The practice of drinking Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) was
brought to Japan by monks returning from their studies at the great Zen
monostaries of 12th century China. For them, tea functioned as an aid to
meditation, as a health aid, and as a tool to propagate Zen.
As the years went by, tea and the reason for drinking it
changed, but it never went out of fashion. Today, Green Tea is one of the three
major non-acloholic beverages in the world. Green Tea is a typical non-fermented
tea that is enjoyed by many and is immensley popular in Japan. It is utilzed as
both a daily beverage and as a healthful drink.
Green Tea contains a rich natural source of polyphenols and
bioflavonoids. Recent studies have identified the valuable active constituents
of Green Tea and continue to review its historical uses.