Should you drink your tea before or after you eat? – Green Tea Quiz

It is refreshing to drink either cold or hot tea, especially during snack time. But for absorbing all the health benefits and having a nutritious meal, is it better to drink tea before, during, or after eating?

Let's explore the tea-drinking time, and let's sip our teas!

We feel relieved when we drink tea, especially after eating Japanese or Chinese food. We think our tummies become light, and our digestive system absorbs the nutrients. Green tea contains catechins, antioxidants that repair cell damage, boost the immune system, and are responsible for the health benefits, which reduce digestive problems by increasing enzymes to break down the food more effectively. Furthermore, we feel that all the fats and oil we intake are already melting inside our bodies.

Is it best to drink green tea after a meal?

It feels good to drink tea after eating, but green tea and other kinds of tea block the absorption of food nutrients in our body. You might be wondering now how tea blocks absorption if the catechins from tea have health benefits and nutrients that help our digestive system. The answer is you will get the health benefits of tea and the nutrients from the foods when you drink tea 30 to 1 hour after your meal.

If you want the best absorption of health benefits from green tea and you will have a lunch after breakfast or supposedly have a snack time hours after lunch, it is best to drink green tea 2 hours after mealtime. Just don't drink green tea late at night because if you do, you will have difficulty trying to sleep.

Drinking on an empty stomach

You can drink 2 hours before mealtime except before breakfast, as the catechin and the low caffeine content can cause liver damage. In addition, since green tea has remaining tannins (found in plants with antioxidant properties and that cause a bitter taste in green tea), these can increase stomach acids causing ulcers and acid reflux.

Why does tea block nutrient absorption?

Drinking hot tea after a meal Is not bad. However, it slows down the absorption of nutrients, especially iron. Tannins are there to protect the Camellia sinensis (green tea plant) from being eaten by pests and parasitic plants. They also contain antioxidants to fight inflammation and protect us from diabetes and heart disease. The downside of tannins is when taking green tea while having a meal, the tannins bind with iron, calcium, zinc, and other nutrients. That is why in short, green tea blocks vitamins and iron absorption.

Benefits of Green tea on Digestion

Now, we know when to consume green tea for health correctly. Let's see how green tea makes us feel better after eating.

Green tea's caffeine content and exercise help us burn fat and feel full earlier than usual. It also lowers blood sugar. In addition, both prebiotics and probiotics found in green tea destroy harmful gut bacteria and, at the same time, allow healthy gut bacteria to thrive.

Green tea is safe to consume, and nothing bad will happen even if you drink it during your mealtime, although just like other activities and things, don't drink green tea excessively. Also, don't forget to drink water for hydration.