Green tea: unique benefits and how to prepare it correctly

It was in the year 1211 when the Buddhist monk Eisei wrote that "tea has an extraordinary power to prolong life". He did it in his book Maintain health by drinking tea, and he was right when he stated such an assertion about the Green Tea, especially for its clear properties Y Benefits.

Although from the Antiquity until about the 6th century, green tea was consumed primarily as a remedy for kidney problems, headaches, ulcers, bad digestion or even against the harmful humours of the horn, nowadays - with exactitude - they are known the substances that make this drink a very important natural remedy.

Within its varied and rich chemical composition, green tea has powerful antioxidants that are called polyphenols, the most abundant being catechins.

And, among them, the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), which has been shown to have an important anticancer effect, helping prevent arteriosclerosis and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

It is in fact one of the most consumed beverages in the world, together not only with the other varieties of tea ( Red tea Y White tea), but also with coffee.

The incredible benefits of green tea for your health

Helps prevent heart disease

This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why millions of people consume green tea on a regular basis. First, this drink allows us to get rid of all the "bad cholesterol" that is so deposited in veins and arteries. This is because it has powerful antioxidants that are able to clean and renew all the blood that runs through our body.

For this reason, green tea is recommended for all patients suffering from diabetes (1) or who have ever had a heart attack.

In addition, various scientific studies have found that, in people with high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, green tea would help reduce high blood pressure (2).

Great ally to lose weight

The truth that "lose weight" is increasingly fashionable. In this sense, green tea can be a great ally to maintain our line and even lose a few extra kilos (3). This is also due to the high levels of oxacids in this beverage. These will help burn all the remaining fat and boost our metabolism much more.

Likewise, the consumption of green tea is also recommended to all those elite athletes who always want to burn calories quickly and efficiently during any sports practice.

It is a natural laxative

Do you suffer continuously from constipation? Well, green tea can be the solution to your problems in this aspect. It has great properties to promote intestinal flow. Hence, it is highly recommended after a copious meal. Especially after those that occur when we go out with our friends and family.

Likewise, green tea helps prevent gas, belly swelling and all kinds of digestive problems that so often occur throughout our day to day. From NatureVia We recommend that you take a good green tea on an empty stomach just when you wake up. We are sure that you will see the results in a short time.

Strengthens all our defenses

Both orange and lemon juice (both with high Vitamin C content) will help strengthen and improve our entire immune system. Well this also happens with green tea because this drink has all kinds of vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium and calcium. All of them will help you enjoy much stronger health and even make you a little more immune to all types of flu and colds.

Good weapon against cancer

Last but not least, green tea can also be a great help in preventing cancer. Numerous studies from the University of Montreal In Canada, they have concluded that all the antioxidants present in this drink can help prevent this scourge in the form of disease that occurs so much nowadays. In fact, it is usually prescribed mainly to all those people suffering from prostate (4) and lung cancer.

Green tea extract helps against muscular dystrophy

Swiss scientists from the University of Lausanne have discovered that daily doses of tea extract, apparently, slows down muscle tissue deterioration, something that produces muscular dystrophy.

Researchers have stated in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that tea may have protected the muscle of those animals that were used in the experiment, fighting oxidative stress.

As is known for years, the powerful antioxidant substances (polyphenols) offered by green tea help to neutralize the oxygen forms that damage cells, called " oxidative stress", Which among other aspects could also contribute to muscle wasting.

The study reports that the different laboratory mice that participated in the study received a four-week diet that included green tea extract.

It was found that, compared to those animals that did not receive this diet, mice fed with the extract showed less wear in certain areas of muscle tissue.

To know if these results could also be equally beneficial for people, the scientists in charge of the study consider that it is necessary to carry out more in-depth investigations that may or may not confirm their findings.

Nutritional properties of green tea

Within these beneficial ingredients we can find ourselves with:

  • The flavonoids. It is a group of antioxidants to which the aforementioned catechins belong. They help destroy free radicals and oxidants, thus preventing the destruction of the tissues of our body.
  • Complex of Vitamin B. They help mainly in the metabolism of carbohydrates.
  • The vitamin C. It fights infections, strengthens the immune system and helps reduce stress.
  • The Vitamin E. It has antioxidant properties that, among other aspects, delay aging.
  • Fluoride. Prevents cavities thus protecting the tooth enamel.

