Experience Report: Flu

In directionally rotating cold, runny nose and even the beginnings of a flu or flu-like infections is recommended green tea, specifically here especially the variety Sencha, infuse with 100 instead of the usual 60 degree water, and to draw two minutes.

Eva K. from B. wrote to me effect of green tea:

"I was already troubled when waking from abdominal pain, dizziness and weakness and could feel my immune system was becoming weaker.

For me these are usually unmistakable signs that the flu or a stomach virus looming, which would probably put me out of action for at least a week.

I started the internet for home remedies to seek against flu virus and was not much but satisfying. Then I remembered the some page and remember that was described here, when you could with what effect what drink green tea. And exactly that number of degrees had to have the water in which application you should drink green tea which kind and how often it was recommended on the day.

I read across the page very nicely decorated. Came to reach an excellent overview of the different varieties of green and white tea and its applications, the combat of diseases to lose weight with green tea and finally came across the crucial clue.

In directionally rotating cold, runny nose and even the beginnings of a flu or flu-like infections is recommended green tea, specifically here especially the variety Sencha, infuse with 100 instead of the usual 60 degree water, and to draw two minutes. The tea then acts probably stronger antibacterial and antiviral and is one of the few resources that can be effectively used against an approaching flu virus. Go to the doctor so my experience helps a little, as they can help with antibiotics only for bacterial causes.

After I had two days twice 0.5l green sencha brewed with 100 degree and drunk, I was already much stronger after three days almost healthy. The green tea had thus saved me the week usually need to again be on the legs.

For me, the side GREEN TEA has since become one of my favorite pages look for the effects and applications of green tea. "

Green Tea Studies

Green tea studies: a variety of worldwide clinical studies points to the positive effects of green tea for the prevention of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Effect of Green Tea

About the high health effects of green tea exist historically been for thousands of years knowledge and lore, see the history of green tea . Originally drank the green tea mainly because of the growing-making and stimulating effect, but also because of its numerous other effects. Only later joined the special taste and be ausprägende tea culture and refinement as well as the social significance in the foreground.

Clinical studies on green tea

Clinical studies have been conducted on the effect of green tea in Japan, especially since the 70s. This is in view of the cultural and economic significance and the extremely high consumption of no particular surprise.In the last 10-20 years, clinical studies in the U.S., China and Europe and many other countries are now also grown and made ​​in large numbers. Overall, the number of scientific studies on the tea plant Camellia sinensis, or the effects of green tea is likely to several thousand have grown. So that the green tea may be one of the most studied medicinal plants worldwide and yet I am of the opinion that so far only a fraction of the complex active ingredients and contexts has been identified. In view of so many of this positive study results, it is very surprising to me that the tea plant is not much more targeted and used in numerous diseases with healing. An even stronger remedy would be the green tea for health prevention (prevention).

Studies on the catechin EGCG 

The research seems to focus mainly on the effect of catechins, especially the EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), which make headlines around since the 80s in recent years. EGCG is also often called the "main ingredient" of green tea called, what I consider, however, jumped as much too short. Focusing on the ECGC should not be modified because the catechin substances can be extracted as green tea extract and market them as dietary supplements and in many studies showed very positive effects in various diseases and in prevention. But unfolds the green (steamed) tea in my view his greatest health effect in the interaction of all the ingredients and preparation at optimal and high quality. Only in this interaction, the so-valuable catechins to their full advantage. " In summary it can be said that the experimental and epidemiologic data strongly indicate a positive effect of green tea for the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. In addition to the polyphenols (catechins), other green tea components exert a salutary effect, which is why the whole system "Green Tea" is preferable to the individual ingredients. "(Dr, Matthias H. Kreuter and Dr. Marco I. Netsch - Alpinia Landanum Institute of Phytopharmaceutical Sciences AG, CH - in Peter Oppliger, Green Tea, AT Verlag, 2010, pp. 79). 

