Why it is worth buying organic tea?

Also in the tea culture awareness about environmental issues and the benefits of organic farming has already made ​​inroads. No wonder that the demand for these organic teas rising, to contain the most natural and high-quality product.

The benefits of organic tea

Organic tea is characterized in that the tea must meet certain requirements in order to come into the range of an appropriate supplier. These include the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, no genetically modified seeds as well for the product is used. Also, the methods of cultivation are subject to certain conditions and guarantees, among other things, that the cultivation of the tea plant does not exert a negative impact on the local eco-system and also based on sustainable principles. Not least the desire to play more pleasure and joy in the use of organic foods in, and also the desire to live in harmony with the environment and to enjoy pure, untreated products.

Providers such as Pure Tea, about one in detail on the relevant page puretea.de can inform, provide a detailed insight on the criteria and guidelines under which a tea is selected to receive an organic label. In this case, the award of the seal depends on other requirements that are based on the EU-Eco-regulation . Among others, a ban on the irradiation of organic foods is required, therefore, for example.
Organic does not equal organic

Is not uncommon for conventional food manufacturers try to enrich the organic trend, and so often use misleading terms to attract consumers to their side. Therefore: phrases such as "of alternative entertainment", "from contract farming," "without pesticides" or "under constant surveillance" by no guarantee that it is indeed an organic product in each product - although insure concepts such as "natural" or "naturally pure" means that the food contains no additives, organic farming, therefore, but one must not be given automatically.

How Do I Recognize A Good Matcha Tea

The Matcha trend is not to be overlooked. Five years ago, only a few have heard of Matcha Tea, today, many people can not imagine the day without Matcha. According to this the choice of matcha tea: Many varieties with huge price differences.

I'm often asked how to recognize a good matcha and why the price differences are so big?

Here are a few tips for orientation:

Although the matcha tea in the 12th Century was invented in China, the original Matcha tea comes exclusively from Japan today. The best Matcha teas are still coming from the Uji region near Kyoto. Several factors such as cultivar of the tea plant, the shade before harvest, plucking and careful processing, including grinding in stone or ceramic mills, significantly affect the quality of tea. Prices from 22,00 to 26, 00 EUR for 30 grams Japanese Matcha powder is realistic. The better the quality of tea is the higher the price.

Very cheap Matcha fakes from China are becoming more common. In addition, there are also ground and other Sencha green tea powder. The powder looks like matcha tea from, but the quality of these teas is that the low-grade matcha again to wide after. You have the original Matcha Tea, Japan little in common.

The color of the powder is already an indication of the quality of the tea. High quality Matcha powder in a dry state shows a wonderfully bright jade green. After it was hit with the bamboo whisk, a dark, yet bright jade green should be seen. Lower grades look pale, sometimes yellowish or light brownish. In the lower grades are often tastes very bitter or sour in the aftertaste.

The aroma is fresh and lovely. Also a nice thick foam on the surface of tea is an indication of the quality and the freshness of the tea. Poor quality Matcha powder form no solid foam on impact.

Great variety, same origin

Fine teas are always picked by hand and according to the rule "two leaves and a bud." - That is, the two youngest leaves with the new engine These are initially recognized in fragrance and are transformed not directly on the plantation by various production processes in an aromatic tea .

The fermentation makes the difference

Whether tea comes from the green leaves of Black, Green or Oolong is entirely dependent on the type of processing. Only with the fermentation, ie the oxidation of the cell sap in the air, the tea gets its reddish-brown color. Black teas and oolong teas are thus quite half-fermented. In the oxidation process green tea is prevented by heating the sheets in large pans iron or steaming. Thus, the tea retains its olive color.

Well-stocked quality

In the production of high quality leaf teas different grades are due.Smaller leaves are offered as broken tea. This is naturally more productive than leaf tea and pulls shorter. The finer leaf grades, called Fanning, find themselves in a teabag. These differ only in the leaf size, but not in the quality of leaf or Broken teas.

The leaf grade designation SFTGFOP1 is noblest leaf teas.

The abbreviation means:

Special	particularly good quality
Fine	fine
Tippy	young, tender leaf tips
Golden	gold-colored, bright leaf tips
Flowery	Engl. flowery, is also available for large sheet
Orange	holl Oranje (royal family); royal, particularly
Pekoe	Chinese white fluff, tender young leaf tips
1	first (best) sorting

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.