Many people drink tea, and one kind in particular is growing in popularity in the Western world: green tea. The light flavored tea is more than just a hot drink in winter or a substitute for coffee. It's packed with all kind of health benefits. Green tea has been cultivated in the Far East for thousands of years, and now is beginning to be used in vitamin, herbal and nutritional supplements.

More people in the United States today are seeking the benefits of green tea in other forms; especially as a nutritional supplement (green tea extract). The reasons for this are many and varied. Green tea is not only an antioxidant like many vitamins; it also helps to boost the metabolism. It contains anti-inflammatory properties as well as certain anti-aging properties as well, and its benefits treat both inside and outside organs and skin tissues. The reason for such beneficial health properties is because green tea extract contains what are known as polyphenols, which are antioxidants, as well as antibiotic components. Green tea is also known as Chinese tea, and can be found in leaf, nugget or powdered forms.

Because green tea, unlike black tea, is not fermented, polyphenols are kept intact and are so most effective in vitamin nutritional supplements. Some researchers have even studied the effects of green tea extract supplements on certain types of cancers and weight loss. While billions of people in Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea have utilized green tea for generations; its use on the western world has been more limited. In recent years however, the benefits of using green tea extract in vitamin nutritional supplements has become more apparent.

For hundreds of years, green tea has been used to soothe stomachaches as well as vomiting and diarrhea. Especially in Asia, the tea has been used to also prevent tooth decay as well as maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It is widely accepted in Asia that green tea also prevents certain types of bacterial infections as well as tissue cancers to the stomach, pancreas, prostate and bladder, among other organs.

For those who don't care to drink tea of any sort, green tea extract is available in powdered or capsule form as part of a vitamin or nutritional supplement, but keep in mind that in many cases, such capsules are not regulated by government standards and that dosages and ingredients may vary among manufacturers. But from providers that you trust when it comes to your health green tea extract can be very powerful; and that goes for any nutritional supplements in the form of herbs, vitamins, minerals and multi vitamin selections

Green tea is considered a safe herbal drink that has been consumed for over three thousand years. Few people are allergic to the tea, and it does contain caffeine. Some people experience some nausea if they drink too much, so moderation is the key. Of course, since it contains caffeine, drinking the tea too close to bedtime may keep you awake, and pregnant or nursing women should refrain from drinking the tea due to the caffeine.

While preparation of the tea varies according to country and locality, all green teas are picked and then dried quickly by heating with anything from steam to pan firing. Most Chinese green teas are fired, and may come in many different shapes and forms.

Many people drink a pot of green tea a day to reap the greatest benefit from this ancient beverage. However, drinking too much of the tea may cause adverse affects, so as with anything, use moderation and common sense when it comes to anything you put into your body. The benefits of drinking green tea more than outweigh the potential side effects, and if able to even to half of what people have claimed for centuries would still be a pretty good deal.