Green Teas, black teas and oolong are derived from the same plant, native to China. Green Tea is produced by lightly steaming the fresh cut leaf, while to produce black the leaves are allowed to oxidise and ferment. Oolong tea is partially oxidised. Oxidation destroys the active compounds in the leaf, therefore Green Tea has the most pharmacological activity.
Medicinal Properties of Green Tea
Green Tea contains many different compounds including polythenols, tannins, caffeine, vitamins minerals, protein and volatile oils. The polythenol, catechin is responsible for most of green tea’s medicinal activity. It is a potent Antioxidant and also encourages production of Antioxidant enzymes in the body, which may have protective effects against cancer.
Green Tea Herbal Remedies
Our herbalists recommend green tea for over 30 different disorders , hence there are too many to list here. Generally, it is used for its Antioxidant properties for protection against degenerative diseases and for its actions on the immune system.
Other Green Tea Information
Research has investigated the use of Green Tea for high cholesterol, Atherosclerosis and cancer prevention. It is normally found as tea, tablets, capsules or tinctures. Decaffeinated Green Tea is also available.
Side Effects of Green Tea
Generally there are no side effects from Green Tea apart from the side effects from having too much caffeine (Anxiety and insomnia). Decaffeinated Green Tea should be used if you are sensitive to caffeine.
The tannins in any tea can reduce the absorption some drugs, please check with your doctor or pharmacist, if you intend to use large amounts of Green Tea and are already using medications.
When this article was written there were no well-known negative drug interactions with the herb Green Tea.
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