Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea.

    Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression.

    Did you know people are taking green tea extract as an aid to weight loss? Scientific research shows us that this herbal supplement can actually help the body get rid of excess fat by revving up the its metabolic rate, the energy burning process.

    Metabolism is a chemical process carried out by the body that creates the energy you need to live. Increasing the metabolic rate requires means more fuel is required to be burned and this is where the body will usually draw on its fat reserves to enable the process, this is how your overall weight is reduced.

    The end result, as desired is of course, is achievement of weight loss. But naturally this only happens as part of an overall effective weight loss program. You still need to eat healthily and take regular exercise.

    Personally I prefer drinking green tea as it was meant to be and enjoying it that way! But if you do not like the taste then this is a good way to still take advantage of the health benefits

    In a grocery store or in a convenience store in front of the beverage cooler you will see green tea this or green tea that. Green tea has turned up in all sorts of products. If you haven’t tried green tea, you might be wondering what all the to-do is about.

    So now you may be asking what is the difference between green tea and the black tea you are used to drinking. Both teas come from the same plant; the difference is the way the different teas are processed. The green tea in not fermented it has been dried. Because of the shorter processing time the green tea has a lighter flavor than the black tea. Green tea is good for you because the processing keeps all the beneficial elements left in the tea.

    Green tea doesn’t taste anything like the tea you usually drink. Most green tea drinkers do not add milk or sugar, but you can if you like. Green tea has been described as having a light, fresh, green flavor. Some of the various green teas have just a little sweetness taste to them. Others are a little more astringent. There are several different varieties of green tea each with its own flavor; however they all seem to have one flavor quality in common.

    To try really good green tea you will want to look in a gourmet tea store rather than a grocery store. The grocery store doesn’t have the selection you will find in a gourmet tea store. You will find a good selection of green teas look in your local Asian food store. Some of the types you will want to look for is; Sencha, Gunpowder, or Dragon Well.

    Green tea is brewed just like you would brew the tea you normally drink, except you will not want the water to boil. You will want to brew you tea when the water is on the verge of boiling. Green tea is a more delicate tea so you want to the water to be a little cooler.

    To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.

    如今，东西方的科学研究不断发现有力的证据，证明了长期以来人们所相信的饮用绿茶有益健康。

    还有什么其它食物或饮料如绿茶一般对健康有益吗？中国人自古就知道绿茶的药用价值，用绿茶来治疗从头痛到抑郁的各种疾病。

    你知道吗，人们正在使用绿茶提取物来辅助减肥。科学研究显示，这种草药添加剂确实能够加速新陈代谢－－人体燃烧能量的过程，帮助身体消耗多余的脂肪。

    新陈代谢是人体制造生存所需能量的化学过程。加速新陈代谢需要燃烧更多燃料，这通常是机体动用脂肪储备的时候，这也是人体减轻体重的原因所在。

    结果正如人所愿，顺利实现减肥的目标。但是，饮绿茶自然只能作为全面有效减肥计划的一环。你还需要注意膳食健康，进行有规律的锻炼。

    就个人而言，我倾向于饮用绿茶的原味，因为我喜欢绿茶的味道。但是如果你不喜欢绿茶的味道，你仍然有办法享受它给你健康带来的好处。

    在杂货店或者便利店，你会在放饮料的冷柜中看到这种绿茶或那种绿茶。早就有了各种各样的绿茶产品。如果你还没有试着喝过绿茶，你可能感到奇怪，这一堆乱七八糟的产品是怎么回事。

    现在你可能要问了，绿茶和你常喝的红茶有什么不同。两种茶叶都产自同一种茶树；其区别是茶叶的加工过程不一样－－绿茶在烘干前没有进行发酵。因为加工过程时间短，绿茶的味道比红茶更清淡。绿茶之所以对你健康有益，因为所有有益成分都保留在茶叶里。

    绿茶的味道与你通常喝的茶完全不同。大部分喝绿茶的人不往茶里加牛奶，也不加糖，但是如果喜欢，你也可以加。人们常形容绿茶有一种清香、嫩香和青草的香气。一些品种的绿茶带着些许甜味；另外的品种有点苦涩的味道。绿茶有几个品种，各自有各自的香味；可是，它们都具有同一种共同的茶味。

    要想品尝真正的好茶你应该去精品茶叶店，而不要去一般的杂货店－－杂货店的茶叶种类比起茶叶店来太少。到你当地的亚洲食品店看看，你会找到一种好的绿茶。你想要的一些茶有煎茶、中国珠茶、或龙井茶。

    沏绿茶的方法和沏普通茶一样，只是水不要做开。你要在水将开未开的时候来沏茶。绿茶比一般的茶更嫩，所以水温要低一些。

    至今为止，喝绿茶有报道的唯一负作用就是由于绿茶中含有的咖啡因造成失眠。不过绿茶中的咖啡因含量比咖啡少得多：6～8盎司茶叶中大约含有30～60mg的咖啡因，而8盎司的咖啡中含有超过100mg咖啡因。