Tea is one Asiatic treasure that has been cherished for centuries now by the Western world, but we are only just realising the benefits that certain teas can have on our health and wellbeing. Green tea is especially potent and studies show that its power to reduce the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and other maladies is not to be ignored.

Read on for 10 facts about green tea:

1. Special Preparation
Green tea comes from the plant Camellia sinensis, which is the mother plant to all types of tea from black, to white, to oolong. To make green tea, only the newest leaves and the bud are plucked from the plant and unlike oolong and black teas, the leaves are barely fermented (oxidised) and are instead baked, roasted or sun dried to avoid oxidation.

When the leaves are dry enough they can be rolled into different shapes until they are completely dry. The quality of tea varies from region to region and country to country. Altitude has a lot to do with the quality of the tea, as does the point in the harvest season in which it was plucked and the processing techniques used.

2. Medicinal Qualities
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has extolled the virtues of green tea for its medicinal qualities for hundreds of years. Green tea is rich in bioflavonoids, which are a free-radical fighting anti-oxidants. Green tea's other most powerful ingredient, epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, is an anti-oxidant that is over 200 times more powerful than vitamin E.

Due to these factors, TCM practitioners recommend regular green tea intake to treat respiratory problems, liver damage, headaches, poor digestion, improved general well-being and life expectancy.

The Chinese use green tea to combat any problems caused by “inner heat”, such as bacterial infections or viruses attacking the body. Other inner heat, according to TCM, is stress and as such green tea is prescribed in times of worry to combat any health effects that may occur.

3. Pan-Asian Treat
The most widely known varieties of green tea are Chinese and Japanese, however the tea is cultivated all over Asia, with certain rare and expensive varieties being harvested in countries such as Sri Lanka and Korea. The Jookro Ujeon Hwagae Valley Green Tea is handpicked and processed on the Jiri Mountain in Korea, and known as one of the freshest, sweetest and spiciest teas on the market today.

There is some great information at the Green Tea Information site about the varieties and brewing methods to make the best and most refreshing cup of green tea!

4. Tea for Acne
As well as a very refreshing drink, green tea extract is used in numerous cosmetic products including skin creams, facial washes and is apparently effective at fighting acne and spots.

A study conducted at the Memorial Medical Center in the Philippines compared the effects of a cream containing 3% green tea extract and another containing benzoyl peroxide on patients with moderate to severe acne.

108 subjects were divided into two groups and assigned one of the two creams, which was applied twice daily for 12 weeks. The results found that the group testing the green tea cream were pleasantly surprised to have a clearer and much improved skin complexion, as well as a lightly lighter skin colour. The study also suggests that green tea is less of an irritant than other products, as the green tea cream users reported fewer side effects than the benzoyl peroxide groupo, including fewer cases of itching, dry skin and allergic responses.

5. Beware the Tea Bag
Green tea is best when drank as filtered loose leaves. As well as allowing the tea leaves the room to release the maximum of their flavour, drinking loose and not from a tea bag could be potentially life-saving too. Some tea bags coated with a strengthening reinforcer containing epichlorohydrin, which is a known carcinogen. Tea bags are not the only products to contain this chemical – coffee filters, sausage/salami casings may also use epichlorohydrin.

6. Stress Buster
Green tea is a proven stress-beater according to research conducted by the University College London. The UCL  team found that drinking green tea lowers stress hormone levels. 50 minutes after a high stress event, tea drinkers who had been drinking 4 cups of black tea daily for a month, had a 20% greater drop in the stress hormone cortisol than the placebo group.

6. Liver Cleanser
If you're feeling a little rough after a night out, having drunk a little too much of your favourite drink, you may find that green tea will be a lifesaver the next day. Green tea is reported to aid in repairing liver damage.

At the University of Carolina, a team of researchers set about testing the effects of green tea on the livers of rats which had been exposed to lots of alcohol. These “drunken rats” had been through a “binge drinking” session and then put to sleep to have their livers removed. Some of the rats' livers were soaked in a green tea solution. These were then transplanted into rats with unhealthy livers, and the results were impressive. Only 13% of those who received livers that were not treated with green tea survived, whereas 77% of those whose livers had bathed in green tea survived.

8. Weight Loss Aid
Green tea is a great weight-loss aid according to scientists that have studied its effects. It has the ability to boost a person's metabolism by producing heat in a person's body (thermogenesis). Apparently, drinking 4 cups of green tea burns 50 calories.

There is a substantial amount of information around relating to the slimming effects of green tea. MellowMonk writes about the benefits and news in the world of green-tea, plus lots about Japanese culture. He has a section on green tea and weight loss. http://www.mellowmonk.com/blog.htm

9. Teas of the Super Rich
The most expensive tea in the world is a rare Chinese brew called Tieguanyin. The leaves are priced at $1,500 US/lb. The tea is named after the Buddhist deity Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy). Tieguanyin is an oolong variety, meaning it falls somewhere between a green and black tea. Luckily for anyone who buys this expensive tea, a leaf can be brewed up to seven times before it loses its flavor.

The Ritz Carlton of Hong Kong is home to the world’s most expensive High Tea, coming with a price tag of a massive $8,888 US per couple. Of course, it's not just a little bowl of tea! Elaborate finger food and exquisite cakes combine with excellent views of the city to make the experience a truly memorable one.

10. No side effects!
Unlike other caffeinated drinks such as coffee, green tea has almost no side effects to speak of! Doctors warn against excessive consumption if one suffers health issues that would be aggravated by increased caffeine intake.

More information about all kinds of teas can be found in our Top Ten Tea Facts article.