba-tiba aja pagi buta gini ngidam Starbucks green tea frappuccino, the effect of its photo on my facebook friend's timeline, the effect of foods-shared-on sosmed-syndrome. This was the reason why I wrote this post. Yeah, green tea, I adore green tea very much and much. I'm green tea dinker.

The taste of green tea make me feel like 'love at the first sight'. I remembered when I've drink it for the first time in the coffee cafe named Starbucks, I ordered frappuccino green tea with white cream. Starbucks was famous with its coffee, but instead I ordered a drink of tea. I felt in love with this tea at the first taste. So, I googled and read some articles about green tea. But recently I decided to look into it a bit deeper and see what are all these other benefits of green tea people talk of.

Tea is considered the most consumed beverage in the world behind water, however 78% of the tea consumed worldwide is black and only about 20% is green. Green tea is a tea name made from the leaves of the tea (Carmellia sinensis) which is picked and heated to prevent oxidation or brewed the dried tea leaves. Green tea contains the most antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols. Commonly, there are 8 types of green tea based on the article I've read.

1. Gyokuro - From high class leaves tea called Tencha, the color is hijau pucat yang keluar dari daun teh dan mempunyai aroma yang sangat harum.
2. Matcha - High quality green tea which is grounded into powder and used for tea ceremony, fragrant aroma used for flavoring any foods.
3. Sencha - Green tea which commonly taken daily, made from tea leaves that are left exposed sunlight.
4. Genmaicha - This tea is made from the Bancha tea mixed with the rice.
5. Kabusecha - This tea was covered for several time from the sunlight before harvested. 
6. Bancha - Coarse tea made ​​from the second harvest time between summer and autumn. Tea leaves for this tea usually larger than Sencha tea leaves and the aroma is not so fragrant.
7. Hojicha - Roasted tea from frying pan or oven.
8. Kukicha - Low quality green tea from the tea leaves mixed with the its stalk.

I have just tasted 2 of 8 types from the list above, Matcha and Sencha. Both of them punya rasa dan aroma yang hampir sama, Matcha is bitter than Sencha, my opinion. 

Green tea has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, originating in China but widely used throughout Asia this beverage has a multitude of uses from lowering blood pressure to preventing cancer. The reason that green tea has more health benefits attached to it than black tea is (apparently) due to the processing. 

Here’s a list of some of its amazing benefits, off course benefits that you may not have been aware of. But, some of these benefits are still being debated according to this article.

• Weight Loss. Green tea increases the metabolism. The polyphenol found in green tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
• Diabetes. Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. This can prevent high insulin spikes and resulting fat storage.
• Heart Disease. Scientists think, green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks.
• Esophageal Cancer. It can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, but it is also widely thought to kill cancer cells in general without damaging the healthy tissue around them.
• Cholesterol. Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
• Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells.
• Tooth Decay. Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions
• Blood Pressure. Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
• Depression. Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect and be a great benefit to tea drinkers.
• Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial. Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer. In some studies green tea has been shown to inhibit the spread of many diseases.
• Skincare. Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that green tea applied topically can reduce sun damage.

There are little to no known side effects or contraindications to drinking green tea for adults. Those with severe caffeine sensitivities could experience insomnia, anxiety, irritability, nausea or upset stomach. And maybe this is one of the reason which caused my insomnia syndrome at the college some times ago, secara dulu sering banget mengkonsumsi green tea hampir-secara-rutin.

I love all drinks and foods containing green tea or green tea flavor even for the taste of ice cream or jar once. Beside I love the taste, I thank God for its benefits.

References:
http://mycampinaicecream.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/fakta-green-tea-dalam-seningreentea-10-okt-2011/
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/11-benefits-of-green-tea-that-you-didnt-know-about.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269538.php

Green tea adorer,

Dewi Lestari Natalia.

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