How to make green tea well

Although preparing green tea is really simple, you have to do it correctly to be able to do it well, so it is very likely to make some mistakes and mistakes that prevent you from enjoying this drink as it really should be.

For its correct preparation we must take into account the time of infusion and the temperature of the water, as we saw in a previous note in which we explained how to prepare tea correctly. In the case of green tea, we must bear in mind that It is essential that the water is at a temperature between 75 to 80 ºC, plus, The infusion time should not exceed 2 minutes.

That said, its preparation is very simple, and we will do it with the help of a teapot, in the traditional Japanese style. To do this, put hot water in the teapot and let it warm a little. Do the same with the cups where you are going to serve the tea. Put water to heat, checking that the temperature does not exceed 80 ºC. Now put the green tea inside the filter of the teapot (the amount you can choose to taste, but without passing), close the lid and pour the hot water inside the teapot. Wait for the green tea to infuse for 2 minutes. Remove the filter with the tea leaves and leave the drink inside the teapot.

Ready! You just have to serve the tea in the cup you have chosen and heated and enjoy this wonderful natural beverage.

On the other hand, keep in mind something important: the longer you leave the green tea soaking (in infusion) the stronger its flavor will be and the more bitter. Therefore, it is not a good idea to leave it for longer than recommended.

Side effects of green tea

There are usually several side effects that can cause the Green Tea:

  • When containing caffeine, high doses can cause nervousness or insomnia. Therefore, it is not recommended that pregnant women consume it.
  • It can cause interactions with monoamine oxidase inhibitor medications.
  • Taken in fasting or in excessive amounts, it can cause nausea or vomiting.
  • Taken before meals, it can have an impact on the correct absorption of iron.

Contraindications of green tea: When is it not appropriate to take it?

The Green Tea It contains caffeine, so at high doses (or even in small doses, depending on each person) can cause insomnia or nervousness.

It is not recommended that young children drink green tea, adjusting their consumption only from young age.

In case you are taking monoamine oxidase inhibitor drugs (MAOIs), the caffeine found in green tea can cause various interactions.

It also contains tannins, so if taken on an empty stomach or in large quantities, it can cause vomiting and nausea.

In addition, it is known that pregnant women should not take green tea, since different studies have found that it can affect the nervous system of babies.

In short, we tell you what are the Main contraindications of green tea:

  • When we consume certain medications and drugs.
  • Not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  • Not suitable for children.
  • Moderate your consumption in case of heartburn, ulcers and other digestive problems.

We must also take care not to consume it excessively. So, it is best not to exceed two cups of green tea a day, and, above all, not leave it at rest for a long time.

Bibliography:

  1. Jiao H, Hu G, Gu D, Ni X.Having a promising efficacy on type II diabetes, it's definitely a green tea time. Curr Med Chem. 2015; 22 (1): 70-9. Revision. Available at //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25139278
  2. Li G, Zhang Y, Thabane L, Mbuagbaw L, Liu A, Levine MA, Holbrook A. Effect of green tea supplementation on blood pressure among overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Hypertens. 2015 Feb; 33 (2): 243-54. Available at //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25479028
  3. Lucía Cristina Vázquez Cisneros, Patricia López-Uriarte, Antonio López-Espinoza, Mónica Navarro Meza, Ana Cristina Espinoza-Gallardo and Martha Beatriz Guzmán Aburto. Effects of green tea and its content of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on body weight and fat mass in humans. A systematic review Nutr Hosp 2017; 34 (3): 731-737. Available at //revista.nutricionhospitalaria.net/index.php/nh/article/view/753
  4. Guo Y, Zhi F, Chen P, Zhao K, Xiang H, Mao Q, Wang X, Zhang X. Green tea and the risk of prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Sea; 96 (13). Available at //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28353571

Last reviewed 11/21/2018

This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist. ThemesTea

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