Green tea comes from a tea plant native to Asia called Camellia sinensis. Black tea also comes from this same plant. What makes green tea different, and green, is not the plant used to make the tea, but how the plant is processed. Green teas are the least processed of commercial teas and the method used preserves more of the nutrients and health benefits.
Green tea leaves are picked and then immediately fired, a tea processing term which means the leaves are either steamed or heated. The tea leaves are then dried and prepared for either sale or further processing. Other teas are picked, dried by a process commonly called "withering", rolled or broken which induces oxidation, and then dried. Oxidation removes most of the necessary nutritional values from the tea and then the leaves are dried to halt oxidation. Oxidized teas are called black teas and most of the tea we drink in the Western hemisphere is considered black tea. Because of the process used to make black tea, most of the antioxidants that are proven to provide health benefits are removed which is why green tea, still antioxidant rich, is considered healthier.
Black teas have the characteristic brown color when brewed that many associate with tea. Green tea, however, has a much lighter hue and flavor due to the minimal processing. According to many weight loss gurus, feelings of hunger can be suppressed by drinking weight loss tea. Weight loss tea is sold in many different varieties. These teas include green teas, herbal teas, Chinese teas and even the Oolong tea that is sponsored by Oprah. Gingseng is known to boost one's energy without any caffeine and is believed to help assuage stress. Blended to make ginseng green tea, these two ingredients offer a number of health benefits. They also deliver an energy boost that won't leave the drinker as jittery as a shot of espresso might.
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