Appear so frequently press articles about new studies on the effect of green tea, while these studies are actually "only" the isolated action of individual catechins tried. I think this is partly misleading and is reminiscent of similar issues in the study of other popular mono-substances, such as vitamin C and coenzyme Q10, whose isolated and taking action is not without controversy today. Furthermore, in most studies that are available to me on the subject, little or no information on the exact composition of green tea, or better production and Aufbrauen or use of green tea extract given. At what temperature and in which process the tea or extract is produced? Was steamed or roasted green tea used for? What is the quality and what type of tea or tea plant which has been used in the investigation? Of these questions are crucial for the heal generic quality of green tea.

But I do not want to make with these embodiments, the positive effect of catechins in question. Quite the contrary. From my perspective, they actually provide an important pillar of the ingredients of green tea from a health perspective dar. also obtained as the extract, they have in powder form or as capsules absolutely justified and their place in the food supplement. In concentrated and high-dose form, they have excellent properties to prevent certain health problems, or to promote their healing.

Funding of scientific studies

A basic problem in the financing of studies on green tea provides, according to scientists at an international conference on "Tea and Health" of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch in October 2011, the relatively low interest of pharmaceutical industry dar. addition, no public funding for first pilot studies would usually be available. Despite this difficult situation, numerous studies because of the great scientific interest worldwide further carried out, including in Germany. For example, the team of Professor Erich Wanker (MDC) in 2006 had demonstrated positive effects of EGCG in Huntington's disease and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's in 2008 (effect on protein misfolding processes). Currently, investigations are ongoing in several degenerative diseases.

Green Tea with Milk, Sugar and Honey?

Green tea is pure or with additions of equally healthy? Milk, sugar, sweeteners and honey inhibit the major polyphenols / catechins in green tea, vitamin C may even improve the bioavailability.

Drink pure green tea

In the 7th Century AD writes the "father of green tea" Lu Yu in the first book about the history of the Cha Ching green tea that green tea without additions (honey, flavors, etc.) should always be drunk pure. This had not only aesthetic or taste reasons, but was the health effect due. And so it is mostly held today in China and Japan.

It is questionable why a green tea should be at all, mixed with ingredients such as lemon, sugar, honey or milk. If the goal is to be the flavor improvement, then the connoisseurs of high-quality green tea, theproperly prepared and was pulled with the right water, its little excited. Such tea tastes neither too bitter nor too "thin" to him and also has no fishy taste to some rumored. On the contrary, he has a variety of extremely fine and rich flavors, so that he would lose with every ingredient to its high quality and depth. That being said, it is important to understand the interactions of possible additions to the active ingredients of green tea, and to understand that he only unfolds its full effect on health in pure form. 

Milk in green tea

By the addition of milk in green tea is clearly inadvisable. The same goes for drinking milk or eating dairy products in the near time interval to the green tea. Caseins in milk decrease the concentration of catechins as major (EC, EGC, ECG, EGCG) in the prepared tea water. This was also supported by a study by cardiologists of the Berlin Charité (Prof. Verena Stangl) in 2006 found that was published in the European Heart Journal (2007, 28, pp. 219-223): "In the present study, we found a Particular, selective decrease in the Concentrations of a number of catechins after Centrifugation of freshly brewed tea with milk Compared with tea without milk, Which Suggests complex formation between catechins and milk proteins ".

It is therefore in my view recommended milk at least 10-20 minutes before and after omitting the enjoyment of tea.

Sugar, honey and sweet substances in green tea

On the harmful effects of sugar, but also of sweeteners in the diet has been reported much in the literature (metabolism, intestinal mucosa, immune system, tooth decay). For this reason alone, the addition of sweet substances in green tea is not recommended. But more importantly, there is the problem that, according to my kinesiology testing, sugar and sweeteners, including honey, the effect of polyphenols in green tea significantly reduced and in some cases even completely cancels. Green tea should therefore always be drunk without such additions.

Strainer for Prepartion of Green Tea

For the preparation of green tea a stainless steel tea strainer with proper Maschigkeit and 2 handles is ideal. Alternatively Kyusus offer an integrated strainer.

Green tea can be drawn correctly

The correct preparation of green tea plays a very important role in the taste and health benefits. Green tea should be used only for exactly the recommended steeping time in contact with the water. Thereafter, it is recommended to quickly pour the water into the teacups. The leaves may not be in the water, you want to, that the second infusion manage. Furthermore, also applies that the tea while dragging have as much space and can move in water should.  

