The health benefits of tea have been known to the Chinese for thousands of years.  In Japan, tea drinking was made widespread by Eisai (1141 – 1215), the founder of Japanese Zen Buddhism. He brought back some tea seeds from China and experimented with growing and making green tea.

What is in green tea that makes it so special?

Japanese green tea is very rich in polyphenols.  (The amount and the effects of the polyphenols contained in green tea are much higher than in black tea.)  Polyphenols are the most effective antioxidants of all.  Antioxidants fight against cancer, heart disease, stroke, aging, diabetes, lowering LDL cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, thrombosis, dementia, weight gain, tooth decay, acne, constipation, bad breath, and the list goes on. 

There are many types of polyphenols.  The most powerful polyphenols are called catechins and were discovered in 1970 in Shizuoka, Japan.  Catechins are unique to green tea and there are five major types, Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) being the most potent and effective of all.  Numerous studies have proven the fact that EGCG is extremely effective in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, and a recent study in Japan shows that EGCG helps prevent metastases of cancer, particularly breast cancer and lung cancer.  Today, many scientists from all over the world agree that EGCG has the potential to change the whole approach to cancer prevention and treatments in the future.

What Other Things are in Green Tea? (Is there caffeine in green tea?)

Green tea contains caffeine, tannin, vitamin C, iron, zinc, magnesium, and traces of other minerals and many more additional constituents.

The quantitative proportions of these active green tea elements vary depending on the area of cultivation (climate, altitude, etc.) and the timing of the harvest (growth stage of the leaf).

For those who are concerned about caffeine, the rule is “the younger the leaves are, the greater the amount of caffeine they contain”. Amongst Japanese green teas, gyokuro (the top grade tea leaves) has the highest amount of caffeine.  However, green tea has approximately 1/3 of the caffeine found in black tea and 1/6 of the caffeine found in coffee.

One important factor, when considering caffeine in green tea, is the presence of “theanine (a type of amino acid)” that can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain.  Japanese green tea contains the most theanin.  Theanine has psychoactive properties.  It has been proved to reduce mental and physical stress and also may produce feelings of relaxation and improves cognition and mood when taken in combination with caffeine preventing the usual “caffeine fix” effect of other beverages.

A Suggested Method for Reducing Caffeine
Using water of the correct temperature (please see the Making of Japanese Green Tea page), steep the tea leaves for 20 to 30 seconds and discard the resulting tea.  Then make the tea as instructed in the Making of Japanese Green Tea page.

(This is a suggested method and no claims are made for the amount of caffeine removed in this process.)

Why is Japanese Green Tea Different from Other Teas?

All tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant.  What makes Japanese green tea different from other teas lies in the way the leaves are processed after harvest.  For black tea and oolong tea, the picked leaves are exposed to the air and crushed and left to ferment.  Black tea is completely fermented and oolong tea is half fermented.  For Japanese green tea, there is no fermentation process at all.  In fact, the leaves are steamed immediately after harvesting to stop the fermentation and oxidisation process.  (The actual steaming time is 25 to 70 seconds.)  After steaming, the leaves are dried.  The drying process takes about five hours.

The fact that Japanese green tea leaves are not fermented at all makes all the difference, leaving all the good elements intact and alive so that they can perform all sorts of wonderful and beneficial activities in your body.

How Many Cups a Day Should I Drink to Get the Benefits?

The average person in Shizuoka in Japan drinks more than 10 cups of green tea a day.  The population of Shizuoka has one of the lowest rates of cancer in the world which has prompted studies and research into the link between green tea consumption and the resulting lowered rates of cancer and other health benefits.  The recommended amount of consumption of green tea per day is varied and studies show that it depends on the individual.  There are several things to take into consideration when talking about the daily amount of tea consumption; cost, accessibility, and personal preference, etc.  So, after looking at these factors, here are some general recommendations.  If you are already a Japanese green tea drinker, we recommend you take three to five cups a day.  If you are consuming more, that is great, keep it going and do not change.  If you are new to green tea, our recommendation is to start with two to three cups a day.  We also recommend trying it in the morning.  It will provide a gentle lift along with all the health benefits.  But the most important reason of all for drinking Japanese green tea should be your enjoyment of its flavour.  It is truly a beautiful tea, so whatever amount you drink, we sincerely hope that you enjoy and savour the taste of your every cup.

All information used on this page is based on the research of various published records and studies.  We are not responsible for any inaccuracy.  We do not guarantee the above mentioned health benefits will provide sufficient prevention (protection) of any illness or disease for every person.

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