Among healthy lifestyle enthusiasts and ordinary people, many prefer green tea.
This drink has an excellent taste, quenches thirst, and invigorates.
Chemical composition of green tea
Some people believe that black and green tea come from different plants, but this is not true. Both come from the same bush, and the difference in color and taste of the drink is determined only by the way the leaves are processed.
For green tea, this treatment is more gentle; in fact, it consists only of careful drying of the leaves, which as a result retain more valuable natural substances than black tea. In addition, only the youngest top leaves, which contain the maximum number of useful compounds, are included in the packaging with green tea.
Like any other plant, tea includes dozens or even hundreds of components, but it has a group of substances that are always singled out first, as they are of primary value to human health. These are antioxidants – compounds that block the processes of lipid peroxidation in tissues.
These include polyphenols, catechins, bioflavonoids and some alkaloids. In addition, green tea is a good source of vitamins - C, P, folic acid, B1, B2, E.
They have a positive effect on blood vessels, skin, nervous and reproductive systems. Finally, it also contains microelements: fluorine, iodine, manganese, iron. How can all this affect health?
Useful properties of the drink
Almost everyone knows that green tea: strengthens the immune system and reduces the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections; reduces cholesterol levels in the blood; strengthens gums and teeth; promotes weight loss; neutralizes the effects of ionizing radiation; slows down aging; normalizes blood sugar levels in diabetes; is a preventative measure against cancer; prevents heart attacks and strokes, etc.
All such claims are supported by scientific research, but should we take them at face value?
Although they are not made up and are supported by relevant experiments, green tea lovers should not consider themselves forever protected from cancer or give up their low-calorie diet if they are trying to lose weight.
Green tea really does help diabetics, heart patients, and patients with dental problems, but all this does not make the drink a medicine, its beneficial effects are expressed to a very small degree, so that they may even be practically unnoticeable.
However, there is a way to increase the positive effect of drinking tea. To do this, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle and, if you have any diseases, strictly follow the doctor's recommendations.
Green tea is harmful
Some people believe that this drink, unlike black tea, does not contain caffeine. However, it does contain caffeine, and in quite large doses. However, this does not give grounds to accuse it of causing harm to health.
The fact is that when tea is brewed, not only caffeine is released into the liquid, but also other water-soluble components, in particular the tannin. They bind to each other, which leads to a partial loss of caffeine activity.
If you like green tea but don't want it to have any effect on your cardiovascular system, you can add milk to it. Although this practice is not widespread, green tea with milk generally tastes good, and animal proteins in milk have the ability to reduce the absorption of caffeine.
Daily "norm" of green tea
You can drink one or five cups a day, and there will be no harm from this. Moreover, experts claim that the positive effect of the drink develops when consumed in quantities of three cups a day.
Brewed in a clay teapot or a thermos, “pure” or with natural additives, drunk for breakfast or after visiting the gym, green tea is always equally tasty and healthy.
Therefore, you can use it without any restrictions and at any time of the day, regardless of the purpose for which you do it: to improve your health or simply for your own pleasure.
