Other than Farm Blog

Links to various research topics and findings on green tea health benefits. (Last updated on November 23, 2013) Green Tea - University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea Tea and Cancer Prevention: Strengths and Limits of the Evidence - National Cancer Institute http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/tea TEA AND HEALTH -- An Overview of Research on the Potential Health Benefits of Tea -- http://www.teausa.com/teausa/images/2012/07/Research%20Summary%20Draft%2003-15-09.pdf Health Effects of Tea - wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tea A Guide to the Health Benefits of Green Tea, Compiled and Edited by Edward Esko - The Preventive Medicine Center http://www.thepmc.org/2009/12/library-health-benefits-of-green-tea/ Foods That Fight Cancer - green tea - American Institute for Cancer Research http://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-cancer/foodsthatfightcancer_green_tea.html

Green tea is often served at sushi restaurants not just for healthy drink, but also known to reduce risk of food poisoning. Some of the most deadly food poisoning bacteria are very sensitive to green tea polyphenols (catechins).  C. botulinum is commonly found in soil, yet most notable botulism cases come from improperly canned foods.  In order to destroy C. botulinum spores, you must cook at 120C for more than 4 minutes.  In green tea drinks due to its antimicrobial property 85C for 30 minutes can almost completely destroy.  In intestinal tract it is reported that less than 100ppm of green tea catechins is required to achieve MIC for C. botulinum. Hara et. al. (*1) shows that effects of green tea catechins (green tea polyphenols) on human intestinal bacteria.  Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum generally considered as beneficial bacteria showed significantly greater minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to catechins while   Clostridium and Staphylococcus that c

Fat becomes free radicals http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lipid_peroxidation.svg Initiation When foods containing unsaturated lipid (LH) enter the body, free radicals (X') steal electrons from the lipids causing lipid peroxidation, the unsaturated fat becomes lipid radical (L'). Propagation Because lipid radical is not very stable, it readily reacts with oxygen (O2) in the air and becomes peroxyl radical (LOO'). Since this free peroxyl radical is unstable, it continues chain reaction with other free fatty acid. Termination When a free radical collides with non-radical, it creates another free radical. When two radicals collide, it creates non-radicals. This only happens when concentration of free radicals is high. Typically, human body has protective mechanisms to speed up termination process by utilizing antioxidants. There are more than one way that free radicals can form in the body. Some of which are tobacco smoke, radiation, environmental t

What is green tea antioxidants and catechins? Green tea antioxidants are called catechins.  Tea generally contains 11-17% of catechins and they are water soluble.  EGCg or epi-galo-catechin-galate is one of catechins. Here is each of the green tea catechins % found in green tea. EG  (0.9%) EGC  (3.6%) ECg  (2.2%) EGCg (7.9%) *Percentage of each catechin vary depending on cultivation, harvest seasons, harvested leaf type, processing style, and even brewing temperature.  This is an average %.   Why is green tea antioxidants, especially EGCg, effective in keeping us healthy? Green tea antioxidants are highly effective antioxidants compared to antioxidants found in other foods.  The table shows that the effectiveness of green tea antioxidants, especially EGCg, is significantly higher than others.  EGCg is 87.5 times more effective than vitamin C and 15 times more effective than BHT  (wikipedia link)  and BHA  (wikipedia link)   (These are chemical food additives to keep foods

Lately I'm more excited about edamame harvest than tea.  Like many legumes soybeans have symbiotic nitrogen fixing and  bacteria living in the roots to increase nitrogen in soybean plants as well as soil. Soybean's root system is also known to natural farmers to improve soil conditions and water infiltration by breaking hard pan or impermeable layer. Also residual leaf litter is great for surface mulch yet it decompose quickly to allow next season of cropping.    Many farmers use soybeans as a cover crop or green manure to till into the soil to increase the soil nitrogen, but I find that waiting for soybeans to actually go to seeds and let the plants harden or increase in carbon ratio has a greater effect on improving soil texture, especially when the soil is less than desirable condition.  In our tea-soybean cropping system, soybeans enrich the soil when tea is still young, reducing the use of fertilizers, plowing and even compost.  And tea in the following season gets sweeter

Tea making is expression of bitter note.  Bitterness is only relative to other flavors.  Sweet taste in green tea is balanced by mild bitterness to give complete flavor profile while oxidation of bitter leaf adds floral and fruity notes. Many people think green tea is bitter.  It's true, green tea can be bitter.  However, there are ways to reduce bitterness in green tea both tea making as well as preparation. We'll explore tea makers effort to reduce bitterness.  also check out another post on how to prepare green tea to minimize bitterness and increase enjoyment of green tea. http://blog.maunakeatea.com/2013/07/how-to-prepare-your-green-tea-less.html Green tea makers make tea less bitter in their processing Green tea makers often use bitterness as an indication of skill level as well as understanding of tea making.  Tea makers try to minimize bitterness while maintaining fresh aroma and flavor balanced.  Some experienced tea makers not only minimize bitterness, but

Preparation of bitter tea and sweeter tea Some people got smart.  If you have bitter tea, add sugar and milk.  That was one solution.  If you have no control over tea cultivation and processing, climate, leaf material and processing, there are still ways to make your tea less bitter. If you don't know where to start.... Try this first. 1. Put 3g of tea leaves into a tea pot. 2. Pour 8oz of hot water (190F) over the tea. 3. Steep 1 min. 4. Pour all the water out of tea pot into a cup. Unless the tea you have comes with steeping guide, this is your starting point. If the tea is bitter, a. use less leaf b. use lower temperature c. use shorter steeping time Each time you get better at making the best cup of tea. Here are some tips and explanation on how to make your tea less bitter. 1. Use better quality leaves or a different type of green tea Higher quality leaves often contain more tips, tender leaves and bright green to darker green dry leaves.   Younger leaf mean

We hear quite a few incidence of pesticide contamination from Chinese tea.  One might wonder what is really happening with tea grown in China or anywhere else.  I remember a lot of farmers in Japan telling me that tea always attracts pests, and pesticides and tea are always inseparable.  Although it sounds like a reasonable excuse for tea farmers, but I believe there is much deeper cause of this tea, pest and disease relationship. Tea, pests, disease and pesticides are almost always big topics among tea farmers.  Because there are pests and disease, farmers have to spray or else they lose the crop or the harvest will be heavily damaged.  So the farmers go out and spray once, twice, three times.... and on and on until they are through with their annual cycle.  In Japan, some tea farmers brag about only spraying 5-6 times in one year.  They are considered eco-farmers. In my past 7 years of tea cultivation, there has never been a time I had to spray.  Should I say, I intentionally let

Often we take so many things for granted and don't realize how great things are in the midst of all the chaos that we have. I found some old photos from when I just started planting tea on our farm and saw the photos side by side.  What a transformation I have created without even realizing.  I always tend to look where I am headed and make it better, but nice to reflect on the things I have done. I feel that there are so much to be done and always will be that way.  Just have to appreciate what I have sometimes. ... so take a little deep breath and a little moment of gratitude, that we have so many things came together to make this work.  We are very grateful for all the help we got and all the things that made this come true. Gassho, Taka before After