When is the best time to drink green tea?

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Green tea is a favorite drink because of its pleasant taste and many health benefits. Ideally, it would help if you drank it in the morning or before exercising.

You may be surprised to learn that drinking tea can affect your ability to reap these benefits and your risk of specific adverse side effects.

/Ha An – Dan Tri Newspaper/

Tea contains tannin, caffeine, essential oils, vitamins, proteins, minerals, and pigments. Tea contains caffeine, stimulating the central nervous system, cardiovascular activity, kidney function, and gastrointestinal tract. Dry tea includes 2.5-4% caffeine. Compared to tea, the caffeine in coffee is lower, but coffee has a more substantial effect than tea because we often use up to 10-15g of coffee to make a cup, while tea uses much less.

When is the best time to drink green tea?

Benefits of drinking green tea at specific times

In some cases, timing can matter regarding the benefits of green tea.

In the morning

According to Healthline, many people drink a soothing cup of green tea first thing in the morning to increase concentration. This drink’s mind-boosting properties are partly due to caffeine, a stimulant shown to improve attention and alertness.

However, green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid with relaxing effects, unlike coffee and other caffeinated drinks.

L-theanine and caffeine work together to improve brain function and mood – without causing the adverse side effects that can come with caffeine consumption.

For this reason, enjoying this tea first thing in the morning is a great way to start your day off on the right foot.

Around the time of exercise

Some research shows that drinking green tea may be especially beneficial before a workout. One study in 12 men found that consuming green tea extract before exercise increased fat burning by 17%, compared to a placebo.

Another study of 13 women found that drinking 3 servings of green tea daily before exercise and another serving 2 hours before exercise increased fat burning.

Furthermore, tea can speed up recovery after intense workouts. One study in 20 men found that supplementing with 500 mg of green tea extract reduced signs of exercise-induced muscle damage.

As such, green tea contains caffeine and L-theanine, which can enhance alertness and attention and are especially beneficial in the morning. Additionally, drinking this tea before exercise can increase fat-burning and reduce muscle damage.

When should you not drink tea?

Although green tea offers many health benefits, it can have some downsides.

It may reduce the ability to absorb nutrients during meals.

Some compounds in green tea can bind to minerals in your body and prevent their absorption. In particular, tannins are compounds found in green tea that act as antinutrients and reduce iron absorption.

Furthermore, research shows that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in green tea may bind to minerals like iron, copper, and chromium, preventing their absorption in your body.

Some studies have demonstrated that drinking tea with meals can reduce iron absorption, which can lead to a deficiency over time.

Therefore, drinking green tea close to meals is best, especially if you’re low on iron or other essential minerals.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Nutrition, tannins in tea inhibit iron absorption. Therefore, drinking tea immediately after eating will reduce iron absorption from food. Do not drink iron with tea.

It may cause difficulty sleeping for some people

One cup (237ml) of green tea contains about 35mg of caffeine. Although this is much less than the approximately 96mg of caffeine provided by the same amount of coffee, it can still cause side effects in people sensitive to this stimulant.

Common side effects of caffeine consumption include anxiety, high blood pressure, restlessness, and nervousness. Caffeine can also cause sleep disturbances – even when consumed up to 6 hours before bed.

Therefore, if you are sensitive to caffeine, avoid drinking green tea before bedtime (6 hours before) to prevent sleep problems.

Foods such as tea and coffee have a diuretic effect, so they increase the rate of water loss through the kidneys, so they should be limited.

In addition, according to the National Institute of Nutrition (Ministry of Health), drinking a lot of strong tea is not beneficial to health. The central nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and kidneys are constantly stimulated by excitement. Especially for people with heart disease and high blood pressure, they should not drink strong tea.