Click for Our Highest Antioxidant Teas:
Regular store-bought teas contain 5%-6% antioxidants. This selection provides
up to 20%.
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To All Our Green Tea Lovers,
2011 SHINCHA IS HERE!
This year is a good crop and we are only buying from the Kagoshima region in the very Western portion of Japan. While there has been no indication that the tea fields in Shizuoka have been affected by the Fukushima disaster hundreds of miles to the North, we elected to only purchase Shincha from the rich volcanic soil of Kagoshima -- about as far away from Fukushima as one can get and still be in Japan -- Fukushima is in the far East and Kagoshima in the far West about the distance from New York to Cheyenne, Wyoming. So we encourage you to try it. For those of you still more comfortable with 2010 pre-crisis Shincha we have that too. Just place a comment in the description field if you'd prefer we send you that. We recommend the fresh 2011 crop though. That is what we are drinking!
Follow us on Twitter for Discounts!
We will be "flash" tweeting time-limited special discount coupon codes for our products exclusively on twitter, and the latest tea research:
Ask questions, hear announcements and become a fan:
Find our special 20% discount tea cup coupon
at bottom of this page.
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Proper Storage of Green Tea Products may Ensure Health Benefits
(U.S.) 22 May 2011
Some people drink green tea due to the wide body of research that indicates that this herbal beverage can provide health benefits. Over the years, food manufacturers have developed new ways of selling green tea, such as in powder form that is convenient for individuals to use while on-the-go.
However, people may not know that the health benefits of their green tea products may be reduced depending on the conditions in which the items are stored.
A recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that the catechins in green tea begin to degrade when the products are kept in warm, humid climates. At these temperatures, compounds may start reacting with each other faster due to increased molecular mobility, causing to significant chemical degradation.
"People drink green tea for health benefits, so they want the catechins to be present. The instant powder beverages are becoming more popular for consumers, and it's important to know how storage can influence nutrition of your products," said lead researcher Lisa Mauer.
Ref: Health News Team
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Green Tea Powders May Run Low on Antioxidants
(U.S.) 23 MAY 2011
Some green tea powders may lack the antioxidants shown to enhance your health, a new study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry warns. After testing more than 1,800 green tea powder samples in a laboratory, scientists found that high temperatures and humidity can cause green tea antioxidants to break down and lose their nutritional benefits.
Previous studies show that catechins--potent antioxidants found in green tea--may help fight heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. What's more, a 2009 report from the International Journal of Obesity indicates that catechins may help speed up metabolism and promote weight loss.
To increase your catechin intake without turning to green tea powders, try sipping brewed green tea. Since consuming too much caffeine can trigger certain side effects (such as sleep problems and headache), medical experts typically recommend drinking no more than five cups of caffeine-containing tea per day. -- Cathy Wong
Ref: About.com Guide |
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Green tea may hobble, but can't halt, bad breath
 (U.S.) 18 May 2011
Specifically, researchers found that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), a catechin found in green tea, suppresses a gene found in common oral bacteria that controls the creation of methyl mercaptan, a VSC that lends halitosis its nasty smell.
While the finding may be exciting, it is a little misleading. EGCg is an antioxidant that also acts as a microbicide, but research has shown that antibacterial substances cannot "cure" bad breath, since every single bacterium in the mouth cannot be eliminated.
One of the best alternatives to sipping green tea for oral odor is to regularly rinse the palate with a specialty breath freshening mouthwash, especially one that is designed to neutralize VSCs and moisten the mouth.
That is not to say that green tea does nothing for oral health. In the same study, scientists noted that about 100 micrograms of EGCg per milliliter of water (mcg/mL) slowed the growth of the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis. At a higher concentration - 187.5 mcg/mL - the EGCg found in green tea killed the species of microorganism.
P. gingivalis is one of the microbial strains responsible for gingivitis and periodontal disease, which are two common causes of halitosis. Individuals with periodontitis are at special risk for oral odor, since the disease causes dental roots to rot, leading to tooth loss and advanced decay.
Another study, this one in the Journal of Food Lipids, found that EGCg prevented the oxidation of meat fats, which could reduce the severity of bad breath after an especially savory or meat-heavy meal.
