We can trace the origins of organic green tea back to 2737 B.C. when Emperor Shen Nung of China accidentally tasted water boiled with leaves that flew into his pot from a nearby shrub. Shen Nung, who was also a devoted herbalist, found the brew refreshing. And thus, a new drink was born.
In the beginning, green tea was very expensive to consume, only available to the Chinese elite. It was only after the 14th century that it became available to the public for medicinal use and enjoyment.
Since then, green tea has spread from eastern Asia to all over the world. Today, green tea is everywhere in the mainstream market, from loose-leaf to powder form, and available in baked goods and breath fresheners, and even cosmetics. Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, and almost 80% of U.S. households have green tea in their kitchens.
But what makes organic green tea different from normal teas? Well, organic green tea is tea that’s been organically and ethically sourced and manufactured, and produced without additives and chemical processes that are harmful to health.
In this article, you’ll learn about the benefits of drinking green tea, which are the best organic green tea brands, and the care you should take while consuming green tea.
Benefits of green tea
Weight loss
While there is no magic pill that’ll help you shed pounds, green tea can help you in your weight loss venture, when combined with a healthy lifestyle. Green tea has a powerful antioxidant called catechin, and around 24-40 mg of caffeine per cup. These elements speed up your metabolism and help in fat oxidation. Combined with exercise, green tea is super effective in shedding belly fat and losing weight.
Prevents heart diseases
Research shows that regular consumption of green tea reduces the risk of stroke and heart diseases. Green tea has an antioxidant called polyphenol—it reduces inflammation and improves cell function in blood and heart vessels. This helps prevent heart diseases.
A study conducted in China shows that out of 100,000 participants, the ones who drank green tea every day had 20% fewer chances of suffering from heart disease and stroke compared to those who didn’t.
Enhanced alertness
The caffeine in green tea—although not as high as in coffee—acts as a stimulant and improves reaction time, vigilance, memory, and mood. Green tea also contains the amino acid named L-theanine, which crosses the blood-brain barrier and has anti-anxiety effects on the brain.
Reduces bad breath
Green tea contains antibacterial properties that fend off naturally occurring germs in your mouth and helps keep your breath fresh. The antioxidant called polyphenol prevents the formation of the foul odor that’s caused by bacterial growth.
Prevents the risk of cancer and diabetes
The polyphenols present in green tea prevent the growth of radicals that cause various cancers. A review of various observational studies concluded that women who drank green tea regularly had a 20–30% lower risk of developing breast cancer—one of the most common cancers in women.
Green tea helps in increasing insulin sensitivity and maintaining blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of Type–2 Diabetes—caused by insulin resistance. According to a review of 7 studies, tea drinkers showed an 18% lower risk of getting Type–2 diabetes.
Enhances life-expectancy
Green tea has so many health benefits—thanks to its digestive, anti-inflammatory, and rejuvenating properties—that it’s not surprising that it helps increase your lifespan. A study conducted in China with 100,000 participants showed that the ones who often consumed green tea lived an average of 15 months longer than the ones who didn’t.
Does green tea have caffeine?
While many believe that green tea has no caffeine, it’s a myth. Yes, green tea has caffeine and we derive many of its benefits from caffeine, as you already read above.
An average cup of green tea contains around 30–40 mg of caffeine, and drinking around 8 cups of green tea a day fulfills the recommended quota of 400 mg caffeine/day. However, avoid doing that if you are caffeine sensitive.
Best organic green teas
All the green teas in this list are organically sourced, ethically produced, and have a great taste suitable for every palette. So, let’s hop in!
Pique Tea: Organic Tea Crystals
Pique tea has one of the unique tea formulas on the market. They use F-SIS technology to brew loose-leaf tea at a cold temperature for 8 hours and the resulting powder is fine and instantly dissolvable. Their Triple Toxin Screening ensures the tea powder is free of heavy metals, pesticides, and mold.
This tea is best for life on the go—you can enjoy a perfect cup of green tea without having to take time off to brew it. Which also makes it travel-friendly. Pique Tea has some refreshing flavors like Jasmine, Matcha, Mint Sencha, Passion Fruit, etc. All these taste great and I’m sure you’ll find something for yourself in their exciting collection. Shop Pique Tea here.
Photo: piquelife.com
Yogi Tea
Yogi believes that a perfect blend of organic tea has more to it than its taste and health benefits. Under their Responsible Sourcing Program, they ensure their tea sourcing and manufacturing practices support Labor Practices and Human Rights, Health and Safety, and Environmental Sustainability. All their teas undergo standard quality testing and are USDA Certified Organic. Plus, they make all their packaging from biodegradable ingredients, free from any plastics.
