 The great green tea!
The Chinese have been hooked on
it since the first brew was accidentally discovered by the emperor Shen
Nung, when some tea leaves fell into a cup of steaming water he was
about to drink. Since then, the story of the humble tea plant has been
the stuff of legend. Contrary to popular belief, it does not come from a
special ‘green tea tree’. Instead, it’s derived from the same Camellia
sinensis plant that gives us our traditional black tea. The only
difference is that it is heated as soon as its plucked, leaving it green
and saving its healthy properties.
The secret of the tea lies in the flavour. The catchy sounding
‘catchetins’ are the flavonoids in green tea that gives it its
astringent and sometimes bitter flavour and it’s also the element in
green tea that is rich in the exotic sounding anti-oxidants. The Chinese
may have discovered the secret to a healthy life eras ago but modern day
doctors are also enthusiastic about the benefits of this verdant brew.
Here Janani Amarasekera finds out the benefits of this “new coffee of
the world.”
One day while going through the food stock at home, I found an
unopened mysterious packet. I, being inquisitive as always, opened it to
find green tea brought down from Japan. I was delighted and fascinated
by the taste and the smell of those tea leaves.
 As a result, I drank many cups a day regularly. It took some time for
me to realise that I was becoming weaker and sleeping less. It was then
that I assumed that it was because I was working too much, and never
suspected green tea had something to do with that, until a colleague of
mine told me about it. Later, I learnt that too much green tea and too
little sleep will make you feel like a zombie.
Green tea is considered one of the best herbals that prevents many
diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, and cancer. It
also helps minimise damage and speeds recovery after a heart attack.
Most importantly, it is one of the best ways to melt away those
unwanted fat layers in our body. Then how could our friend of ours be
our enemy?
According to the ancient sayings, take any health food excessively,
and it is likely to turn into a poison. Many researchers in Asia
recommend having three cups of green tea a day.
However, due to mineral overdose, caffeine intolerance, and side
effects, some people might have adverse effects.
Caffeine intolerance
The most common complain of green tea is caffeine intolerance. The
amount of caffeine that ends up in your cup of green tea will vary
according to the amount of tea used, the length of time the leaves are
infused, and if you drink the first or second infusion.
Usually, the caffeine content in green tea is half the amount found
in coffee. Therefore, moderate consumption does not cause much problem
to many. If you are sensitive to caffeine, be on the alert about
symptoms like loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, heart
palpitation, restlessness, sleeping problems, irritability, tremor, and
skin rash, convulsions, ringing in the ears, confusion and frequent
urination. Those suffering with anxiety should be extremely cautious as
it can be worse. In addition to this, if a diabetes patient is in the
habit of drinking green tea, they have to monitor their blood sugar
carefully.
Nutrition Overdose
 The tea plant collects aluminum, fluoride and manganese from the
soil. If consumed for many years, these minerals can also be harmful.
According to a research, a middle-aged woman who drank 17 to 33 cups of
double-strength a day and was diagnosed with skeletal fluorosis. Though
this is a very unusual example, it does highlight the dangers of
drinking too much green tea.
Side effects
Those who have sensitive stomachs should take some extra care when
drinking green tea as it can cause indigestion. It also causes problems
in absorption of non-haeme iron, which makes an anaemic person’s
problems worse. Green tea is also a factor that increases eye pressure.
This can happen during the first 30 minutes to 90 minutes after
drinking. Pregnant women shouldn’t take green tea in their first
trimester.
Avoiding bad effects
Green tea was used as a valuable herbal for more than 2000 years.
Therefore, even though it has some side effects, we shouldn’t give up
drinking green tea. What we should know is how best to drink tea.
Do not drink the tea in full strength - Usually one cup contains
maximum of three grams of tea leaves. However, some people might brew as
much as 15 grams in a cup. This is not at all a good idea for those who
have a sensitive stomach. When you drink tea in full strength, the
caffeine content also goes up, which causes insomnia and polyphenols
that can over-stimulate the production of gastric acids and cause
stomach upset.
 Do not drink tea on an empty stomach or with meals - Drinking green
tea around meal times or while you are having the meal can cause
indigestion, reduces the absorption of iron, and reduces absorption of
Vitamin B (which is the main cause for beriberi). The alkaline nature of
green tea tends to conflict with the acids produced by the stomach. It
is best to drink green in-between meals or about two hours after you
have eaten to avoid complexities. Drinking green tea after a meal
prevents the absorption of nutrients helping you to lose weight but you
should be careful as it stops all nutrition from going in.
Don’t drink tea with medications or when suffering from fever as
green tea can interact with some medicines - Therefore, as a safety
precaution, avoid drinking tea for at least two hours after taking
medications.
Some of the best green tea around is the Lipton Green Tea range that
is available in supermarkets and stores so grab your dose of green
heaven but remember that too much green tea and too little sleep can
make you feel like a zombie! |
