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Green tea is considered one of the healthiest drinks in the world. It’s widely available in almost every country in the world and more than often a favorite replacement for coffee for health-conscious people. Green tea originates in China, but nowadays it’s produced on every inhabited continent, even in Europe and Australia. It is made from a plant called Camellia sinensis and it is one of the six main types of tea, and health-wise, the most important one.

Nowadays, organicgorganic tea is probably the most popular of all tea types and always available in supermarkets. For many people, cheap green tea bags were the first encounter with this healthy beverage. Green tea would probably not become so popular if it wasn’t promoted as the panacea of the modern world. Are we on the verge of an exciting new cure for hundreds of diseases and health conditions? A long time ago, the most important Chinese scientist and the founder of Chinese medicine - Shen Nong, discovered the benefits of tea by seeing the immediate effect it had on his transparent body. Scientists of the modern world might not have transparent bodies, but they are putting a lot of effort into demystifying all secrets of green tea.

How much do you really know about green tea? We prepared a guide to answer all of your green tea questions. Let’s start from the seed.

(Image source: Tea Chronicles ©)

What is green tea?

All real tea types are made from one plant – Camellia sinensis[1]. Camellia sinensis has hundreds of different cultivars with different characteristics. Some can cope better with cold weather, some are more resistant to pests, some give intense green color and full flavor. But they all have the same substances – caffeine, catechins, vitamins, fiber, and L-theanine.

There are many differences between green tea and other tea types, but the most important one lies in the production process and growing conditions. As green tea is an unoxidized tea, its chemical composition is very different from other tea types. Green tea comes in many shapes and forms – from tea powders to huge flat leaves. Some are roasted, some are scented, and some are blended, some contain stalks; some are even fermented, but they may all have a great impact on health.

How is green tea grown?

Green tea is grown either on tea farms or naturally as a wild bush. Farms usually have a choice of growing organic green tea or non-organic tea. A long time ago all tea was organic. With the modernization of agriculture, many producers started using herbicides or fertilizers to keep bushes healthy and clean from pests, or even to promote faster growth. Abuse of chemicals in not that rare as farmers need to keep up with the trends and demand, especially in the undeveloped country where their only income comes from growing tea.

How is organic tea grown?

Some fertilizers and chemicals important for proper growth, for example, nitrogen in growing matcha, can be replaced with organic compost, making tea healthier. Since organic production needs a clean soil and a distance from any GMO plants, it is safer than a non-organic one. It’s also still very rare as it takes much more time and effort than conventional farming. Mass production is rarely organic as the profit is usually more important than quality. This makes specialty and small batch teas more desirable than ever, especially if they are organically grown.

How old are tea bushes?

Tea bushes usually need three to five years to be ready for the first harvest. They give the most tea until the age of 30, after which yield declines. Bushes are usually replaced after 30-50 years. However, wild tea trees are a different case, but they are rarely used for making green tea. Why? Because the best green tea is harvested in spring from young fresh buds, not from the old mature tea leaves. Young leaves have a higher content of antioxidant, responsible for the popularity of green tea. They also have a unique flavor profile - sweet, fresh and gentle – which makes the spring harvest sought after and expensive.

What is terroir?

If you are a wine drinker, you might have heard the word terroir many times. Teas are indeed, very similar to wine – one needs years and years of experience to truly appreciate the smallest nuances of flavor. The quality and character will not only depend on the makers’ skills and knowledge but on a terroir as well. Terroir is a word that describes a combination of climate, soil and geographical location specific to a certain tea. One tea can be grown in the same way, harvested in the same way, and even processed in the same way – yet it will have a different flavor, heavily influenced by terroir. It will also have different amounts of nutrients.

When is green tea harvested?

Green tea can be harvested in any season. There are only a few winter harvest green teas, and they are actually plucked just before the first spring harvest from leaves that have survived the winter. Spring harvest is always the best one. Young buds and leaves have a higher level of antioxidants and a very fresh flavor. They are usually used for high-quality teas and picked by hand. Spring teas generally contain more caffeine than older mature leaver, for example, leaves used to make bancha and hojicha.

How is green tea processed?

