Know before you drink green tea!
What is Green Tea?
Green tea is an advanced class of ordinary tea that is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process used to make ordinary black tea. Green tea has its history in China, but its production and manufacture have spread to other countries in East Asia.
Green tea is known for its antioxidant properties and many other health benefits. Among its many benefits, green tea helps in boosting your body’s fat-burning mechanism and improves metabolism, thus helping in losing weight tremendously. Pointing out some of the benefits,
· Help to lose weight
· Reduce the risk of cancers
· Reduce heart disease risk
· Help to lower blood sugar
· Boosts metabolism
· Rich in anti-aging components
But the main thing to remember about drinking tea such as green tea or black tea is that it is a negative calorie food which means that it can cause you to lose nutrition. For example, tea is known to block the absorption of protein, fat, and iron. Green tea contains lots of theanine antioxidants and comes with lots of health benefits. Also, it is a great energizer for maintaining your body weight but it is essential to understand that the timing of drinking green tea is very important, as taking it randomly can cause adverse effects and you should not drink an excessive amount of it.
When is the best time to drink green tea?
1. Not as your early morning drink. Drinking green tea first in first thing in the morning may not be a good idea. A study conducted on a dietary supplement with green tea extracts reported that green tea supplements on an empty stomach can have adverse effects on the liver.
2. At least two hours before or after mealtime. Drink green tea between meals preferably at least two hours before or after eating to maximize your nutrient intake. But avoid it along with a meal. Most especially if you are anemic, that is because according to a fact sheet published by the national cancer institute, the antioxidants Catechins in green tea inhibit the absorption and digestion of iron from your diet. Taking it between meals can allow your body to absorb iron from the
food. But if you want to drink green tea with your meal make sure you include food that enhances iron absorption such as vitamin C rich food. Red meat is good to mitigate the interaction between iron and tea. Also adding milk or lemon tea or green tea would help to an extent.
3. At least one to two hours before going to bed. There are many articles on the internet about the calming properties of green tea which can allow your body into a peaceful slumber, but green tea is not a bedtime drink. Caffeine is a scientifically proven stimulant that disrupts sleep. Also, green tea contains the amino acid L-theanine which has the capacity to calm you down but also make you alert focus, and concentrate better which is at odds with getting a good night’s sleep.
How many cups daily is the limit for drinking green tea?
Unless you are drinking green tea in a moderation it could cause some trouble to your body. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, a person should limit consumption of green tea to 2–3 cups daily or 100 to 750mg of standardized green tea extract per day.
Too much good is even worse when it is taken at the wrong time. So drink wisely!
