Tea

Green Tea (has a safety note)

BotanicalCamellia sinensisAlso calledChunmee green tea, Sencha, Tea leaf

Fresh, grassy leaves of the tea plant, steamed or pan fired and dried. A clear, lightly astringent cup with a gentle lift from its natural caffeine.

* Safety note: Contains caffeine and can interact with some medicines; read the cautions first. Read the cautions

Green Tea, leaf

Green tea comes from the same plant as black and oolong tea. The difference is in the handling: the leaves are steamed or pan fired and dried without being allowed to oxidize, so they keep their green color and a fresh, grassy taste. We carry two. Chunmee is a Chinese tea rolled into small curved "eyebrow" shapes, with a plummy, slightly smoky depth. Sencha is a Japanese steamed tea, bright, brothy and sweet if you brew it gently.

Tea is not one of the classical Ayurvedic herbs, but modern Ayurvedic writers describe it plainly: astringent and drying, gentler than coffee, and best kept in moderation for vata. The taste in the cup agrees. Brewed cool and short, green tea is soft and clean. Brewed too hot or too long, it turns bitter and puckering.

Ayurvedic Properties

Not described in classical Ayurveda; modern Ayurvedic writers describe it as astringent and drying, gentler and less heating than coffee, and not the best choice when vata is high (Banyan Botanicals).

RasaTastes
  • Astringent
  • Bitter
ViryaHeating or cooling
Slightly cooling
VipakaPost-digestive effect
Not known
AgniEffect on digestion
Neutral for agni

Light and astringent, it has little direct effect on digestion, though strong tea on an empty stomach can unsettle it.

GunaQualities
  • Light
  • Dry
TridoshaEffect on Vata, Pitta and Kapha
  • Vata: increases in excess
  • Pitta: decreases, in moderation
  • Kapha: decreases
  • decreases (calms that dosha)
  • increases (can aggravate it)
  • neutral or balancing
  • not known
  • V Vata · P Pitta · K Kapha

Its light, drying, astringent nature suits kapha best. Pitta usually does well with a gently brewed cup, though the caffeine can feel sharp for some. Vata types tend to feel the dryness and the buzz, so keep it to one weak cup earlier in the day, ideally with food.

Traditional Uses

  • Traditionally used to support calm, steady alertness through the morning.
  • Traditionally used to support a light, clear feeling after a rich meal.
  • Traditionally used to support focus during study or meditation practice.

How People Use It

  • TeaUse about 1 teaspoon of leaf per cup. Let just-boiled water cool for a few minutes first (around 170 to 180 F). Steep chunmee 2 to 3 minutes and sencha 1 to 2 minutes. The leaves can be steeped a second time.
  • WaterFor a soft summer drink, cold brew 1 to 2 teaspoons of leaf in a jar of cool water in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours, then strain. Cold brewing draws out less bitterness.
Try This

Ginger and Tulsi Green Tea

A warming twist that takes the edge off green tea's dryness, kind to vata on a cool morning.

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon green tea (chunmee or sencha)
  • 2 thin slices fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried tulsi
  • A little honey (optional)
  1. Simmer the ginger in the water for 3 minutes, then take it off the heat and let it rest for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the green tea and tulsi and steep for 2 minutes.
  3. Strain into a cup.
  4. Once it has cooled a little, stir in honey if you like and sip with breakfast.

Pairs Well With

Cautions

  • Green tea contains caffeine, roughly 14 to 60 mg per cup for tea in general. Caffeine can cause restlessness, a fast heartbeat, headaches, poor sleep and an upset stomach, and some people are far more sensitive than others.
  • If you are pregnant or might be, keep caffeine moderate and ask your doctor or midwife how much is right for you. Caffeine also passes into breast milk.
  • Green tea can lower the effect of some medicines. High amounts reduce blood levels of the beta blocker nadolol, and green tea has been shown to interact with raloxifene; green tea extract lowers levels of atorvastatin. Talk with your health care provider if you take any medicine.
  • Rare liver injury has been reported with green tea products, mainly concentrated green tea extracts in pills or capsules, which deliver far more catechins than a cup of tea. A few case reports also involve heavy daily tea drinking. NCCIH reports no safety concerns for green tea as an ordinary beverage for adults, but stop and see a doctor if you notice dark urine, yellowing skin or eyes, or unusual tiredness.
  • Check with your doctor first if you have heart rhythm problems, high blood pressure, reflux or a sleep or anxiety condition, since caffeine can make these worse.
  • Please consult a qualified practitioner or your doctor before drinking green tea in larger amounts, especially if you take medication.

In Our Shop

Organic Chunmee Green Tea

Organic Chunmee Green Tea, from $4.75. Weighed and packed by hand at our Rockville Centre studio.

Shop Green Tea →

Sources and Further Reading

This page shares how herbs are traditionally used in Ayurveda and other herbal traditions. It is for general education only and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and herbs are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please talk with your doctor or a qualified practitioner before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition.