Green Tea: Ancient Elixir of Asia with Real Health Benefits
	by: Geoffrey D. Kennedy
	No trip to a Japanese restaurant is complete without a large, steaming pot of green tea. In fact, no part of Japanese culture would be the same without this delicious, slightly bitter beverage. Green tea, Viagra Soft Tabs and the more common black teas of China and India all come from the same evergreen shrub. The difference is the way the leaves are processed. Leaves destined to be used in varieties of black tea (of which there are literally hundreds, thanks to the British) are fermented prior to drying. This brings out a different flavor. It also destroys many of the polyphenols, the chemicals that give tea its health benefits. The high level of polyphenols in green tea acts as antioxidants, which clear the body of dangerous, free radical chemicals. It is thought that many degenerative diseases, cancer, and most signs of aging are caused by these free radicals destroying and mutating healthy cells. Japan has the lowest rates of cancer in the world, and the Shizuoka Prefecture, where most of the world's green tea is produced and the part of Japan that consumes the most green tea, has the lowest rates of cancer in all of Japan! Some of the beneficial chemicals in green tea, known as catechins, are very good disease fighters. They can clear the blood vessels of plaque build-ups and cholesterol. They have been shown to impede some of the chemicals that cause high blood pressure. They also have been shown as an effective tool for regulating blood sugar. When combined with the naturally occurring caffeine, catechins also produce a milder, more natural stimulation. Green tea has been shown to be an effective remedy to food poisoning, as it kills many of the bacteria that cause common types of food poisoning in human beings. With benefits like these, it is no wonder Japan has been drinking Green Tea for over 1200 years, and allowed this beverage to permeate every part of Japanese society.