Known as sabs qahwa or lemon grass tea in the northern areas of the country, green tea is fast gaining popularity in urban regions as well.

Awareness regarding the health benefits of green tea has increased over the last few years and now it is easily available everywhere, and is also being widely promoted over media. One can see more and more people sipping green tea after lunch in office and dinner at home or at parties or gatherings.

Does green tea really have a beneficial effect on health? Badder Hina, a clinical dietician, believes that green tea is a main source of hydration; besides that, it is calorie free and if consumed without sugar it can be successfully incorporated into a weight management programme. Drinking green tea before a meal increases the metabolism and digests food more rapidly.

Also, evidence shows that green tea is rich in catechin (a water soluble polyphenol and antioxidant that is easily oxidised) and so can have a beneficial effect on the body. One cup of green tea provides 10-40 mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant effects greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.

According to September 2004 report of Harvard Women’s Health Watch, green tea is the best source of catechin. Catechins are said to be more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consumption of green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, such as skin, breast, lung, colon, oesophageal and bladder.

Green tea is also believed to be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases; it decreases cholesterol level in blood, prevents bad cholesterol; it is an effective remedy for high blood pressure and is believed to prevent arterial sclerosis, thrombosis, heart attacks and brain strokes.

Regarding how many times a person can take green tea in a day, one can say that as with many things there is no set rule; as green tea contains caffeine the intake depends on how much a person can tolerate — it can be anywhere from one to eight cups of tea.

It is not free from harmful effects; if consumed in high amounts i.e. more than 10 cups a day it can cause oxalate stones and many other problems.

When asked if the market has noted any increase in the consumption of green tea, the Vice Chairman Pakistan Tea Association (PTA), S. Ahmed Khawaja said the consumption of green tea in both segments (among traditional customers in northern areas mainly and in urban cities) has risen which is evident from the 55 per cent jump in overall green tea import in 2011 as compared to 2010. “The share of leading packers in terms of import also improved by 25 per cent in the same period,” he claims.

“Green tea is gradually becoming a healthy drink in many cities thanks to awareness regarding its benefits,” he says, adding that in many cities some small packers have introduced green tea.

While the country spends around $300 million foreign exchange per annum to import black tea, the trend of sipping green tea becoming popular is increasing our food import bill. Just how much green tea is consumed in the country can be seen from the fact that Pakistan imported 3,640,052 kg of green tea from four countries: Vietnam, China, Indonesia and Bangladesh, approximately worth $4,978,276 in 2011 at an average cost of $1.37 per kg.

In green tea drinking cultures, the usual amount is three cups per day. Allow tea to steep for three to five minutes to bring out its catechins.

The best way to get the catechins and other flavonoids in tea is to drink it freshly brewed. Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink tea preparations and instant teas have less of these beneficial compounds.