The built-in strainer in the kyusu 

Traditionally, Japanese teapots made ​​of clay, called kyusu , meet all these requirements and have been designed specifically for the green tea. They offer tea enough room to breathe and have an integrated medium-fine strainer at Kannenausguß. This allows the tea to be poured directly and without delay from the pot into the cup. The leaves can then, without water, remain on the next infusion in the kyusu.Kyusus are particularly beautiful, practical, and the material can taste the sound of Japanese tea connoisseurs even finer and more harmonious.

The ideal tea strainer from a health perspective 

From a health perspective, it is ideal if the tea leaves give off as many small particles suspended in the water. At the same medium and larger particles should be filtered according to the time drawing from the water. All this is best achieved with a screen that can rotate in the water and that has the proper pore size. After some searching on the market, we have to find a stainless steel screen that has the right Maschigkeit. In addition, it has two handles so that it can be easily placed on the vessel, or, ideally, to a transparent glass. Such a strainer may be short at the beginning and then in the last 45 seconds of the infusion with loose short jerk of the wrist up and down "beaten", so that a maximum number of healthy small suspended particles found in the water. It should be slightly elongated and thus reach deep enough into the vessel. At the same time it must provide sufficient volume so that the leaves can swim freely. The stainless steel material is recommended because it is energetically somewhat neutral and can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

Paper filters are way too closely and is therefore not recommended in general.

Green Tea Brewing Time

Green tea brewing time: How long should draw green tea for the health effects? At what time pulling the green tea is stimulating and soothing when?

Preparation and extraction time

The brewing time is one of the basic factors in the preparation of green tea . Assuming it is steamed green tea from Japan, so green tea, the (mainly China) leg still holds in contrast to the roasted tea all active ingredients, the compliance with the following tips from my experience very worthwhile.

Golden Rule steeping time for tea:

As a general rule, in my view, for all the upscale green tea varieties with desired health effect:

• Exactly two minutes can be drawn.
  
  
• Exceptions: 
  Very fresh, tender green tea, such as flight-Shincha - better leave here draw only 90 seconds. 
  A strong anti-inflammatory action: 9-10 minutes brewing time and water temperature of 80 degrees Celsius brew. 

Necessarily Swivel the screen before the end of the infusion period

Particularly important is: the right screen (right mesh size) use. I also highly recommend, in the last 15-20 seconds of steeping time, the screen to pan vigorously in the water so that the airborne sound better than going into the water. The tea should be a strong green color and form a rich cloud of particles. This is my experience with a freely suspended in a clear tea strainer with handle 0.5 liter glass very well.

Brewing time - Stimulating versus reassuring

Frequently I hear that green tea is not as well tolerated in the evening, because it contains too much caffeine and working too stimulating. This topic is very complex and I think it is usually considered too simplistic. In my experience, is generally either an incorrect preparation (especially for long draw time and high water temperature), the use of a low-quality teas (roasted?) Or even a health problem before, if the theine to stimulating and disturbing in the body effect. I personally can, for example, late at night or drink a lot of green tea, without a stimulating effect of caffeine to feel and notice no difference in the sleep or sleep. In addition, let me say that in my view, even (especially L-Theanine) unfolds bound to the tannins of green tea caffeine in combination with certain amino acids, a particularly advantageous effect on health. Nevertheless, under certain circumstances, and you should be careful the risks and side effects very carefully.

Basically, after about 1-2 minutes of infusion, the caffeine of the tea leaves is almost completely gone into the water. It does not help to shorten the infusion time up to a minute if you wanted to avoid the caffeine. And shortening under one minute mean that hardly any other healthy substances into the tea. Conversely, dissolve by a longer brewing time more tannins from the tea leaves. After about 2 minutes, this happens even on a larger scale. These tannins bind the caffeine and change its action in the human body. Instead go directly into the body through the stomach, the caffeine in green tea is taken only through the intestines.

