Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Nature - Essay Example On the contrary, natural food products are not defined by any criteria or federal laws. Moreover, they are not defined by federal or legal supervision. Consequently, food products that are labelled as natural are composed of less chemical additives and preservatives compared to other processed foods. To this end, examples of natural food products include eggs, nuts, fruits, dairy products, vegetables, beans, apples, green tea among many more. Green tea is classified as a natural food product because it undergoes minimal processing stages. Furthermore, it contains the most natural antioxidant polyphenols. The most evident polyphenols are epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) (The George Mateljan Foundation). Moreover, as a natural food product, it is consistent with an array of ingredients that can consequently be traced back to nature. Evidently, green tea is a herbal extract from green tea leaves also known by the scientific name as Camellia Sinensis. The Camellia Simensis tree contains distinct flower and herbal infusions known as tisanes. The tree can grow naturally in the wild and reach heights of up to 30 feet. However, on tree plantations it is maintained as a shrub with heights of about 3 feet through constant pruning. Evidently, the green tea leaves achieve more flavour in the event that they are grown at higher altitudes. The green tea plants produce rich foliage, a berry and, a flower similar to camellia. In terms of harvest, only the youngest and smallest tea leaves are picked for tea. Moreover, when engaging in discussion pertaining to the green tea ingredients, it is more in recognition to the nutritional value. Consequently, the ingredients of green tea mainly refer to the natural nutrients present within it. Evidently, polyphenols or catechins are nutritional ingredients in green tea (The George Mateljan Foundation). Polyphenols are vital antioxidant ingredients. Moreover, they are naturally occurring ingredients found within the green tea leaves. Mo reover, polyphenols are equally present in vegetables and fruits that grow naturally. The polyphenols are credited with protecting the body from free radical damage. In particular, the polyphenols present in green tea is known as quercetin that is also present in citrus fruits. To this end, the quercetin polyphenols is known to relieve people from asthma and allergies. Green tea also contains other ingredients such as caffeine, theophylline, flavonols or tannin,copper, essential oils, nickel, vitamin C, carotene, vitamins B1, A, B12, P and K, iron, calcium, magnesium, saponins, strontium, zinc, theobromine, wax and fat. Interestingly enough, the quantitative contents of the ingredients depend on cultivation area of the leaves. To this end, the contents are influenced by the climatic region and altitude of the cultivation area. Furthermore, the quantitative contents are equally influenced by the growth stage of the green tea leaves. . In terms of processing, the harvested tea leaves are briefly steamed. Thus making them soft, pliable, and protected them from color change or fermentation. The steaming process is soon followed by rolling the leaves out and spreading them out for drying with a pan fried in a wok or hot air. This process continues until the leaves are crisp and greenish-yellow tea colour is produced. The resulting flavour is very