Green tea has a few processing steps that can differ from a country to country. Leaves are usually withered, then pan-fired or steamed, shaped/rolled and dried and then sorted. Some green teas can be scented, blended or roasted. For example, tencha tea is never rolled/shaped. Instead, all veins and stalks are removed leaving leaves shaped like small flakes before being powdered into matcha. Green tea is the only type that undergoes the pan-firing or steaming step to stop the oxidation and keep green color and freshness. This step is called “kill-green”.

What are the by -products of green tea processing?

The last step in processing green tea is sorting the leaves and removing any unwanted parts like stems, dust, etc. Those by-products are often used for tea bags or even as a compost. By-products of processing high-quality green tea will be more expensive and could actually make a good cup of tea – for example, mecha tea from gyokuro leaves tastes delicious. Don’t confuse mecha with matcha, they are two completely different teas.

Why is matcha different from other green teas?

Matcha is grown in special conditions and often from special tea cultivars. Because of the shading process, tea leaves have higher levels of L-theanine, but lower levels of catechin. Catechin needs sunlight. In fact, matcha has much less of one specific catechin called EGCG than most of the green teas in the world. Then why is matcha considered healthier than other teas? Even though the levels of catechins might be lower, by ingesting the full leaf you are getting more than what you would get from a regular green tea.

Why is organic green tea a better option?

Every time you brew a cup of tea, leaves are releasing substances into your cup. That means, if they were treated with dangerous herbicides or other harmful chemicals, your teacup will contain those as well. This is even more dangerous if you are drinking matcha as you are drinking the full leaf. Tea bags are not much better because they contain small particles of leaves. The smaller the particle, the easier it will be to release more substances.

If smaller particles release more substances, why is the full leaf loose tea more valuable than tea bags?

Tea bags are usually filled with dust or fannings left from tea production. However, not all left-overs are bad. Japanese have a few special teas that are actually a left-overs but made from high-quality leaves. Although they are very small, they are more than often infused using a teapot. One such tea is konacha, a tea made from small particles of sencha or gyokuro. Konacha is often served in sushi bars for free, due to the cheap price and strong flavor that does a great job in cleaning the palate. Can you see the link again? The smaller the particles, the stronger the tea – that goes for bitterness as well.

(Image source: Tea Chronicles ©)

What are the most famous green tea types?

There are thousands of different green tea types. The most famous ones come from China and Japan. Chinese green teas are usually pan-fired, and Japanese green teas are steamed. Pan-firing gives slight nutty and sweet flavor while steaming usually preserves the vegetal, green aroma. Countries other than China and Japan don’t have a strong tradition in drinking or producing green tea. An exception would be Morocco, famous for its mint green tea popular in most northwest African and some Arab countries. It’s not surprising that the green tea used for Moroccan national beverage comes from China – it’s usually gunpowder or zhun mei tea.

Famous Japanese green tea

Japan is a country of green teas. The big majority of teas produced in Japan are green, and sencha takes the biggest part. Over the years Japanese have mastered the production of sencha, gyokuro, and matcha – the three most important types. The best gyokuro and matcha tea comes from Uji, a small city in Kyoto Prefecture.The most popular green tea blend is genmaicha, tea made with bancha or sencha and roasted brown rice.

Famous Chinese green tea

Every tea producing Chinese province has its own green tea type, and many of those famous types are produced in many different areas. It is impossible to count all Chinese types. A list of 10 famous Chinese teas makes things for beginners a bit easier – out of 10 must-try teas even four are green – Dragon Well or Long Jing, Yellow Mountain Fur Peak or Huangshan Mao Feng, Green Snail Spring or Bi Luo Chun and Liu’An Melon Seeds or Liu’An Gua Pian. Dragon Well is the most expensive Chinese green tea, and one that is often counterfeit.

What are other famous green teas?

Green tea is still predominately produced in China and Japan. Other notable green tea producing countries are Vietnam and Indonesia, but their teas are rarely specialty teas. Vietnamese green tea has a stronger and specific flavor and has only recently started gaining popularity among general tea population. India and Sri Lanka are still new in producing greens, offering quite a few unique single-origin specialty teas. Other countries like Kenya and Rwanda are trying to keep up with the trend as well and it would not surprise if the preferences of tea drinkers change soon – from traditional to new non-conventional types.

