Green Tea Matcha (Premium Grade) 50 g, 25 g

Green Tea Matcha (Premium Grade) – 50 g ($15.99), 25 g ($9.99)

Benefits:
Matcha is a more concentrated form of green tea, partly due to the fact you consume the whole leaf, as well as the different preparation methods used.

Green tea is both a stimulant and an antioxidant with a diversity of healing applications. The polyphenols in green tea are potent antioxidants. Researchers have found that one of the polyphenols, designated epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is over 200 times more powerful than the renowned antioxidant vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals. Also, green tea increases energy, which may make it useful as part of a weight-loss program. Green tea may help prevent cancer as well as cavities. Originally it was used for stomach disorders, migraine, symptoms of fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea. Ayurvedic medicine uses it as a tea for loss of appetite, diarrhea, migraine, heartburn, fever, and fatigue. The Chinese also use it in tea for the same conditions, but also for malaria. Homeopathic remedies are available for cardiac issues (circulation), headaches, states of agitation or depression, and stomach complaints.

Asthma. Theophylline, a chemical found in both green and black tea, is extracted from the leaf of the tea plant. Theophylline relaxes the smooth muscles supporting the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma and bronchitis. Drinking either green or black tea provides theophylline in small doses (0.02 to 0.04 percent), which may not be large enough to affect asthma.

Atherosclerosis and high cholesterol. Green tea lowers blood total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol without side effects. Clinical studies have shown that green tea slows the oxidation of LDL cholesterol into forms that can cause atherosclerotic plaques, although researchers describe this effect as mild. Black tea has a similar effect. In one study, people who drank five or more cups of green tea compared to those who drank one or fewer had a 42 percent less chance of death due to stroke. Even those who drank one cup a day got some benefit, and the benefit increased according to the number of cups consumed.

Breast cancer, endometriosis, fibrocystic breasts. The polyphenols in green tea occupy many of the sites on the exteriors of cells that otherwise would receive estrogen. This keeps the cells from receiving estrogen, reducing the effects of estrogen on the body. This stops estrogen from stimulating growth of cells in breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer. In one study, women in Japan who had long-term high intakes (five cups a day) of green tea had improved prognosis if they developed breast cancer.

Cancer. A number of animal studies have shown that the polyphenols in green tea may offer significant protection against cancers of the pancreas, prostate, urinary tract, head and neck, colon, stomach, lung, and small intestine.

Colorectal cancer and food poisoning. Green tea catechins kill many types of foodborne bacteria, especially Clostridium bacteria, which are associated with colon cancer. Laboratory studies with animals have found that regular consumption of green tea catechins prevents the growth of colorectal tumors.

Diabetes. A couple of human studies have shown that those who consume three cups or more of green tea a day have a 33 percent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who drink less than one per day. Even green tea extracts containing 544 milligrams of polyphenols a day lowered insulin levels in patients with borderline diabetes or diabetes over two months. Other parameters such as blood sugar, inflammatory markers, and insulin resistance did not change.

Genital warts. In two studies involving 1,000 people, green tea was applied as an ointment three times a day and 54 percent of the people had their warts cleared by week sixteen compared to only 35 percent in the placebo group.

Liver disease and gout. Researchers have found that components in green tea are able to protect liver cells in rats when they are exposed to hepatotoxic agents. These compounds help to protect the linings of liver cells from damage from oxygen free radicals released by toxins. In addition, green tea may be helpful for gout, as its polyphenols inhibit the enzyme xanthine oxidase, which is responsible for the buildup of uric acid in the blood. This is how the typical treatment, allopurinol, works.

Periodontal disease. Green tea catechins prevent Streptococcus mutans from forming dental plaque. (This may explain why early Asians cleaned their teeth with whisks of green tea leaves—before the invention of toothpaste.)

Weight loss. Green tea has a fat-burning capability that promotes fat loss and weight loss and prevents or limits weight regain. In one study, subjects took 90 milligrams of green tea polyphenols and 50 milligrams of caffeine three times a day and fat burning increased by 41 percent, and the amount of calories burned by the body increased as well. These benefits were not seen with caffeine alone, so there is something else in green tea that promotes fat burning and hypermetabolism.

Wrinkles. Green tea may protect the skin from the effects of harmful free radicals that can lead to wrinkling. In one study, women who used a 10 percent green tea cream and 300 milligrams of an extract twice a day for eight weeks had improvement in the elasticity of the skin, but so did the women in the placebo group.

Recommended Use
Studies suggest that 3 cups (an amount containing the equivalent of 240 to 320 milligrams of polyphenols) of green tea daily provide protection against cancer. However, other research suggests that as much as 10 cups per day is necessary to obtain noticeable benefits. Tablets and capsules containing standardized extracts of polyphenols, particularly EGCG, some providing 97 percent polyphenol content (equivalent to drinking 4 cups of tea), are available. Green tea also can be used in cream form or made into compresses. (See COMPRESSES in Part Three.)

