What You Should Know About the Green Tea Leaf

Chinese folklore states that the green tea leaf was discovered by accident almost 4,000 years ago. Today Traditional Chinese Medicine uses green tea to treat such ailments as aches, pains, headaches, minor gastrointestinal disorders and depression. Of course, green tea has also been used to detoxify the body, to enhance the immune system, to energize the body and to prolong life.

Take a Green Tea Leaf for You Health

The majority of tea products are derived from 1 plant. However, there are differences between tea products. This is because of how each specific type of tea is prepared. While both black and oolong tea are fermented, green tea is not.

Therefore, the active ingredients that are found within the green tea leaf are able to remain in the herb. The green tea leaf actually contains numerous chemical compounds, minerals, vitamins, volatile oils and essential nutrients. However, the primary compounds that are believed to provide green tea with its health and medicinal effects are polyphenols.

Health Benefits Derived From the Green Tea Leaf

There are many medicinal effects that can be derived from the green tea leaf. Most studies have suggested that green tea can actually lower your cholesterol levels and reduce the amounts of harmful LDL cholesterol that are in your body. These same studies also suggest that green tea can increase your cardiovascular health by making your blood platelets less sticky.

Another health benefit that is derived from the green tea leaf is its ability to inhibit cancer. Studies have shown that the chemicals that are found in green tea leaf is actually very effective at inhibiting the spread of melanoma cells.

Of course, there is caffeine in green tea. This will stimulate your central nervous system, while stopping you from having diarrhea. Whenever you take green tea in moderation, it will settle your stomach but it does have \mild stimulant effects. Therefore, you are not going to want to take green tea in excess because then it will cause you to have insomnia and digestive problems.

The Correct Dosage and Administration of the Green Tea Leaf

While there are no conclusive dosage recommendations available for green tea, a lot of people recommend drinking 3 cups of green tea each day. However, there is some research that suggests that you should drink as much as 10 cups of green tea each day in order for you to be able to receive enough of it to make a noticeable increase in your health.