Green tea and health

Some people drink tea for health reasons, some drink it for pleasure. No matter what your reasons are, health benefits of green tea are undeniable. Weight-loss, cancer prevention, anti-aging properties, reducing stress, reducing the risk of heart-attack, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, improving brain function and lowering the risk of some neurodegenerative diseases, preventing tooth decay, and the list goes on. Green tea has many health benefits. But, are all of them proven? In about 35 years of scientific research, some benefits are still in a grey zone.

What are the major health benefits of organic green tea?

Most studies suggest that there is still not enough evidence to fully support all health claims. Although green tea has been widely researched, the number of researches done is not nearly enough to make any final conclusions. However, all of them agree in one thing – green tea is likely safe and may be beneficial for health, but only if drunk in moderate amount (every day), or higher, but controlled amount chosen for research.

Green tea alone will not have a huge impact on your health unless you are not willing to give up on other bad habits as well. Therefore, years of eating junk food, drinking alcohol, smoking, eating sugars or not exercising enough cannot be erased with a few cups of green tea. Having a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle, choosing organic, non-GMO, chemically untreated food and avoiding stress is important to keep your body and mind healthy. Genes matter too - some diseases can be inherited. Green tea should be taken as a drink with added value to a healthy lifestyle, not as a medicine for self-healing. Only then will you be able to see the real benefits of tea.

Does green tea help cure cancer?

The most interesting green tea benefit would be the ability to prevent or cure cancer. Green tea might be the most beneficial to people with cancer. Oral consumption might have an impact on reducing the risk of breast, cardiac, colorectal, esophageal, gastric, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers.[2] Even though most of the studies were done on animals instead on humans, the results are very promising. It’s important to understand that compounds in green tea might interfere with other cancer medications. Although green tea is widely available, if you are suffering from any illness, always take it with precaution.

Is Green tea good for your heart?

Harvard Medical School recently updated an article about the benefits of green tea for heart health saying that tea, indeed, may help to keep your heart healthier.[3] They say green tea might be a better option for a healthy heart than black tea. It may also be helpful for lowering blood cholesterol, thus keeping blood vessels healthy.

Can green tea prevent Alzheimer’s disease?

Green tea receives a lot of attention in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease studies. Again, the results might still be in a grey zone and more studies should be conducted to determine the real benefits of green tea on those two diseases. Nevertheless, scientists already gave some interesting thoughts – caffeine in coffee and black tea might be more beneficial in preventing Parkinson’s disease, but EGCG in green tea has potential therapeutic effect once the disease has developed[4]. EGCG might have a similar effect on Alzheimer’s disease. Although studies suggest that caffeine could be beneficial in preventing Alzheimer’s as well, long-term high consumption of 500mg of caffeine per day might lead to actually developing the disease[5].

One more time we can only come to one conclusion – tea is healthy, but exploiting it might have a negative impact.

Can green tea help you lose weight?

This potential benefit is definitely commercially the most interesting one. No one is 100% sure yet. Some studies suggest that green tea can, indeed, help losing weight without changing your lifestyle[6] and even help you gain lean muscle, while others say no research yet confirmed green tea has any effect on losing weight. The active ingredient connected to weight loss in tea is EGCG. The reason that drinking tea might also help you lose a few pounds is the switch from sugary drinks to pure tea with zero calories. Drinking green tea is definitely the healthiest drink choice you could make.

Can green tea reduce stress?

An interesting study[7] suggested that green tea may help reduce stress and improve sleep. L-theanine is responsible for the calming effect in green tea. Another study suggested that green tea can reduce psychological stress as well, but the authors included a very interesting line: “We could not conclude whether green tea reduces psychological distress or whether individuals without psychological distress are more likely to consume green tea.”[8] This statement might as well deserve a special debate.

Green tea and teeth

Al Capone might have said “A smile can get you far in life, but a smile and a gun can get you a whole lot farther”, but modern society thinks differently – a smile with extra white perfect teeth will get you the farthest. Green tea is often linked with preventing gum disease and tooth decay and could be the best choice when no toothbrushes are available. A study conducted by an Indian Society Periodontology in 2012 said that the “Continuous use of green tea catechin on a daily basis may be a useful and practical method for the prevention of periodontal disease”[9]. The study suggests that 10 cups of tea per day would be needed to see the real difference, but the regular average consumption may also be beneficial.