Mild side effects have been described, such as stomachache and reduced appetite, when taken internally. Care should be taken in those with a weak heart or renal system, thyroid hyperfunction, or who are susceptible to spasms. Infants may develop anemia from taking too much, so young children should not be given green tea. Pregnant women should avoid green tea as well due to its caffeine content (10 to 50 milligrams per cup depending upon the variety and method of brewing). Caffeine passes to an infant in the milk and may cause a baby to sleep poorly, so it should be avoided if you are nursing. You should not take green tea within one hour of taking herbal teas or patent (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines. This avoids diluting the decoction in the stomach or interfering with the medication. This is especially important if you are taking codeine, colchicine, or ephedrine, which may become insoluble in the presence of tannins from green or black tea. Finally, you should not drink green tea if you are using ginseng regularly. Green tea can reduce the effectiveness of ginseng. Black tea is not known to have this effect.

People who are taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors or the blood-thinner warfarin (Coumadin) should not use green tea medicinally. Green tea contains vitamin K, which directly counteracts the blood-thinning action of warfarin. Certain prescription medications increase the stimulant effects of caffeine found in green tea. These include the ulcer drug cimetidine (Tagamet) and antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), enoxacin (Penetrex), and norfloxacin (Noroxin). Combining green tea (or any other beverage that contains caffeine) with these medications could result in overstimulation and insomnia.

Botanical Name: Camellia sinensis
English: Tea
Unani: Chaai, Shaahi, Shaayi Also, known as: Tee, cha, Te, Thé, Chay, Tè, Da, Chai, Sa, The, Chay, Chah, Thaeyilai, Cha-keay
Habitat: Native to Western China
Origin: China
Harvested: Cultivated
Parts Used: Leaves

General Information:
Camellia sinensis, it is an evergreen plant and medium sized woody shrubs. Chinese tea is a much-branched shrub of about 3 to 4 meters high with relatively small to medium leaves. Leaves are oval and pointed at the tip; usually 5-10 cm long, shiny, dark green above. Tea has been cultivated for centuries, beginning in India and China. Today, tea is the most widely-consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. It is believed to have originated somewhere in Southeast Asia and western China. Since recorded history, camellia has been taken as a tea in China. It is being cultivated since so many years now. It is still uncertain that what is exact origin pointed for the tea leaves. There are 3 main varieties of tea, green, black, and oolong. The difference is in how the teas are processed. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants. All the different kinds of tea, including Green, Black, White, Oolong, and Pu-Erh, come from the same plant which is Camellia sinensis. Considering the difference in flavor and fragrance between black and green tea, the fact that these beverages come from the same plant is amazing!

People in Asian countries more commonly consume green and oolong tea while black tea is most popular in the United States. If we talk about other types of tea like white tea, that comes from the new buds that are steamed or dried. On the other hand, Green tea leaves are steamed and dried. Black tea leaves are rolled, fermented, and dried. The oolong tea leaves are partially fermented and dried. These all types of the teas are depending upon how they are fermented. The more the leaves are fermented, the lower the polyphenol content and the higher the caffeine content. Green tea has the highest polyphenol content while black tea has roughly 2 to 3 times the caffeine content of green tea.

 

How to use:
We make these suggestions to help you get the best benefit from the herbs that you’re choosing to improve your health. Also we make these ideas and recommendations so that consuming them easier and better fit into your lifestyle by adding them to the food that you already eat.
For the full health benefit, it is best to consume (or use the whole herb in poultices) the whole herb. All of the compounds in the herb act best together, as nature intends. Extracts draw out the most prominent beneficial compounds and may concentrate them. What is not extracted can be helpful in ways that we do not yet understand.

Cut Pieces or Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use cut pieces or powdered herb.
Food Preparation: You can add powdered or pieces of herb (if the pieces you buy are bigger than you like, a coffee or herb grinder will quickly reduce) to any yogurt, smoothie, apple or other sauces, spreads, salads or other foods more familiar to you that don’t use heat. Heat can be damaging to the beneficial compounds in the herb. Other options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, soup, cookies and anything else that fits your lifestyle, but minimizing (by adding near the end of cooking) the heat is helpful.
Also, for children, you can mix powdered herb with honey or glycerin to make paste. The thicker the paste, the more potent and herbal in taste. The sweet taste of honey and glycerin will help medicine go down. The resulting liquid is called an electuary.
For seeds in general, but especially small seeds, it’s best to grind these to break the protective hulls a short time before consumption. This makes all the benefits available, rather than some remaining locked inside the hulls that are unbroken by insufficient chewing.
To make adding herbs even easier, you could add a week’s worth of your chosen herb(s) to an amount of, for example, yogurt that you would eat in a week. Mix thoroughly and eat this each day of the week. So you make once /week and just eat each other day.
Hot Infusion: The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. The heat from making tea can degrade some of the beneficial compounds in the herb. This method minimizes this effect. For the full health benefit, it is recommended to consume what is left over after making tea.
Decoctions: Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water, Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes with the pot covered. Squeeze out as much as liquid as possible. Best practice is to drink the liquid and also consume the solid material that remains. Herb pieces can also be used.
Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use powdered herb.
Capsules: HerbsCrafters makes capsules guaranteed to be filled with the pure herb with no filler or any other products. You can also use powdered herb to make your own capsules at home. These capsules are best taken with liquid to aid in digestion and absorption and to ensure it doesn’t stick in your throat.
Poultice: Poultice can be made with an herbal powder and liquid (mostly water) to form a paste which is then applied to the skin. This method is very helpful for skin conditions.
Herbal shot: Powdered herb can be mixed with water, fruit juice or other liquid to make herbal shot.

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder or licorice root powder.

Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purpose ONLY.
This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.