This article is about the type of t

This article is about the type of tea. For other uses, see Green Tea (disambiguation).
This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.
This article contains Japanese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of kanji and kana.


The appearance of green tea in three different stages (from left to right): the infused leaves, the dry leaves, and the liquid. Notice that the infused leaves look greener than the dry leaves.


The tea fields in the foothills of Gorreana, Azores Islands, Portugal: the only European region to support green tea production.
Green tea is made from the leaves from Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originated in China,[1] but it has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. Green tea has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea has been the traditionally consumed tea. Green tea has become the raw material for extracts which are used in various beverages, health foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetic items.[2] Many varieties of green tea have been created in the countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, horticulture,[3] production processing, and harvesting time.
Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting that regular green tea drinkers may have a lower risk of developing heart disease[4] and certain types of cancer.[5] Although green tea does not raise the metabolic rate enough to produce immediate weight loss, a green tea extract containing polyphenols and caffeine has been shown to induce thermogenesis and stimulate fat oxidation, boosting the metabolic rate 4% without increasing the heart rate.[6]
The mean content of flavonoids in a cup of green tea is higher than that in the same volume of other food and drink items that are traditionally considered of health contributing nature, including fresh fruits, vegetable juices or wine.[7] Flavonoids are a group of phytochemicals present in most plant products that are responsible for health benefits such as anti-oxidative and anticarcinogenic functions.[7] However, the content of flavonoids may vary dramatically amongst different tea products.[8]