The Most Important Components of the TEA PLANT

Guest Written By: Venus Fatima Reed

From Asia to the West, green tea has become a staple in many pantries all over the world. It is consumed in various forms, from loose leaf tea to trendy desserts. The growing popularity of green tea is owed to its medicinal properties. Among its many benefits, green tea can aid in weight loss, improve mental alertness, and reduce the risk of certain illnesses.

But green tea is a nutritional powerhouse because of what is in it. Read on for some of green tea’s most important components and why it lives up to its promise as a superfood.

1. Catechins

Don’t be put off by its name, catechins are actually good for you. These are organic compounds that occur in many dietary ingredients, such as berries, cacao, and green tea of course! Much of the benefits of green tea actually come from catechins, such as faster metabolism, higher energy, and lower risk of heart disease. The main benefit though, according to a study published in BioMed Research International, are the antimicrobial properties. Researchers state that the catechins found in green tea helps reduce the risk of infections and diseases. They also show a lot of promise in the field of drug development!

2. Antioxidants

Green tea is consumed in various forms — even your morning coffee could have some of it! A review of Lean ’n Green Coffee by Pretty Me states that green tea, one of its main ingredients, is very high in antioxidants which has been linked with lowering the risk of various illnesses. These include cancer, heart disease, and stroke. These substances are effective in removing toxins from the body, which are compounds that cause harm in various ways. Aside from increasing your risk of diseases, toxins have also been found to speed up the aging process and drinking green tea can help slow it down.

FRESH TEA LEAVES are especially high in antioxidants. Millennia TEA uses a patented PICK, WASH, FREEZE method to preserve the powerful antioxidants that are typically lost during the processing of traditional dried green teas. One cup of Millennia TEA contains 5 x the antioxidants of dried green tea. Because the leaves are never cooked or dried, they are certified food grade and contain 15 x the antioxidants when consumed.

3. L-Theanine

Although L-theanine is not an amino acid, it’s not a protein compound. That means guzzling green tea can’t actually help you build muscle. However, this chemical found in different types of tea works out a different type of muscle (technically, an organ): the brain. Studies show that L-theanine boosts concentration as well as cognitive skills like alertness and reaction times. It can also help you relax, which can benefit the quality of your sleep.

4. Caffeine

If you’re trying to limit your caffeine intake but would like some of its benefits, you should try switching to green tea. Our ‘Caffeine Content: How Coffee, Tea & Fresh Tea Steep Up!’ article outlines that there’s 28.8 mg of caffeine in the tea compared to 96 mg of caffeine found in your average brewed coffee. Coupled with green tea’s other benefits, caffeine has been found to boost mental and physical performance — as long as your intake is regulated, of course!

5. Vitamins & Minerals

Green tea is rich in vitamins and minerals. These include Vitamin C, which is key to keeping the immune system strong, Vitamin B2 for keeping your energy high, and Vitamin E which promotes good skin and eye health. In terms of minerals, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and manganese can be found in the tea. A list of microminerals by News-Medical.Net explains that these are good for strengthening the bones, maintaining electrolytes, and healing wounds.

Green tea may be a simple ingredient, but it is packed with substances that promote your overall health. To gain those health benefits, check out Millennia TEA’s range of green teas!

Guest Written by Venus Fatima Reed