Green tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. (2)
But is green tea the magical cure-all it’s cracked up to be?
The Chinese started producing it about 5,000 years ago and would love for us to believe nothing beats it. That’s because they produce a third of the world’s green tea, about 2.5 million tons in 2017 alone. (1)
Weight loss supplements boast green tea as one of the mystical ingredients that will transform us into Greek gods and goddesses.
So does green tea really have benefits that mimic the Coffee and Mental Strength connection?
Before we answer, lets define exactly what green tea is.
For the fellow botanists, green tea is a type of tea made from Camelia sinensis leaves. These leaves also make standard black tea and oolong tea. (2)
But the big difference is green tea does not undergo the same withering, fermentation and oxidation process as used in the before-mentioned teas. (2)
- Catechin polyphenols are the primary compounds responsible for the (purposed) health benefits.
- Green tea has caffeine which provides a stimulant, and theanine (amino acid) provides a relaxing property. These compounds vary based on several factors.
- The quality of the green tea is impacted by cultivation, harvest, processing, storage and preparation, which all affect taste, aroma, morphology and bio-activity of the leaves. (2)
So what does this mean for you and your mental strength?
It’s good news, really.
Researchers at the Center for Cellular Physiology found that compounds in green tea actually do have brain-boosting powers. These compounds have strong antioxidant properties, prevent age-related neuro-damage and have been found to help fight Alzheimer’s, MS and Parkinson’s. (4)
And researchers with the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that frequent green tea drinkers have a better mood! (3)
So drink up!
Of all the green tea options, we favor Matcha Green Tea.
Matcha is known for using the highest quality leaves and has a rich, traditional history. And maybe most importantly, it’s totally delicious.
There are many ways to drink Matcha Green Tea. If you don’t mind the milk and sugar, Starbucks has a Matcha Green Tea Latte.
But you might find that plain Matcha Green Tea is the best option — it’s tasty and packed with nutrients.
In fact, an ancient Japanese Zen Buddhist monk named Eisai famously said, “matcha green tea is the elixir of the immortals.”
That is good enough for us!
Until next week.
Your team at Mental Strength
P.S. If you want to build rock-solid mental toughness starting today, you are invited to order the Mental Strength and Peak Performance Training Manual.
References:
(1) The World’s Top 10 Tea Producing Nations
worldatlas.com/articles/the-worlds-top-10-tea-producing-nations.html
(2) Green Tea: The Plants, Processing, Manufacturing and Production
researchgate.net/publication/268391107_Green_Tea_The_Plants_Processing_Manufacturing_and_Production
(3) Green tea consumption is associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly
academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/90/6/1615/4598112
(4) Role of green tea catechins in prevention of age-related cognitive decline: Pharmacological targets and clinical perspective
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcp.27289