(Image source: Tea Chronicles ©)

How many cups of green tea should you drink a day?

It is very difficult to answer this question without knowing which green tea you are drinking and your overall health condition. Not all green teas are the same. Green tea contains many beneficial compound and vitamins, including catechins, chlorophyll, caffeine, fiber, etc. The main point of concern is the caffeine intake. It should be safe to drink about 5 cups of tea per day (even more if using the re-steep technique, matcha excluded). However, every person is different and those numbers cannot be generalized.

Many people drink green tea for EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a powerful antioxidant. Even though some studies suggested EGCG may contribute to weight-loss and preventing and treating cancer, very high doses of ECGC may be poisonous.

Can you drink green tea every day?

Yes, you can. In fact, tea is a great substitute for coffee. Spring teas made from lots of young buds will contain more caffeine as well. From our experience, green teas that offered the most awakening properties were matcha and gyokuro. However, be careful if you have to stay away from caffeine. In that case, the best choice would be a roasted tea. Tea does not only promote good health, but it also promotes peace of mind and overall wellbeing. It is impossible to say how many cups of green tea per day are safe to drink as every green tea will have completely different levels of caffeine and EGCG. A general suggestion would be not to go beyond 2-3 cups of matcha, 3-4 cups of stronger Indian green teas and about 5-6 cups of weaker teas. You can, of course, re-steer the same leaves. Converted to grams, it might be good to keep it below 15-25 grams of loose tea per day. Keep in mind these suggestions are only guidelines not backed up by a research, and you might want to keep the levels lower if your health condition requires.

Which green tea has the most EGCG?

Even though many online articles state that matcha has 137 times more EGCG than other green tea, this is not true. This misconception was born from a research made by David J.Weiss and Christopher R.Anderton that compared one specific type of matcha to one specific type of green tea. [10] In fact, some other green teas can have over three times more catechins than matcha. Why matcha might be healthier is because you are ingesting the whole leaf, therefore no extraction of catechins is needed. One study suggests that the most EGCG will be extracted at the temperature of 85 degrees Celsius at three-minute brewing[11]. You might even be able to guess the levels of catechins by bitter taste[12], but don’t take it as a general rule. Although bitter teas might have a lot of catechins, some other substances can make them bitter as well. Still, you can be quite certain that a tea without much flavor (sweet, bitter, astringent, fresh, etc.) won’t have many health benefits as well.

Is Green Tea harmful for health?

After exploring the good sides of green tea, it is important to give an insight into the possible side-effect. Have you ever heard the phrase that the dose makes the poison? If abused, panacea can easily turn into a toxin. This can be the case with green tea as well. Although those situations are quite rare, they have been recorded over the last few years. The interesting fact? They were usually linked to taking dubious tea supplements or teas from unknown dangerous origins rather than pure loose leaf tea. In general, tea is considered one of the best options for health-conscious people.

What are the side effects of Green Tea?

While most side-effects appear due to caffeine content, some can be linked to other green tea substances. If you dig deeper into medical research and databases, you will always see that green tea will be marked as likely safe or possibly safe – not just “safe”. The most obvious side-effect you might see after drinking green tea with high levels of caffeine is nausea and increased heartbeat. Special attention is also needed when pregnant and breastfeeding, and for those intolerant to caffeine.

How much caffeine is in green tea?

Caffeine in tea depends on many factors – from brewing time and water temperature to the type of tea. Green tea will generally have anywhere between 10-50mg of caffeine per cup. It’s possible for green tea to have more caffeine than some types of coffee. Remember that the daily caffeine intake should not exceed 400mg. Caffeine in tea works a bit different from the one in coffee even though it is the same substance. L-theanine in tea gives a calming effect, allowing the same energy boost, but without the jitter.

Is green tea safe in pregnancy?

American Pregnancy Association suggests pregnant women should not take more than 200mg of caffeine per day.[13] Roasted green tea like hojicha generally contains much less caffeine than unroasted green tea and may be a better option during the pregnancy. It’s important to talk to your healthcare provider regarding drinking tea during the pregnancy. Also, it might be possible that EGCG is preventing the absorption of folic acid[14], so it might be safer to avoid drinking green tea, especially the one with high levels of ECGC, before and during the pregnancy.

