Green tea is famous for its unusual health properties. It is characterized by extremely effective antibacterial, antiviral, stimulating effects. Its beneficial effect on health is due to its complex chemical composition and the content of a myriad of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and natural theine. These substances have proven health effects. However, for such green tea’s properties to prove effective, you should remember about a couple of rules regarding its consumption. One of the things to pay attention to is the period of time between a cup of green tea and your last meal. So how to drink green tea, so that its beneficial effects are maximized? Before or after a meal?
When to drink green tea?
It all depends on what effects you’re looking for and what your health needs are. Depending on the time of green tea consumption in relation to the last or next meal, it exhibits different properties.
For people with a delicate stomach, prone to its irritation, we strongly advise against drinking green tea on an empty stomach. The infusion of green tea leaves contains tannins. It is vegetable tannin, which is a highly powerful antioxidant, showing properties able to irritate the mucosa of an empty stomach. It would be more beneficial to drink a cup of your favourite green tea in some time after the meal, i.e. on a full stomach.
When is the consumption of green tea optimal for the digestive system?
The most frequent advice is to consume green tea about 2 hours before the next meal and 2 hours after the last meal (i.e. in the middle of the 4-hour break between meals). If this is not possible, the interval between green tea consumption and a meal should be equal to at least half an hour. Such period of time allows you to avoid a situation, in which green tea could limit the absorption of valuable mineral elements contained within the consumed food.
Which green teas are recommended with the meals?
In Japan, the most common companion to everyday meals are bancha – green tea obtained during autumn harvest, and genmaicha – green tea composed with roasted rice, sometimes also called “popcorn tea”. The taste of the latter is certainly known to sushi bar lovers, as it is often served there.
