A Wonderously Healthful Plant
Doctors, nutritionists, and others who study the human body know that there truly is something special about green tea. It seems hardly a day goes by without another research team announcing new findings about the benefits of tea. You can read the latest medical and scientific findings on the health benefits of green tea on our blog.
Why Green Tea Is so Good for Us
In a word: antioxidants. Green tea is loaded with the stuff. Antioxidants zap chemicals known as free radicals, which hasten cell death and are believed to be involved in the body's aging process.
Antioxidants come in many flavors, some more potent than others. Those in green tea fall under the category of polyphenols—in particular, a class of polyphenols known as catechins. One of the most well known and widely studied green tea polyphenol is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
Green Tea—The Best Source of Tea Catechins
All true teas come from the same plant—Camellia sinensis. But when it comes to catechin content, not all teas are created equal.
Green tea contains a higher percentage of tea catechins than does any other type of tea—more than black tea or Oolong tea, which are allowed to sit and ferment after harvest. This fermentation has a devastating effect on tea catechins.
Green tea, in contrast, is steamed right after harvest, before fermentation has a chance to start.
Why Our Tea Is Loaded with Natural Antioxidants
At harvest time, Mellow Monk's independent tea artisans harvest only what they can craft into fresh tea that day. The oxidation and fermentation that can destroy antioxidants are thus minimized, which is why small-farm green tea like ours is thought to contain the highest percentage of catechins among all green tea sources.
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