URESHINO, Saga Pref.-- Green tea is back.
Despite coffee's near-dominance over green tea in Japan's offices and homes for the last 40 years, the fragrant beverage that once defined Japan is riding on a new wave of health awareness. Leaf tea sales are rising. More drinks, foods and even beauty products made with green tea are available now than ever before. Even organic green tea has found a market in Japan.
The health benefits of green tea have been the focus of numerous studies in recent years. Made by steaming and rolling leaves in their unfermented green state, green tea retains more vitamins (particularly B2, B6 and C) than tea processed from fermented or partially fermented leaves, such as black or oolong tea. The high content of nontoxic catechins (a type of tannin) in green tea has antioxidant qualities linked to longevity, which reportedly reduce blood pressure and prevent cancer, heart and liver diseases.
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