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GREEN TEA HEALTH BENEFITS – A COMPLETE GUIDE

by Gaurav Patel in Green Tea April 22, 2020

So you heard about the green tea health benefits, probably that’s weight loss or detox or better skin and then jumped into this claimed super food world, knowing it is probably bitter too, right?

And! Did You Know – All Teas Are Made From The Same Plant?

Be it green, black, oolong, white, or CTC, all are made from the Camellia Sinensis plant. The difference between these teas is the process from its plucking to the packaging. The white tea is the rawest and CTC (milk chai) being the most processed.

Wanna know how green tea came into being?

Green tea was first discovered over 4000 years ago in China where a scholar is said to have discovered the refreshing drink when a leaf from a tea plant fell into a pot of water he was boiling. The scholar tasted the drink and liked it, so he decided to refine the process. He then taught the process to other people.

What is the nutrient value of green tea?

Tea is considered both healthy and therapeutic for a reason. And the amazingly super nutrition filled in this beverage makes it uniquely nutritious.

Besides being powerfully therapeutic, green tea is also refreshing just as coffee because of the contents.

Let us check what it really has which makes green tea health benefits so powerful and un-avoidable?

• Polyphenols

Do you know what are polyphenols? The micronutrients coming from the plat food which are rich in anti-oxidants.

Of all the weight which a tea leaf carries, about 30% of it is polyphenols. 

What are the benefits of Polyphenols? – preventing or treating type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and even cancers.

• Catechins

Catechins? A type of polyphenol. The most powerful polyphenol, in-fact. 

EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate) is the exact type of catechin present in Green tea.

Considered to be the key to the tea’s disease-fighting quality. Catechins protect cells and molecules from damage.

Benefits of catechins? They fight diseases., and also reduce the cavity and fights bad breath. Catechins (EGCG) are the reasons why green tea prevents cancer and reduces stress and belly fat.

Yes, have you heard that green tea helps reduce bead breathing, and the presence of catechins is the reason.

• Caffeine

I’m sure you’d ask does green tea have caffeine? Yes. Every tea leaf contains caffeine. How much caffeine in green tea? Less than coffee but significantly high enough to help you stay refreshed.

What are the benefits of caffeine in green tea? They make you feel refreshed and also reduces stress.

• L-theanine

Do you know what is L-theanine? A form of amino-acid.

And what are the benefits of L-theanine? It makes you feel relaxed, without feeling any drowsiness.

• Other key nutrients

  that green contains are – Linolic acid, Quercetin, Arginine, Amino acids, Enzymes, Chlorophyll, Carotenoids, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, and Zinc.

Eww does green tea tastes bitter?

A lot of people do not like green tea because of its taste. And also ignore the positive effect of it. 

That is because there is more you need to know about green tea.

Green tea is not naturally bitter. If your daily cup of green tea tastes bitter, it’s likely that it hasn’t been brewed correctly. 

Maybe the water was too hot, or it was brewed for too long, or the tea is of not a very good quality.

In China and Japan, green tea is traditionally made with boiling water, but the tea is only steeped for anywhere between 15-60 seconds.

For best results, use a lower temperature for a sweeter, non-bitter tea and let the bag steep in the water for no more than 2 minutes.

Leaving green tea bags or leaves in water for longer than 4-5 minutes will increase the amount of naturally occurring chlorophyll from the tea in the water, which will make it extremely bitter. 

Magic of Green Tea Health Benefits:

You might have heard that green tea helps prevent cancer or green tea helps reduce weight, then, you are right. And besides these, let us see what all green tea health benefits can you avail.

• Brain function and memory enhancement –

  Green tea helps increase brain function and memory enhancement, with nutrients like catechins, L-theanine, and other nutrients. Drinking one or two cups of good quality green tea, if you are looking for enhancing the functioning of your and your family’s brain and memory.

• Lowers type-2 diabetes –

  Helps fight certain cancers and in-fact green tea consumption also helps prevent cancer in your body.

• Belly fat burning

  Consuming green tea every day consistently helps in weight-loss because green tea contains some weight loss nutrients, however, the effect is not direct, because it fuels the weight loss activity like exercise and indirectly fuels the process.

• Great for oral health – bad breath, and overall hygiene of the mouth

• Reduces blood pressure –

  The green tea reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

Drinking green tea has proven to increase the longevity of people consuming 2-3 cups everyday

Having green tea every day also lowers the blood pressure in your body

Reducing cholesterol is one of the health benefits of drinking green tea daily

How to prepare and drink green tea?

Surely you want to enjoy the authentic taste of green tea without feeling a lot bitter, and also yield the real health benefits.

Then, it is very important to understand its preparation process.

The green tea leaves must be added (1 tablespoon for 1 cup) to the boiled water (never add green tea in water before boiling), and filter and serve it within 2-3 mins strictly.

If you want the least bitterness then serve the green tea in less than 90 seconds.

