It is a well known fact that antioxidants are essential for a healthy body. They help to fight against free radicals. "What are they?", you may ask. Free radicals are by-products produced by oxygen in body and they can lead to immune system deficiency, heart problems and can even lead to cancer.

Green Tea contains antioxidants; it contains a lot of them. In particular it contains one very powerful antioxidant called EGCG or epigallocatechin-gallate. EGCG is one of catechins and research has found it to contain far more antioxidant properties than both vitamin E and vitamin C. The special process by which green tea is made allows much more of health giving EGCG to remain in tea.

It has also been shown in research that EGCG can actually slow growth of and kill cancer cells. In fact there have been several studies from around world which point to green teas anti-cancer properties.

Wow! It's already a great story for green tea health benefits.

But health benefits of green tea don't end there.

The first thing to consider is storage. If you buy good tea then you will want to look after it well. Although if you're anything like me it won't last too long! I tend to drink good tea fast. Storing tea is relatively simple; it needs to be in an airtight container and out of direct sunlight. So preferably in a wooden, metal, glass or ceramic container. Make sure container is fully airtight. Obviously tea needs to be kept dry and it can also be affected by strong odors and heat.

When brewing tea next thing to consider is water. For most people general tea consumption will occur using water from tap. This can be a problem in areas where there is excessive chemicals in water. So if you wish to use tap water it's definitely better to filter it. The small kitchen filters available from companies such as Brita and Kenwood do a pretty good job. More expensive filtration systems can also be purchased if desired.

So for best brew use freshly drawn filtered tap water or bottled spring water. Do not use distilled water as minerals have been taken out which affects taste. The water should be boiled then allowed to cool to correct temperature for type of tea you are brewing.