The best time to drink green tea

There are no studies that determine a specific time to drink green tea, but choosing certain times to drink it may lead to greater benefits from it, and the time of drinking it may affect the bad side effects that it may cause, as green tea contains caffeine, which has stimulant and tonic properties, so drinking tea in the morning may help improve attention and alertness, unlike other drinks that contain caffeine compound such as coffee green tea contains a compound called L-theanine, an amino acid that has calming properties, and this compound with caffeine helps improve brain function and mood without causing the negative effects that accompany caffeine consumption alone.

On the other hand, one study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008 indicated that long-term consumption of green tea extract may help improve athletic performance, and the result of the study showed that men’s consumption of green tea extract before moderate intensity exercise helps raise the rate of fat oxidation and improve insulin sensitivity.

Another study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise metabolism in 2018, conducted on a group of women practicing brisk walking, showed that consuming a drink containing one gram of matcha green tea powder before exercising improves their fat oxidation rate but did not affect their physiological performance during sports, but drinking green tea helps in weight loss.

In addition, a 2018 study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior suggested that consuming 500 milligrams per day of green tea extract for 15 days may help muscle recovery and reduce muscle damage after high-intensity exercise, but it does not reduce muscle pain.

Frequently asked questions about when to drink green tea

What is the harm of drinking green tea on an empty stomach ?

Despite the benefits of drinking green tea in the morning, as mentioned earlier, some people may experience stomach irritation after drinking green tea on an empty stomach.

Is drinking green tea after eating useful ?

It is better to drink green tea between meals instead of drinking it with meals or immediately after meals, especially for people who are prone to a deficiency of iron or other minerals in the blood, as it is recommended to drink tea at least one hour after meals, because it contains tannins that reduce iron absorption, and it also contains Epigallocatechin gallate, which hinders the absorption of several minerals such as iron, copper, and chromium, in the body, as it has shown One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2001 found that taking green tea extract with food reduced iron absorption from foods containing non-heme iron.

Is drinking tea before bed useful ?

As we mentioned earlier, the caffeine compound in green tea helps to increase alertness and attention and reduces the feeling of fatigue, and this may increase the difficulty of sleeping after drinking it, although green tea contains theanine, which acts as a sedative that may reduce the effect of caffeine, people who are severely affected by caffeine may have sleep problems, and this also depends on the amount of green tea consumed, so these people are advised to drink green tea that contains On lower amounts of caffeine, preparing green tea using room temperature water instead of boiling water may help reduce its caffeine content.

Quantities of green tea that can be drunk

Studies show conflicting results about the amount of green tea that can be consumed per day to obtain its benefits, as some studies show that drinking one cup a day is enough to obtain its benefits, while other studies show the need to drink 5 cups or more to get its benefits.

It is worth noting that some specialists have indicated that drinking 8 cups of green tea per day is mostly safe for healthy adults, while you should pay attention to the amounts of caffeine that pregnant women drink, as they are usually advised not to consume more than 200 milligrams of caffeine during one day, which is equivalent to about three or four cups of green tea.

How to prepare green tea

There are many ways to prepare a green tea drink, and perhaps the best way to make this drink is by adding a teaspoon of green tea to a cup containing approximately 230 milliliters of warm water at a temperature ranging from 71 to 76 degrees Celsius approximately and soaking it in it for no more than three minutes, as soaking it for a longer period may lead to tannin leaking from the leaves, which makes the tea bitter in taste, and the use of boiling water in the preparation of tea It may lead to the destruction of some beneficial compounds for health in it, such as catechin compounds, and it is worth noting that it is recommended to avoid adding milk or its products to it and add lemon instead to facilitate the absorption of these compounds.

On the other hand, a study published in the Journal of Food Science in 2016 indicated that the highest percentage of antioxidants can be obtained when soaking green tea in cold water for a long time.

The best green tea

There is no information about the best type of green tea, and there are many types of this tea, including Longjing tea, commonly called good dragon tea, and this tea is used in China frequently, as it is heated immediately after picking, in order to reduce the oxidation processes that occur in it, and Japanese green tea, and matcha tea, a special type of green tea whose leaves are dried and crushed well until they become smooth.

Overview of Green Tea

Tea is one of the most consumed drinks in the world and comes second only to water, and tea of all kinds, green and black, and oolong tea is extracted from the leaves of the Chinese camellia tree and its scientific name is Camellia sinensis, which dates back to the origin of its cultivation to the regions of East Asia, where green tea is made from the unfermented leaves of this tree, and green tea among all types of tea contains the highest percentage of effective antioxidants, such as polyphenols, and it is worth noting that antioxidants in general help the body get rid of free radicals that cause cell damage, and green tea, unlike other types of tea, contains a compound called catechins in high proportions.

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