Yogi Tea has a wide range of teas specializing in relaxing, rejuvenating, and healing properties. They offer flavors like Blueberry, Kombucha, Soothing Rose Hibiscus, Raspberry Passion, Vanilla Spice, etc. Yogi is a great option for those who want to relax with an aromatic and healing cup of green tea. Shop their range here.
Photo: instagram.com/yogiteaeurope
Traditional Medicinals
A leading seller of wellness tea, Traditional Medicinals is a certified B-Corp that “embraces sustainability, ingredient purity, and social and environmental activism.” Their tea is ethically sourced and tested from field to cup to ensure quality and strength, and composition. All their blends are created according to various traditional systems of herbal medicine.
Traditional Medicinals should be your go-to brand for simple yet effective blends that offer a variety of health benefits. Their flavors range from Orange, Elderberry, and Warm Vanilla, to Everyday Detox, Organic Immune Zoom, Dandelion, etc. To grab your batch of healing and subtly flavored tea, shop their collection here.
Photo: instagram.com/tradmedicinals
Thrive Market
Thrive Market is a sustainable online marketplace that’s on a mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. They’re already carbon neutral and are working toward becoming carbon negative by 2025. They also have this scheme where every paid membership offers one free membership to someone in need.
Thrive Market has a mini collection of organic green teas that are great if you’re looking for some quality loose-leaf tea at affordable prices. They offer flavors like Ceremonial and Culinary Matcha Tea, Darjeeling Tea, and Nepali Green Pearl Tea. Shop their range of sustainable and organic green teas here.
Photo: thrivemarket.com
Republic of Tea
Republic of Tea is a socially and environmentally responsible business, promoting a “Sip by Sip Rather Than Gulp by Gulp lifestyle”. Their About Us page has well-presented information on how they source their teas from China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Vietnam. They assure quality and ethics with certifications like USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Fair-Trade, Gluten-Free, etc.
The Republic of Tea is the best overall organic green tea brand. From loose-leaf and packaged, to decaf and dark chocolate, they have something for everyone. Some of their best blends are Orange Guava, Honey Ginseng, Strawberry Basil, Jasmine Pearl, and a lot more. Shop their vast collection of delicious and healthy green tea here.
Photo: instagram.com/republicoftea
Buddha Teas
Buddha Teas is another amazing organic green tea brand that aims to “satisfy the soul and please the senses” with their green teas. They serve 100% unaltered and organic green teas at affordable price points, packaged in bleach-free bags. They are a USDA Certified brand and all their blends are free of artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and GMOs.
Buddha Tea has an exciting and healing range of green teas you can choose from. Some variants they offer are Hubei Jasmine, CBD Matcha, Cranberry, Cenmaicha, Dragon Well, and many more. All their flavors are unique, tasty, and naturally beneficial. Shop their green tea here.
Photo: instagram.com/buddhateas
Celestial Seasonings
Celestial Seasonings is an organic herbal tea brand that’s been around since 1969. They blend their teas with care from ‘seed to sip’, in eight steps that include testing raw ingredients for perfect quality and expert blending techniques. Celestial Seasonings also gives back to the planet through its local and national philanthropic efforts.
Their organic green tea collection is unique and has something for every taste bud. Their flavors range from Candy Cane Lane and Decaf Mint to Matcha Green and Sleepytime Lemon Jasmine. You can find them right here.
Photo: instagram.com/celestialtea
How to brew green tea
The most common instruction to brew green tea is to steep the tea in hot water for 3 minutes. However, the brewing process has much more to it, depending on the type of green tea you choose and the flavor you prefer.
For example, Japanese teas are brewed at a comparatively lower temperature than average—from 160 degrees F to 170 degrees F. And Chinese teas are brewed at a comparatively higher temperature—at 170 degrees F–180 degrees F.
You might also need to steep the tea longer if you want a strong flavor, and for a shorter time if you prefer a mild flavor.
Depending on the tea you choose from the list above, be sure to do some research on brewing tips for a balanced, flavorful cup of tea.
Avoid this to prevent the side effects of green tea
You might’ve heard about the side effects of green tea. As is common with any sort of tea, coffee, or medicinal drink, overconsumption of green tea can negatively affect your health.
It can have many adverse health effects like anemia, impaired thyroid function, liver problems, headaches and nausea, insomnia, etc.
To avoid this, limit your green tea consumption to an average of 3-4 cups daily. It is also advisable to ensure that you do not have any hypersensitivity to green tea or health conditions that might get affected by green tea consumption.
Green tea is an excellent health drink and has many benefits, but like other healing medicines, it’s best consumed at a limit.
Those are all the recommendations and tips we have for you. We hope these tips help, and that you find a favorite flavor amongst the ones listed above. Consume with care, and we’re sure you’ll soon see the positive effects of green tea on your health!
