Health Focus: At ZGC, our Goal and our Mission of “Health enjoyment, and Quality of Life through Tea”, is directed at improving the lives of ZGC customers through better health by adopting the “Tea Lifestyle”, and incorporating it into their lives. It is our intention to share information about the benefits of the Tea Lifestyle with our customers, and to make the best selection of teas available for them to enjoy and to derive the benefits from that we have shared with them.
Our Mission is not to simply sell tea. Without assisting our customers in the pursuit of good health through incorporation of the Tea Lifestyle into their lives, our Mission is not complete.
As the ZGC website continues to develop the information on the benefits of adopting the Tea Lifestyle will be shared in greater and greater detail.
At ZGC, we are Tea Specialists, Researchers, Producers, and Merchants. We do not have medical degrees, but we continually follow research of the global medical profession on the health benefits of Tea, and bring that documented information to our customers.
Scientific research on the health benefits of Tea is abundant. The reputed health benefits of tea have been, and continue to be verified in study after study. All Tea has health benefits. The ZGC product line therefore focuses on many varieties of Select China Teas.
China Teas contain Nutrients. Amongst them are the following along with reputed benefits:
ü Catechins, antioxidants, cancer prevention, reduces cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, regulates glycemia, enhances immune system
ü Carbohydrates, reduces blood sugar levels
ü Vitamine C, antioxidant, prevention of scurvy and cancer
ü Vitamine E, antioxidant, prevention of cancer, promotes fertility
ü Zinc, prevents skin inflammation, enhances immune system
ü Selenium, antioxidant, cancer prevention
ü Flavenoids, Strengthens elasticity of capillary walls, beneficial to the heart, accelerates metabolism, improves urination,
ü Caffine, stimulates the central nervous system, accelerates energy, improves urination
ü Flourine, reduces tooth decay.
Our “Health Focus” pages contain information on all health benefits of the ZGC products, but heavily concentrate on the White and Green teas.
Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D. & Registered Dietitian in her book “Green Tea” shares her research with us on Green Tea being a Healing Medical Beverage for thousands of years that in recent years has had its validity and ancient reputation confirmed by scientists as having the ability to fight disease and even lengthen life. Nadine summarizes the powerful benefits of Green Tea as follows:*
ü Preventing normal cells from turning cancerous.
ü Suppressing the formation and growth of tumors.
ü Guarding against free radical damage that can bring about cancer, heart disease, diabetes, radiation damage, and aging.
ü Enhancing immune system function.
ü Controlling cholesterol levels.
ü Lowering the risk of stroke by making blood platelets less “sticky”.
ü Controlling blood pressure levels.
ü Keeping blood sugar at moderate levels.
ü Fighting deadly food-borne bacteria.
ü Promoting “friendly” bacteria in the intestines and encouraging bowel regularity.
ü Fighting viruses, including those that cause herpes simplex, polio, and even HIV.
ü Lowering the risk of post traumatic epileptic seizures in laboratory animals.
ü Assisting in weight loss by blocking the breakdown of starch.
ü Providing a mild stimulating effect without causing sleepless nights or nervousness.
ü Fighting bacteria in the mouth that causes cavities and bad breath.
ü Slowing the aging process.
ü Maintaining the body’s fluid balance.
ü Reducing stress.
ü Acting as a safe and effective natural preservative in food and cosmetics.
Nadine further explains that no other substance is know of that can claim such wide-ranging and powerful health benefits, and all without any negative side effects.
Catechins, which are polyphenols, are powerful antioxidants. Nadine explains that they are particularly powerful disease fighters that have wide ranging beneficial effects, from preventing food spoilage to halting the progression of cancer. Catechins are found in red wine, Ginko biloba leaves and in pine bark, but are in the greatest quantity in fresh tea leaves at an impressive 15-30% of their dry weight.*
ZGC searches China for the best quality Green and White Teas we can find. We locate them, purchase them, package them in our own facility to insure the quality, and rush them to our temperature controlled storage where they await delivery to ZGC customers.
These Select China Teas are chosen with the health benefits being the primary criteria for selection. At ZGC we focus on finding the best selections available, carefully preserving the purchased selections, and effectively getting them to the customers for enjoyment and health benefits.
ZGC Partially Processed “Oolongs” drop on average to 8-20% catechin content. While lower than the Greens and Whites, the Oolongs are still quite high in catechins, and therefore maintain much of the health benefits of the Whites and Greens,* but offer the Tea Drinker a vast selection of flavors resulting from the varietals and the processing done after plucking. Oolongs are also reputedly beneficial to aid in digestion, lower cholesterol levels, and promote slimming.
While the Fully Processed Blacks drop to 3-10% catechins, they do maintain some of the benefits of the Greens and Whites, and also offer other benefits such as theaflavins & thearubigens (antioxidants) which have been found to inhibit oxidation in fats. Oxidation in fats is likely the reason studies have shown Black Tea lowering the risk of strokes and death from heart disease.* Some other reputed Black Tea benefits are:
ü Helps reduce the occurrence of kidney stones.
ü Provides a calming, soothing effect to the stomach and intestines, and aid in digestion
ü Lowers cancer risks.
ü Aids in the detoxification capabilities of the liver.
ü Interferes with the formation of plaque and fights oral bacteria.
ZGC selects the best teas available keeping our focus on health as our primary criteria. In order to deliver the desired health benefits, ZGC takes great care to select the best, to store & handle the tea in a manner that protects & preserves it, and informs our customers in great detail how to store & prepare the tea without negatively affecting the healthful ingredients within the tea.
To achieve the desired result, you must begin with a quality product. There is a reason some teas are very inexpensive. Many factors such as season, plant varietals, location, altitude, processing, age, storage, and transportation affect the quality and therefore the pricing of the tea. ZGC strives to bring it’s customers the best in healthy Select China Teas, carefully selected, packaged, preserved, and transported to them from China at a high value price.
*Taylor, Green Tea, 1998