Green tea has the longest history ever among other kinds of teas in the world.
It is a type of tea which primarily originated in China.
So far, green tea has its greatest market place in China with regards to production and consumption.
It is made from the popular Camellia sinensis leaves and buds that are yet to be subjected to the withering and oxidation process.
The process of withering and oxidation is the kind that is common to the species used in making other teas.
In addition, green tea contains good amounts of anti-oxidants and valuable compounds such as Polyphenols. These are of great benefit to human health.
Nevertheless, poor consumption practices have been recorded that lead to various side effects. It is, therefore, necessary to know what the purpose of buying green tea is?
So, let’s now discuss the most popular varieties of green tea in China, their benefits and likely side effects.
Chinese Green Teas
Taiping Houkui
This is the best choice for those who want to enjoy the beautiful and unique appearance of the tea with a taste that has supreme traditional quality.
The tea leaves are obtained from a large-leaf variety, called the Shi Da Cha.
Also known as Taiping Monkey King, this variety of leaves is found only in Anhui Province.
Taiping Houkui tea delivers the most enjoyable experience to its consumers. The tea is 100% hand processed and is made just like it was done for the royal court in dynastic China.
Taiping Houkui green tea is rich in amino acids, potassium, magnesium, and copper. This variety of Chinese green tea is best for patients placed on amino acids supplements.
Patients who suffer from bacterial infection can also rely on this tea. Buy here!
Tea Benefits
Taiping Houkui is of great advantage to human health due to the presence of some active compound such amino acids. Therefore, it helps to suppress microbial and fungal infection, prevent tooth decay and provide relief from fatigue.
More so, Taiping contains some major and minor elements/minerals like sodium, copper, potassium, and organic acids which are needed for the proper functioning of the body.
Side Effects
Taiping Houkui green tea may prove harmful to pregnant women due to presence of caffeine in it. This could pose danger to the baby as well as the mother.
In addition, it may cause miscarriage or even premature delivery.
Also, excessive intake may cause gastrointestinal problems due to the presence of tannins in green tea. The tea may also react with certain types of drugs, therefore it is safer to consult your physician if you think you must take the tea.
Lu’an Melon Seed
The tea is being produced in Lu An country in Anhui province China. Lu’an melon seed tea is an excellent tea known for its scintillating taste together with a refreshing aroma.
Lu’an melon seed tea has a short production season, and the best grades of this tea are completely handmade.
Pronounced “Liu An Gua Pian” and also known as Liuan Leaf, this tea contains very low caffeine (less than 10% of a cup of coffee) with a distinctive sweet after taste. BUY HERE!
Tea Benefits
Due to the fact that the anti-oxidant present in Lu’an melon seed tea is 100 times more efficient than vitamin C and 24 times better than vitamin E, it is one of the most sought-after teas all over the world.
These characteristic helps to protect and guard the human body against cell damages which is the major cause of cancer.
Further, this variety of green tea also helps in lowering the cholesterol level in the body, thus preventing heart attack and stroke.
In addition, Lu’an melon seed contains anti-oxidants which help delay aging of the body.
The tea contains a considerable amount of catechin which inhibits the effects of some harmful pathogenic bacteria.
Also, it leaves some beneficial bacteria residing in the intestine unharmed.
To sum up, Lu’An melon seed tea helps in lowering blood fat, prevents blood clot and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
This tea is recommended to patients suffering from bad breath. This is due to its affinity for fluorine which helps to impede the multiplication of oral bacteria.
Side Effects
Lu an melon seed tea has no observatory side effect. However, carefully measure the intake.
When consumed in large quantities, it can cause liver problems due to excessive accumulation of minerals in the body.
Longjing Tea
The Longjing green tea is the best choice when you have a higher risk of cancer, heart ailment, or are having a stressful life.
Those who are battling with symptoms of anxiety or at the risk of becoming obese should definitely choose this tea.
Longjing tea is made in the West lake region of Zhejiang province, China. Also known as Dragon well tea, it is very easy to prepare with hand using a heating pad.
The tea also contains a very high proportion of antioxidants, polyphenolic compounds such as catechins. BUY HERE!
Tea Benefits
Longjing tea contains a considerable amount of anti-oxidant, polyphenols (catechin) which help in reducing the risk of cancer, heart attack, prevent atherosclerosis, coronary heart problems, and stroke.
Another benefit of Longjing tea includes the ability to keep the body awake and active. It also reduces tooth decay and other oral complexities.
Side Effects
Drinking too much volume of this tea may lead to serious nervous disorder and sleeping difficulties.
Moreover, it may also result in gastrointestinal complications, diarrhea, and constipation when taken without caution.
Huangshan MaoFeng Tea
Huangshan Maofeng green tea is produced in mountain Huang shan (Yellow Mountain), Anhui province in China.
It is best to consume it when you want to feel light and relaxed.
This tea makes you feel active and swift in order to respond faster to changes in the environment.
However, the tea eases tension and suppresses feelings of anxiety. Thereby helping you get relaxed while performing strenuous activities. BUY HERE!
Tea Benefits
Maofeng tea helps lower blood pressure (not to be taken by patients suffering from low blood pressure), stimulates the nervous system, reduce weight, reduces negative effects of aging, increase body tone and improves the performance of the liver.
In addition, the Moafeng tea is a good anti-bacterial with diuretic properties you can count on.
Side Effects
Maofeng tea causes side effect due to its excessive intake. It can aggravate the condition of patients suffering from lower blood pressure. Therefore, the health conditions of patients need to be known before recommending this tea.
