Green tea is often misunderstood when it comes to understanding its caffeine content. Unlike coffee, which contains 100 mg of caffeine in one cup of coffee, green tea only contains 20-30 mg of caffeine in one up. Green tea consists of the highest amounts of polyphenols of all the teas, especially in catechins (antioxidants). These catechins are made up of Epigallocatechin (EGCG) and the amino acid L-Theanine. Opposite to coffee, green tea lowers levels of cortisol, brings alertness while at the same time having a calming effect with no jitters, and reduces anxiety. Green tea also helps reduce blood sugar spikes as insulin secretions are significantly lowered and enhances our ability to metabolize fat as the EGCG helps boost our metabolism by stimulating the burning of fat in the body. It also helps reduce constipation.
The best times to drink green tea:
- In the morning around 10-11 a.m. or early at night (evening time is the lowest metabolism moment and green tea helps increase it. But try to avoid drinking close to bedtime if you are sensitive to sleep being affected).
- Also, best about 1-2 hours before or after a meal to maximize nutrient intake and iron absorption.
Other teas to consider with similar, if not even better benefits to green tea, are white tea and jasmine tea to follow. White tea has the highest concentration of antioxidants because it is the least processed and not oxidized (3x higher than in green teas). This explains the greater anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects and it contains 15 mg of caffeine. However, whichever tea you choose to drink, you will be benefiting yourself tremendously with either one.
Happy Tea time!