Is Green Tea Bad for kidneys?

Many articles suggest that drinking too much tea can lead to the formation of kidney stones. Several studies confirmed that drinking too much ice tea – even green - might be dangerous for kidneys – due to sugar. On contrary, unsweetened tea is linked with the lower risk of kidney stones[15] and matcha specifically, could be beneficial for treating kidney disease connected to Type 2 diabetes [16]. On the other hand, even too much water alone can be dangerous, but that limit is nowhere near your regular daily needs – unless you drink 15 liters of liquid daily. What could be another point of concern is drinking green tea from unknown origins, heavily treated with herbicides and pesticides that could cause serious kidney damage. A good example is a potential lawsuit against Monsanto over many kidney disease deaths in Sri Lanka linked to their herbicide Roundup used in tea fields as well.[17]

Is Green Tea Good or bad for your liver?

Continuous consumption of high levels of EGCG might be toxic for liver. Some argue that the maximum dose of EGCG should be as low as 700mg while other research mentions a much higher number. A few cups of green tea per day will probably not have any negative effects on the liver. Extra attention is needed with matcha tea that has (in most cases) higher amount of EGCG. There were cases of liver failure linked to green tea polyphenols but mostly taken in the form of supplements with higher concentrated levels of EGCG.[18] Two regular cups of matcha are not likely to get you near dangerous levels.

Green tea and beauty

Another great use of green tea is in the beauty industry. The market is full of green tea products – from anti-aging creams to soaps, shampoos, perfumes and feet masks. The price range is wide – from extra cheap supermarket products to luxury expensive toiletries. Green tea easily became a highly desirable ingredient. But, can it really make a difference in beauty treatments?

Is Green Tea Good for your skin?

Green tea in skin products is used for two main reasons – to act as an anti-inflammatory agent and to prevent skin aging. The results are more than promising, but the efficiency will depend on the type of product and the level of catechins .[19] Of course, not all beauty product containing catechins will be the same. If you want to include green tea into your beauty regime, the best way to avoid being disappointed might be making those products by yourself. We would not suggest treating serious skin problems that require medical attention at home in a DIY way, but using an organic home-made face or foot mask might give you face and feet a much-needed pampering, with results than many mass-market products.

Can drinking green tea help acne?

Yes, it can. Including green tea into your daily regime might be a step toward nicer and cleaner skin. Quite a recent research conducted by the scientist from the University of California reported that green tea may have a great impact on skin condition – specifically, on sebum control and clearing acne vulgaris.[20] DIY home-made green tea mask could be a first step of treating your skin with respect. We recommend choosing organic green tea powder or matcha - if you don’t mind the price tag.

Are you still confused?

After reading the whole article, you might be quite confused about the safe amounts of green tea or which tea might be the best option. It really depends. The most you can do for your health is carefully choosing your online tea shop and fully converting to drinking pure tea. Creating daily habits and tea ritual might help in relaxing, getting rid of stress and finding a few important moments only for yourself. If those few moments can be enriched with a cup of high-quality green tea packed with antioxidants, both your body and your mind will be more than grateful.

[1] Some real teas are made from relatives of Camellia sinesis, but due to similarity, some argue it is the same plant.

[2] An Update on the Health Benefits of Green Tea; Wanda C. Reygaert Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI 48309, USA;

[3] https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/brewing-evidence-for-teas-heart-benefits

[4] https://www.asianscientist.com/2012/10/in-the-lab/green-tea-protect-against-parkinsons-disease-2012/

[5] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321406.php

[6] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2007.176

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537891/

[8] https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/90/5/1390/4598164

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459493/

[10] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021967303011336?via%3Dihub

[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4573099/

[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29655718

[13] http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/caffeine-intake-during-pregnancy/

[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4557736/

[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731916/

[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19735169

[17] http://www.gmo.news/2018-08-21-please-cover-2.html

[18] https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/tx7000515

[19] https://www.mdedge.com/edermatologynews/article/110317/aesthetic-dermatology/update-green-tea

[20] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5384166/