Green Tea
🍵I Love Green Tea🍵
What is Green Tea?
All types of tea, even your regular cup of builder's, are made from the
camellia sinensis plant. Green tea gets its name from the emerald green
colour created when brewing these unprocessed, unfermented leaves. With
origins dating as far back as 5,000 years, green tea is commonly drunk and
grown in East Asia where the health properties are highly valued. Discover
our full range of health benefit guides and read more about the profile of
other teas in our series: including ginger tea, peppermint tea, chamomile
tea and rooibos tea.
Nutritional benefits of Green Tea
There is no nutritional value in terms of macronutrients in green tea, but
the drink’s primary benefits lie in the bioactive compounds it contains. The
tea you use, the temperature and the steeping time all have a significant
effect on the levels of these compounds. Warm and ambient temperatures are
best to retain antioxidant compounds, so allow the boiled water to cool
slightly before pouring over the tea leaves, and steep for between 2-3
minutes.
Top 5 health benefits of Green Tea
1. High in protective polyphenols Compounds called polyphenols are known to
protect the body against disease and make an important contribution towards
a healthy, balanced diet. These antioxidant compounds are found in a wide
range of fruit, vegetables and other unprocessed foods. Green tea has
numerous health benefits many of which are attributed to the fact that it is
largely unprocessed and rich in these plant compounds. The main bioactive
compounds in green tea are flavonoids, with the most potent being catechins
and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
2. May boost brain function Green tea contains a number of natural
stimulants, including caffeine, which although not as high as coffee, may
still help maintain alertness and focus. In addition to this, green tea is a
source of the amino acid L-theanine, which has a relaxing effect; it does
this by increasing mood-enhancing brain chemicals including GABA, dopamine
and serotonin. The beneficial polyphenols of green tea may also help slow
the effects of aging on the brain.
3. May boost fat burning Some research suggests that green tea may boost
metabolic rate and increase fat burning. This is thought to be thanks to the
natural thermogenic properties provided by caffeine, and by the plant
compounds such as catechins.
4. May support blood sugar control Studies suggest green tea may improve
insulin sensitivity and as a result have a beneficial effect on blood sugar
control.
5. May reduce the risk of heart disease
Is Green Tea safe for everyone?
If you’ve been diagnosed with iron-deficiency anaemia you should be aware
that, like other teas, green tea contains natural compounds called tannins.
These compounds interfere with the absorption of iron – for this reason it’s
useful to avoid drinking tea with an iron-rich meal and leave at least one
hour before having a brew. Because of green tea’s beneficial effects, a
number of ‘health’ products include traces of green tea. However, there is
limited evidence to suggest these products are effective. If you are hoping
to use green tea for medicinal purposes, refer to your GP to ensure you may
do so without risk to your health. If you are sensitive to caffeine, it is
advisable to limit the total number of caffeinated drinks you drink in a
day. Too much caffeine may disrupt sleep and, in some people, increases
anxiety; if this is relevant to you, look to reduce your intake and aim to
have your last caffeinated drink at about 12 noon.