Once you have served, drink it slowly sip by sip.

Please keep in mind that bigger and fresher are the leaves, tastier, and healthier is your green tea.

And to really enjoy the authentic taste and get the real health benefits, avoid tea in teabags. You don’t know if it contains what quality of tea leaves and teabag itself is made out of toxic materials, so how is that beverage supposed to a healthy one for you?

Using tea infuser or electric tea kettle may really ease off in making your perfect green tea.

Side Effects of Green Tea you must know

As green tea is a super health beverage, with the powerful nutrients, however, some substances like caffeine when consumed in large amounts, also impact negatively on your health.

1. Too much green tea damages the liver. Causes insomnia, mood-swing, restlessness and muscle tremors,
2. Some lower quality green tea may also contain fluoride which weakens the oral health and bones.
3. Drinking green tea after 9 PM or after dinner, may cause insomnia or disturb sleep, due to the presence of caffeine.
4. Tea contains tannin which prevents the absorption of iron, zinc, and calcium if taken during or after a meal.
5. Chances of gastric cancer increases, if green tea is consumed in a very high volume.
6. People with severe caffeine sensitivities could experience insomnia, anxiety, irritability, nausea, or upset stomach.
7. Those taking blood thinners (anticoagulant drugs) such as Coumadin/ warfarin should drink green tea with caution due to its vitamin K content. It’s also recommended to avoid green tea and aspirin because they both reduce the clotting effectiveness of platelets.
8. If taken with stimulant drugs, green tea could increase blood pressure and heart rate.
9. In particular, pregnant or breastfeeding women, those with heart problems or high blood pressure, kidney or liver problems, stomach ulcers, or anxiety disorders should not take green tea supplements or extracts.

 Are you in a dilemma – How to choose the right green tea?

Green tea is available in many types, including:

• Bottled and sweetened with sugar or an artificial sweetener
• In single tea bags
• As loose-leaf
• In instant-powder
• Green tea supplements, which are sold in capsule form or liquid extracts

Ideally, full leaf tea infused directly into boiled water, yields the best taste and health benefits. 

So, skip the tea bag and go for fresh leaves. So that you can pour hot water directly over the leaves to extract their real benefits and taste. 

Using a tea bag reduces the potency of the chemical reaction. And situationally if bagged tea is the only option, cut open the bag and pour water over the contents directly.

Instant powder, supplements, and bottled tea must be avoided at every cost as you wouldn’t know the quality of tea used, how old it has been (from plucking), added artificial agents and additional substances like tea bags, processing, sugar, etc, only worsens your health, disguised as healthy.

When & How much to consume?

• Every health-conscious person considers green tea to be their holy water. But do you know the best time for the consumption of green tea?
• Have it every morning before you go to work, as the caffeine content present in green tea can kickstart your day with the required energy. The caffeine makes you more alert and productive, thus it would help with an early morning jump-start we are all often looking for.
• Drink it 40 mins before your exercise routine. But the time-span between drinking and workout shouldn’t exceed one hour, otherwise, you may not benefit from the positive effects of drinking green tea as green tea increases our body’s metabolism, and caffeine aids in exercising for a longer duration.
• Tea should not be consumed empty stomach as that may affect your liver due to the presence of high content of catechins in green tea.
• You must not drink green tea along with your meals.
• Never drink green tea right before going to bed as the presence of caffeine in green tea, might disturb your sleep.

Overall consumption of 320 mg of polyphenols in a day is good which makes up for your daily requirement of antioxidants. This comes to three cups of green tea. So on average, for most people, three cups of green tea should suffice.

If you are adding sugar then limiting its consumption to one cup a day is recommended

And if you are consuming milk-based tea or coffee in your routine then limit green tea to only one cup a day (considering the overall caffeine consumption, with sugar content)

Drinking more than 3 or 4 cups of green tea per day may also affect the sound sleep and cause other health problems. So limit the consumption to 3 or fewer cups, for the maximum benefits.

Studies on green tea health benefits for you: 

A study on the health difference between the Japanese and the American people suggests that one of the differences in the Japanese people include green tea in their daily habit and Americans drink no green tea but rather they drink sodas or other sugar-based drinks and coffee. 

And eventually, we see a huge difference in the health quality in both countries.

This study very closely relates to the theory of green tea benefits helping in overall health and longevity.

Besides, there is a separate study done in the US were drinking 6 or more cups of green tea every day has resulted in preventing type-2 diabetes, by 33%.

Bonus Tips

• In winter, add cinnamon in your green tea.

• Do not add the tea leaves before boiling the water. It will burn the leaves once the temperature rises. Leaves should be only added when the water is hot and separated after 2-3 minutes.

• Replacing your coffee with green tea is a healthier option. But, if you want to change slowly or stick to your old favorite drink then drink green tea as an add-on beverage for refreshment between two meals… breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner.