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.