Green tea has catechins including epicatechin, epicatechin-3-gallate, epigallocatechin, and EGCG. Besides, green tea also contains potassium, iron and zinc. A cup of green tea particularly the one coming from the Himalayan region contains even nutrients like vitamin A, B, C, manganese, zinc and chromium. Drinking 1-2 cup of green tea helps with immunity, digestion, brain function and weight loss. But you can make it healthier. Refer to this article as Dr. Nehal Gajera– Clinical Researcher and Nutritionist at Teacurry with 17 years of experience as a Food Expert recommends ways to make your green tea healthier and tastier then do try following the below things.
How to make green tea healthier?
- Before purchasing your green tea make sure that the tea leaves are coming from certified gardens which have been checked for quality and being organic
- Green tea contains very less caffeine compared to black tea or a cup of espresso. As a thumb rule, each 230 ml of green tea contains only 20-45 milligrams of caffeine. So, it has been found that a cup of green tea early in the morning, is obviously a better choice than a cup of chai or espresso
- The caffeine content in a cup of green tea also depends on the duration of infusing time and the amount of tea. Do not steep green tea for more than 4 minutes.
- Loose green tea leaves are considered better compared to tea bags as you would find better infusion with loose leaves than with tea bags. The loose leaves provide more infusion, so in turn more nutrients for a more effective cup.
- You shouldn't use water that is too hot or too cold when making green tea. For the leaves, water that is between 80 and 85 degrees Celsius is ideal. The ideal ratio to prepare a healthy cup of green tea is 2 grams of tea leaves to 180 ml of water.
- You can also add a few mint leaves, lemon juice or a teaspoon of honey (sugar patients should avoid) to your green tea – for a much better taste and effect.
Don't drink green tea at night
You should never drink green tea at night. As per research, there are different types of compounds found in green tea, which can bind with the minerals present in the food and can block their absorption in the body. Moreover, the caffeine content in the green tea might also lead to anxiety, high blood pressure and nervousness.
Don't drink green tea after meals
Iron, copper and chromium are a few minerals that probably won't get consumed by the body, if you are drinking green tea immediately after a meal. Thus, drinking green tea after a period of 30 minutes post a meal is considered best.However, if your motive is to burn fat then, drinking green tea before your workout session is the best.
To conclude, "For greatest effect, one needs to make sure that the green tea leaves are procured only from certified gardens and have undergone all necessary tests in terms of nutrients before making it to your shelfs". Likewise, note that the timing and preparation style for a green tea cup is equally important to make the perfect and most effective cup of green tea.
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