Gunpowder Tea
If you fall into the category of those who suffer from obesity, diabetes, fatigue, chronic disease, or coronary heart disease, then Chinese gunpowder green tea is meant for you.
Originated from Zhejiang Province of China, Gunpowder green tea bears such a name due to its resemblance to grains of gunpowder.
Initially introducted in Taiwan, Gunpowder tea leaves are withered, steamed, rolled, and then dried.
The tea leaves take the shape of round pellets which is often rolled to render the leaves less susceptible to physical damage.
Therefore, making the leaves retain more of their flavor and aroma. BUY HERE!
Health Benefits
Patients suffering from indigestion, cold flu, infection, and arthritis can rely on this tea for its curing properties.
Gunpowder green tea will help stimulate metabolism, thereby favoring weight and blood sugar level reduction.
Side Effects
Again, if consumed in excess, it can increase the risk of kidney stones, induce anxiety, and damage your nervous system.
Further, you may also have difficulty sleeping or insomnia and a frequently disturbed sleep.
Chun Mee Green Tea
This is a popular green tea with a dusty appearance. It is generally acidic and less sweet than other green teas.
Originated from Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi in China, it has a bright flavor, light tangy sweetness, and a toasty warm clean finish(source).
Chun Meecontains polyphenols which have anti-aging properties.
Most importantly, it prevents ailments like heart attack and many more. BUY HERE!
Tea Benefits
The tea leaves have high vitamin content that supplements dietary foods. It is also helpful in making the skin smooth.
Other benefits you can derive from the careful intake of Chun Mee includes: alertness, reduced risk of heart attack, a slower rate of body aging and so on.
Side Effects
The green tea has no observable side effects. However, do not consume it with any drug, in order to prevent complicating your health conditions.
Biluochun Tea
This tea helps suppress the effects of cardiovascular diseases and improve brain performance.
Bi Luo Chun green tea is originally grown in the Dongting mountain region near Lake Tai, Jiangsu province of China.
Also named as Green Snail Spring tea, it is known for a characteristic smell and floral aroma.
It’s divided into seven grades, the supreme (best), supreme I, Grade I, Grade II, Grade III, Chao Qing I, and Cho Qing II. BUY HERE!
Health Benefits
Biluochun helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, tooth caries, kidney stones, and cancer. On the other hand, it helps in improving bone density, boost metabolism, and cognitive function.
Also, good consumption of Biluochun green tea helps in weight loss. Nutritional values such as vitamin A, vitamin C, caffeine, flavanols, and Polyphenols are present in good quantity.
Side Effects
There have been no serious side effects associated with taking Biluochun green tea. However, women should not consume this tea after conceiving or during the nursing period.
This is because the tea contains a considerable amount of caffeine which could lead to complications during delivery.
What is Chinese green tea good for?
Chinese green tea is well-known for the health benefits from ancient times.
In fact, it has been used as medicine for treating a number of health problems for 4,000 years now.
Several scientific studies are being carried out that have successfully provided evidence regarding its consumption.
According to one study, regular consumption of Chinese green tea has been found to lower the risk of the cancer of the esophagus by a good 60% which is pretty encouraging evidence.
Additionally, it has natural compounds that help in hampering the growth of cancer cells.
Green tea is also known to provide medicinal benefits to various other ailments. These include cardiovascular disease, high levels of cholesterol in the body, impaired immunity, infection and rheumatoid arthritis.
The compound that is behind all the amazing health benefits of green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
It is an antioxidant that helps in reducing the levels of bad cholesterol in the body and prevents abnormal blood clots from getting formed.
This prevents strokes and heart attacks.
Chinese green tea is also helpful to those who want to lose weight.
Studies reveal that those who consumed a combination of green tea extract and caffeine were able to burn more fat when compared to others who didn’t consume it.
Green tea is good for skin health too and that is why you can find it in so many skincare products such as lotions and creams.
If you think that all the benefits stop here, you are wrong! To beat the heat, everyone consumes the beverage during summers as it is quite refreshing.
The reason behind this claim is that it provides a cooling effect to the taste buds and fights inflammation.
Is Chinese green tea safe?
The major issue related with Chinese green tea is the impression that it has pesticides in it. It is because of the scary media reports and some people’s assumptions that the masses get convinced to think so.
But if you look a little further and not fall for mere words, you will come to the conclusion that the Chinese green tea is actually quite safe.
The tea farmers also insist that the government regulatory bodies should check the final drink for the presence of pesticides instead of checking the dried leaf.
They claim that health risks arise only when green tea is consumed in abnormally high amounts on a daily basis.
There is another notion in most minds and that is – ‘organic green tea is completely pesticide free and safe‘. However, the truth is that organic tea is not safe always.
Organic certification of the tea will not deal with the presence of lead content or its contamination due to coal burning.
With that being said, there are certain teas in Vietnam and China that are toxic and can damage your health.
However, such pesticide-loaded teas will not reach the EU, Japan, Canada, and US because of the stringent food safety and import controls of these countries.
In brief, the term ‘pesticide‘ does not immediately mean something malicious and at the same time the term ‘organic‘ need not mean something good in all cases.
P.S. – Make sure you check the details and reviews of the green before buying it.
What is the most expensive tea in China?
The legendary Da Hong Pao tea (wulong/Oolong tea) is considered to be one of the most expensive tea from China.
Original Da Hong Pao tea costs 30 times its weight in gold which is around $1,400 for just one gram.
The main reason for it to be so expensive is the fact that the original tea trees that remain on the Earth are very few in number. BUY HERE!
The antique tea versions cost even more and are almost priceless. What is more intriguing is the fact that the Chinese government has declared Da Hong Pao tea as its national treasure.
