Green tea represents a variety of tea produced exclusively from the leaves of tea plant. What distinguishes this from black tea is the fact that green tea goes through minimal oxidation. This variety of tea has been first cultivated and produced in China, but at the moment there are also other countries that manufacture it. China, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia are the four top countries responsible for most of the green tea production and export in the world. In China, different green tea varieties are grown in the following provinces:

•    Anhui Province
•    Fujian Province
•    Henan Province
•    Hubei Province
•    Hunan Province
•    Jiangsu Province
•    Jiangxi Province
•    Sichuan Province
•    Zheijang Province

Each of these provinces grows several varieties of green tea. Japan is also the home of numerous popular types of green tea. There may be differences between the varieties of green tea, but the brewing process is basically the same. The recommended amount of leaves is 2 grams for 100 ml of water, or a teaspoon per 150ml. A greater amount of leaves can be infused if they are of very high quality. The reason behind this statement is that high quality leaves can be used for more than just one infusion. In this case, however, the steeping time is reduced dramatically.

The steeping time and temperature are not the same between the various types of green tea. The steeping time ranges from 30 seconds to 2 or 3 minutes. On the other hand, the steeping temperatures are between 61 to 69 degrees Celsius and 81 to 87 degrees Celsius. A higher quality of the leaves is correlated with a shorter steeping time and a lower temperature. On the other hand, leaves of a lower quality must be steeped for longer with water of a higher temperature.

While green tea is presumed to have many health benefits, not all of them are sustained by tests and studies. Still, it is no doubt that green tea abounds in the following nutrients and chemical compounds:

•    Carotenoids
•    Catechins
•    Chromium
•    Manganese
•    Selenium
•    Tocopherols
•    Vitamin C
•    Zinc

All these have certain benefits on the human body. Also, green tea is believed to have a stronger antioxidant effect than black tea. Even though the human studies are unreliable, tests performed on animals suggested that green tea can be used for such health conditions as:

•    Cardiovascular problems
•    Cognitive function problems
•    Dental cavities
•    Kidney stones
•    Low bone density

Still, in humans green tea is not able to lower the cholesterol levels. In turn, green tea extracts that are rich in polyphenols and caffeine are apparently able to provoke thermogenesis. As a consequence, fat gets oxidized and the metabolism is accelerated by 4 percent, while the heart rate remains unchanged. This is why many weight loss manufacturers include green tea extracts in their products.