Suitable for Children
How suitable is the tea for consumption by children?
Green tea contains caffeine and is not recommended for children, even though there are no specific studies regarding its consumption by young persons.
Low Caffeine Content
How much caffeine does the drink contain?
There are approximately 30-60 mg. of caffeine in a mug of green tea.
This is a lower level than other teas or coffee, and not considered to be a problem for adults, even when consuming large quantities.
Health Benefits
What effects will drinking the tea have on your health?
Green tea has many various health benefits, but also poses some concerns.
The tea has bacteria-destroying powers, and has been found by some researches to prevent tooth decay and food poisoning. However, the clinical study was on a very small scale and more proof is needed.
The antioxidants found in green tea help prevent artherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. They also help lower total cholesterol and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol. This was also observed with smokers who are more prone to bad cholesterol (LDL) than non-smokers.
Some very thorough studies showed that green tea reduces the risk of heart disease. However, the FDA did not let manufacturers advertise that.
Several studies have shown that green tea helps protect against cancer. Some of those studies point to the polyphenols in green tea as helping prevent cancer. Some researchers claim that the polyphenols help kill and stop cancerous cells.
Green tea also raises survival rate substantially for people suffering from bladder or ovarian cancer, and has been shown to inhibit breast cancer, especially with early-stage premenopausal women. However, there are no studies that suggest green tea helps prevent breast cancer.
It is noted that some studies show that green tea increases the risk of colorectal, lung, stomach and esophageal cancer, but there are studies that sugget the opposite is true. This has not yet been settled.
Studies are underway for testing green tea effect in preventing pancreatic cancer. Initial research shows go�d results (especially for women) but all studies are currently inconclusive.
Another interesting studies shows that green tea (as well as black tea) have a potential to lessen the body's reaction to chemotherapy, and should not be taken while receiving the treatment.
Green tea has anti-inflammatory agents that may help prevent and stop growth of skin tumors. It is also believed to reduce inflammation resulting from Crohn's disease and colitis, and help with controlling type 1 diabetes. Some studies show that green tea helps protect the liver and prevent tumors from developing on it.
Helps Lose Weight
Can the tea help you lose weight?
Research found that green tea extract help burn more calories than caffeine alone.
Some studies suggest green tea extract boosts metabolism and helps burn fat.
Taste
What does the tea taste like?
Green tea does not taste like regular tea. It usually tastes a little grassy.
Many types of green tea are blended with lemon or other flavors to offset the grassy flavor. Green tea is sometimes stringent and is usually taken without milk or sugar.
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Feel factor: 2
simply the best
(score 5/5)
Kirkland Green Tea is far and away the best green tea bag product I've found. Very tasty tea, well-designed bags that make for superb brewing. Once you use this product, none other comes close.
Posted on: 2010-08-20
By Blue Grass
Excellent green tea.
(score 5/5)
Searched a while to find a great green tea at the right price and this is it.
Posted on: 2010-08-19
By Joe P.
Good Japanese Green Tea
(score 4/5)
I was pleasantly surprised by how good this Japanese green tea blend is. I feel that many of the negative reviewers are not familiar with Japanese green tea. Many of the American brands such as Lipton are not Japanese green tea. It is likely a blend of Indian and Chinese leaves that make a pale to dark yellowish brew. The taste is often slightly bitter with a cleaner aftertaste.
Japanese matcha tea is milled under-processed tea leaves and makes a rich dark green brew. Depending on how you brew it, it can be quite hearty and has a sweet nutty flavor.
The Kirland Signature Matcha Blend uses matcha powder along with sencha tea leaves. Sencha leaves are matured leaves and has a similar taste to common store brand green tea. The combination makes a slightly lighter, yet still rich dark green tea. The color is a transparent pea green. The taste is complex with notes of sweet grass and nuts. And it leaves a clean aftertaste.
I won't give it 5 stars because of a few issues. The tea comes in individually sealed plastic packets. If you're not careful, the matcha powder goes all over the place. I'd recommend you open it away from your face over a sink. Also the sencha tea leaves are not very good quality as they have a lot of stems and non-leaf parts in it. The teabags do have a notched paper handle that wedges in the rim of your cup, but it has a tendency to fall in if you're not careful. One plus though is that it does not use staples.
Overall, I feel this is an authentic green tea very similar to those served in Japanese restaurants. If you like that, then you will like this product.
Posted on: 2010-08-10
By Turtle James
My favorite green tea
(score 5/5)
Kirkland has an excellent, balanced flavor that is hard to find in other green teas. Highly recommended.
Posted on: 2010-08-10
By Terrence F. Graham
Not very good quality green tea.
(score 1/5)
This green tea doesn't even compare to Japanese matcha. Kirkland Ito En Matcha is extremely weak in flavor. In fact, with one tea bag it doesn't taste, smell, or even look like the matcha you find in Japan, or the green teas you find elsewhere. It is flavorless and odorless unless you pack two or three tea bags in a cup and, even then, it's very poor quality in comparison to other green teas.
This Kirkland Ito En Matcha isn't even close to as good as other green tea available for about the same price on Amazon, such as Yamamotoyama - Green Tea (Sushi Bar Style) 90 Bag Value Pack. That brand is significantly higher quality in every respect, even if the price is mostly shipping charges.
The bottom line is that if you're looking for top quality green tea, this Kirkland Ito En Matcha is not it.
Posted on: 2010-07-30
By A. PAINTER