Is Green Tea A Herbal Tea?

I talk about green tea a lot due to its many beneficial effects on our bodies. It has active ingredients that protect our health from different modern diseases.

People all over the world drink it but do they know what kind of tea it is? Is green tea a herbal tea?

If you learn about teas more seriously, you will come across this drink for sure.

While black tea is popular in Europe and America, green tea is a daily consumed hot drink in the East.

What kind of tea is it?

It is made from tea leaves of Camellia sinensis so it is a real tea.

Herbal teas are made from specific plants as chamomile, rose hips, elderflower, etc. It is the only tea that isn’t exposed to the process of fermentation (they heat up the leaves immediately after they pick it over steam to destroy enzymes) and thus keeps natural substances that have a beneficial effect on our health.

It is a real treasury for health and it isn’t surprising that it has been prescribed for the treatment of many diseases in the past. Its antioxidant activity is generally known.

Among the healthiest teas in the world

124 currently beneficial pharmacological properties of green tea have been scientifically confirmed to help with 400 disease conditions. Micro-nutrients in the drink have many benefits for the human body.

Health benefits of drinking green tea

As I already mentioned, this hot drink has many advantages, so I am presenting some of the crucial ones.

• Regulates the body weight (if you drink it first thing in the morning, it lowers your blood sugar, the level of which maintains even after eating the meal, as it reduces the glycemic index of food by 20%).
• Helps to prevent cancer
• Protects the skin from free radicals that cause skin aging, and also helps to prevent skin cancer
• Lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol in the blood
• Works antiviral
• Prevents cardiovascular disease
• Promotes metabolic processes
• Prevents bad breath and inhibits the growth of bacteria in the oral cavity
• Detoxifies the body
• Drinking it before sports activities works safely on tissues and cells against possible injuries
• Reduces the possibility of Parkinson’s disease
• Helps in liver transplantation
• Helps to maintain a normal blood pressure
• Facilitates allergies

Which one is the best to choose?

We have a wide selection of types that differ greatly in taste. We know Japanese and Chinese green tea.

Japanese teas

Japanese green tea is unfermented and has a distinctly green color. The most common types of Japanese green tea are:

Sencha: pleasantly refreshing, contains a bit more caffeine and tannins. It has a more pronounced taste and isn’t so bitter.

Bancha: more subtle taste, it contains very little caffeine, so it doesn’t cause problems with insomnia.

Chinese teas

They are mildly fermented, with light yellow to a yellow-orange color. The most common type are:

Long Jing (also lung ching): it has a mild, sweet taste with a refreshing effect, so it is appropriate in hot summer days

Huang Shan Mao Feng: the leaves are surrounded by white fluff. It has a fresh and sweet taste

Hina Gunpowder: Tea leaves are wrapped in beads; it is fresh, tasty and exhilarating.

Green tea quality

The quality of green tea depends on the age of the leaves from which it is made.

The best ones are referred to as “pekoe“, which means that the tea you buy is made from the most reputed parts of the plant, from young, unopened leafy tips.

Gourmets usually recommend Japanese green tea brands (Gyokuro or Sencha for example), as they have a slightly milder taste than Chinese green teas.

Nevertheless, you can also get special ones such as China gunpowder and Long jing to enjoy.

How to make a cup?

Boil water in a glass or metal (not an aluminum) container. Pour hot water that has to 70-80°C over the tea bag or the leaves. Let it stand for 2-3 minutes in the water for an invigorating effect.

Can it stop diarrhea?

If you left it to stand for 4-7 minutes, it will have a more relaxing effect, as more of the amount of caffeine will be reduced.

However, when you want to take advantage of the healing effects of tannins (for example to alleviate diarrhea), you can leave the tea for up to 10 minutes and then strain it to drink.

Enjoy it slowly and in peace. It is not ordinary to add sugar, milk or honey in the tea but you can if you like to. I recommend drinking 3 to 4 cups per day, not more.

Possible side-effects

Green tea isn’t suitable for pregnant women and nursing mothers because it contains caffeine.

It is also not advisable for people with a sensitive stomach, as drinking large amounts of it stimulates the increased secretion of gastric acid.

It shouldn’t be used in combination with certain medicines. If you are taking medication, ask your doctor about drinking it.

If you have trouble sleeping, enjoy it only in the morning. Its invigorating effect doesn’t occur immediately after drinking, and although it is weaker than coffee, it lasts longer.

Invigorating caffeine drink

So, is green tea a herbal tea? No, it isn’t because it is made from the leaves of the plant Camellia Sinensis. All teas that come from this plant are real teas.

You have many choices when getting this type of tea. You can choose between Japanese or Chinese teas.

Chinese can be stronger and bitterer, while Japanese has a more pleasant taste regarding people’s reaction. You can also choose different tea brands, pure or aromatic green tea.

I recommend you to try this powerful drink if you still didn’t try it. Not only that it has a specific pleasant and aromatic taste, but it is also very healthy for you.

Try it pure without any additives. If you can’t drink it after one week, add some lemon or honey in the drink. Generally, it is drinkable without any additives but you decide how will you drink it.