Green Tea – Dos and Don’ts
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Green tea is now one of the most recommended teas to drink for its numerous health benefits. However, it does still have one big disadvantage for many people: its caffeine content. If you are sensitive to caffeine side effects, take note of the following measures.
- Buy green tea made from older tea leaves. The younger they are picked, the more caffeine they contain. The best teas are made from the bud and adjacent leaves (called the tea flush) and have the sweetest flavor, but also the most caffeine. Don’t be fooled by the color of the tea. Lapsang Souchong , a black tea, is very dark in color but has less caffeine than Gyokuro, a high-grade and paler Japanese green tea.
- Try not to use tea bags. There is much more caffeine in a tea bag than in tea leaves. The quality of tea is generally not as good and there is also the added problem of possible toxic chemicals found in the paper and glue used to make the tea bag.
- Monitor your tolerance to the caffeine and start slowly by drinking only half a cup a day. Begin with half the amount of tea leaves you would use to brew tea so you can drink it at half strength. Throw away the first infusion. This contains the most caffeine, about 70% is absorbed in the first five minutes. The longer the first infusion, the less caffeine left in the second. Experiment till you find the right flavor and strength with no adverse reactions to the caffeine level.
- Although there are many cold green tea drinks on the market, be careful. Drinking green tea hot allows natural antioxidants and amino acids to combine with and reduce the caffeine effects. If tea is left to cool off too much after brewing, more caffeine is released.
Note: Due to its high content of chlorophyll, so experts feel that green tea should not be taken if you suffer from a gastric ulcer.
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