The general rule to be read, so that one should leave the green tea steep longer to achieve a calming effect, so basically taken correctly. In my view, however, are indeed more tannins bound by an infusion over 2 minutes, the caffeine can bind more strongly, however, by the optimum health of the drug mix will be missed. In particular, the interaction is disrupted with the amino acids (especially L-theanine) that make the caffeine in green tea tolerated. And so far that I highly advise against it.

Optimization of the active ingredient statement by the drawing time

The duration of pulling decides - in addition to the temperature of the water - mainly about whether a drug optimum width and depth can be transferred from the tea into the water. Colloquially one could say: Whether the best and most can be extracted from the tea.

It always is a compromise that you have to find and optimize. For long periods it is possible to pull my observation to extract active ingredients from the tea leaf, which can be slightly or not mobilize at short infusion time. The same applies vice versa. It is not so much that materials decompose or damaged each other would connect (this actually happens, but to a small extent). Rather, it is in my experience, to achieve an optimal Wirkstoffmix for the health effects. One of the main findings is - in my view - that the individual ingredients (monosubstances) represent less than the sum of the whole. The greatest effect on health is achieved through the complexity of the agents as a whole, as a package. And here it all depends on the optimization of this package, which is my kinesiology testing after reaching drawing temperature in the above two minutes brewing time, with vigorous swinging of the screen in the last 45 seconds, and at 50-60 degrees Celsius can.

Drawing times in the literature and the manufacturer

It is striking that in the literature very different brewing times for the green tea are recommended. A good overview is like the World Tea Association, which recommends the infusion time for high quality Sencha to 2 minutes, but advises for best Gyokuro to 150 seconds, and Bancha for only 30 seconds.

Source: World Tea Association

The manufacturers of the individual teas deliver almost always with specific recommendations for the brewing time and the temperature in the Teepackung. However, at this point I would like to emphasize that in my view, from a health point of view basically two minutes brewing time are optimal.

Right temperature for the preparation

In addition to the brewing time, the right water temperature is the most important factor in the preparation of green tea. I also recommend here to learn exactly about the background.

Green Tea - and Caffeine Steeping Time

Reduce caffeine content in green tea by shorter or longer steeping time? Tips in Dealing with caffeine sensitivity to green tea.

Sensitivity to caffeine in green tea

Is an increased sensitivity to caffeine in green tea before, with symptoms such as nausea, nervousness, can not sleep, etc., many people first think only of how you could reduce the caffeine content and inquire about the caffeine content in mg for the various teas. Usually disregarded is the consideration of whether the symptoms could not make a fundamental physical problem or a disease significantly. This is usually the case in my view, provided that the tea was cooked properly and is not polluted. Of course you should leave diseases and problems treated by an experienced doctor or medical practitioner.

Reduce caffeine in green tea

In addition, I recommend to make the Teeverzehr and thus reduce the negative symptoms disappear completely as possible. In this paper, caffeine in green tea reduce you to find the most important tips.

Reduce caffeine by steeping time?

A frequently asked question is whether it is possible and useful to reduce the caffeine in the green tea infusion period. The answer is no unfortunately both. This is suggested in my view for the following reasons:

1. The caffeine dissolves relatively quickly in water. After only about 30 seconds brew time, a significant portion is converted into water, but very few other valuable substances. The optimal health benefits taking into account all active components of green tea unfolds in my estimation, but after exactly 2 minutes.
2. From about 1-2 minutes many important ingredients are dissolved in the water for tea, caffeine in the body that make the sound. It depends not only on the sheer amount of caffeine, but particularly on the combination and bond with other substances. In particular, the amino acid L-theanine plays an important role. You will be solved only significantly during that period.
3. A longer steeping time affected the Wirkstoffmix than 2 minutes in a very negative way. The caffeine is released after this period almost entirely in the water. While going with increasing duration now even more clearly tannins into the water (eg tannins) and bind the caffeine stronger, but at the same time are the most important other substances which increase the compatibility (eg, L-theanine), largely impaired.

The caffeine in green tea has in the interaction with the other ingredients of a particular health significance and effect. In a present sensitivity to this substance should only be taken in dose tolerated, but still in the correct preparation to be.