However, green tea has its limits. Slurping down a cup of it after eating meat will probably not do much for halitosis, since the EGCg concentrations in the aforementioned were higher than those usually found in green tea.
It may be better to brush, floss and take a daily oral care probiotic pill, which can gradually replace harmful bacteria with less offensive varieties.
If you need a historical example of how green tea is no substitute for good oral care, look to Mao Zedong. The Chairman never brushed his teeth, preferring to rinse his mouth with green tea every day. According to several contemporary accounts, his teeth looked "coated with green paint." -- Dr. Harold Katz
Ref: therabreath.com
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Green Tea EGCG May Help Suppress Auto-Immune Activity without Side Effects of Drugs
(U.S.) 05 June 2011
A compound in green tea - the polyphenol EGCG - has a powerful ability to increase the number of 'regulatory T cells' (Tregs), which are critical in maintaining healthy immune balance and suppressing damaging autoimmune activity, according to new research at Oregon University's Linus Pauling Institute.
In fact, the researchers suggest this ability to support balanced Treg activity "may be one of the underlying mechanisms for the health benefits of green tea, which has attracted wide interest for its ability to help control inflammation, improve immune function and prevent cancer."
Pharmaceutical drugs are used to increase Treg activity in rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders, and have been the subject of much research. But they have problems with toxicity, says Prinicipal Researcher Emily Ho, PhD, who led the study.
While green tea EGCG's effects appear less potent than some of the drugs, says Dr. Ho, it is a natural plant-based food product that might provide a long-term, sustainable way to accomplish this same goal without toxicity.
Natural Support of Healthy Gene Expression
Based on in vitro analyses verified by animal studies, EGCG appears to act through a natural "epigenetic mechanism," says Dr. Ho, meaning that it influences "what gets expressed, what cells get turned on" without changing the underlying DNA codes. "And we may be able to do this with a simple, whole-food approach."
Their findings were published online June 4 by Immunology Letters (See "Induction of regulatory T cells by green tea polyphenol EGCG.") -- Linus Pauling Institute
Ref: Prohealth.com
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This Month's Green Tea Recipe
Green Tea Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 9 oz marscarpone cheese
- 3 oz sugar
- 4 pieces yolk
- 8.5 oz whip cream
- 4 oz water
- 3 oz syrup
- 0.5 oz matcha green tea powder
- 0.5 oz gran marineir
Directions
- Knead the marscapone cheese until it becomes creamy.
- Beat sugar and yolk until it becomes fluffy.
- At first, add 2 tablespoons of (2) into (1) then later, the rest of (2) also add into (1).
- Whip cream until foamy consistency.
- Combine (3) and (4).
- Pour (5) into the mold and put on the green tea cakes which are already cut into 1/4 inch and cover with syrup. After that pour the rest of the syrup into it and repeat the same.
- Finally, strain green tea powder with powder sugar for garnish.
Ref: www.o-cha.com |
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Try Our Unique Iced Green Teas!
Try our green tea natural flavor blends for some really unique and refreshing ice tea taste in our Flavor Blends/Jasmine. In addition to our traditional blends we introduced a few new flavors: - Balinese Rainbow Jasmine Green - Tres vert French Green - Buckingham Palace Green In addition three new flavor blends with significantly high antioxidant content: - Ginger Green - Citron Green - Pommes Green - Riverdance Green will also appear in the Ultra High Antioxidant Section.
Sincerely,
Jonathan
Greentealovers
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Our various tea and teaware products are subject to a variety of
inspections and certifications depending on their origin including
Fairtrade, Organic (US, Canada, Europe, Japan) Ethical Tea Partnership.
HACCP, ISO 14001 Environmental Production and food safety authorities USFDA, CIFA & EFSA. Greentealovers also actively uses its sales revenue to decrease its own carbon footprint through a combination of renewable [solar] fuels, Energy Star Compliant heating equipment, enrgy efficient lighting and added insulation. In the last year alone we reduced emissions by over over 15000 pound of CO2.
Our teas are shipped domestically by USPS priority mail and International first class abroad. Tea ware items are insured against breakage when shipped domestic priority. |
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