The Secret to a Healthy Life: Green Tea(2020)! Benefits, Facts, Side Effects, and More! And Our Best Recipe for the Best Green Tea Ever!

The Secret to a Healthy Life: Green Tea(2020)! Benefits, Facts, Side Effects, and More! And Our Best Recipe for the Best Green Tea Ever!

Though not as famous as the other forms of tea, green tea has its own fan base owing to its medicinal properties. On its own, it takes some time to get used to. We have put together an article complete with a couple of ways to make it palatable. We have added a section too on the best time to have green tea to make the best use of its medicinal properties. Keep reading and educated on its benefits and side effects,

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Green Tea and Its Benefits

Green tea is made from unoxidized leaves and is an unprocessed form of tea. It contains antioxidants and polyphenols. Green tea has been used in traditional medicine over the ages. It helps in healing wounds, improving heart conditions, and has several other benefits like acting against Type 2 diabetes, liver disorders, and Alzheimer's disease. Green tea also works against cancers and reduces the levels of cholesterol in the body.

Green tea contains polyphenols that act against the free radicals being formed in the body. It also boosts the function of the brain and keeps you alert. If you plan to lose weight, you must have green tea in regulated quantities every day.

Best Time to Have Green Tea

While green tea contains antioxidants, it still contains caffeine. There are certain times it is best to have your cup of green tea. This would help you get the best benefits from it. It is ideal to be taken in the morning as it is soothing and boosts your concentration. You can also have green tea in the evening but just be cautious of the caffeine level in your cup. Green tea can also be had just before an exercise session. This is particularly true if you are keen to lose weight, in which case pencil in a cuppa before your workout sessions. You can also have one post your workout as it will refresh and rejuvenate your body.

When Must You Avoid Green Tea?

Green tea must not be had right after taking a medication. There could be adverse reactions to medicine. You must not have green tea on an empty stomach either, as it can cause acidity. Moreover, you must not take green tea right after your meals as it can affect your digestion. The ideal time is to have 60-90 minutes after or before your meal.

It is also not the ideal beverage to have before going to sleep. It can hamper regular sleep habits if taken in excessive amounts. Pregnant women are also advised not to have green tea as it could pass into the fetus’ bloodstream. It could take longer to metabolize and may lead to some complications.

How to Make Green Tea?

There are quite a few different ways to make green tea. You can use green tea leaves to make tea. You must take the leaves in a strainer and keep it aside. The water must be heated to around 85 degrees. Next, take the strainer with the leaves and pour the hot water through it and into a cup. Keep it for three minutes. Then add some honey and stir. If you use a teabag, you need to dip the tea bag into the hot water for around three minutes.


It is essential to know a few tricks that can make green tea taste better.

  • Always use water that is at the ideal temperature and not too hot; else the tea might taste bitter. It is advised to have it when it is moderately warm.

  • Do not add any sugar. You may also add a pinch of sweetener, like honey.

  • Do check the time you take to seep the leave in hot water. Keeping it for long may turn the tea extremely bitter.

Make It Tastier: Great Things to Add Your Cuppa

While brewing green tea is an art in itself, you must also be a great mixer if you want to add taste to your green tea. You can add a dash of lemon or some honey to add some flavour to the tea. It is also possible to have a herbal concoction or mix some natural juice. Some patrons also add a few flower petals to soften the bitter taste. Adding peppermint is another option. You can also make iced tea or turn it into a latte. Adding some fruits like pineapple, papaya, mango, etc. can add a whole new taste.

It is also good to add some ginger, herbs, and spices. Some people also prefer to mix fruit or herbal teas with their green tea. It gives a unique flavour.

Green Tea: Myths, Facts and Side Effects

There is a myth that you can have any number of cups of green tea. Green tea does have several benefits, but does it mean you can have endless rounds of green tea throughout the day? It contains caffeine, and there must be a limit to the number of cups you have every day. The amount of antioxidants in your body must be under check as well. Ideally, you can consume around three cups of green tea. It is roughly the amount of polyphenols you can have in a day.

If you are sensitive to caffeine, you must stick to green tea with a low level of caffeine.

Surprising Facts About Green Tea

Most of us feel that only green tea has antioxidants that are not factually correct. Green tea does have flavonoids and antioxidants. You may be shocked to know that even black tea has antioxidants. Black tea also contains theaflavin and quercetin.

A prevalent myth is that green tea helps to lose weight. The fact is that it can only help you in losing weight by boosting metabolism. However, you must also have nourishing food along with a proper exercise routine.

Side Effects of Green Tea

While green tea is taken to be healthy and people do get benefits from it, it has a few effects too. Green tea also contains caffeine, and those with caffeine sensitivity could experience nausea, insomnia, irritability, etc. The patients who take anticoagulants must talk to their physician before taking green tea. Also, you must not take green tea with aspirin.

Patients with high blood pressure, liver and kidney problems, ulcers, etc. should not take green tea, its extracts or supplements. There could be some other health issues too. The catechins present in green tea can reduce the ability of your body to absorb iron from food. Moreover, if you consume too much green tea, your body would have too many catechins, which could lead to anemia.

Digital Marketer, Blogger
Sanjay Das
Sanjay is a marketing professional with more than 15 years of experience. He has a penchant for writing blogs and articles and has written over 350 blogs across diverse topics and industries. Sanjay takes a keen interest in SEO-based content writing for websites and social media. He also runs his own blog for digital marketing articles.
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Know Your Limit and Exercise Caution!

Consumption of green tea on a regular basis is very beneficial to the health of the body and mind. It helps you reduce weight, strengthens your memory power and aids digestion. But like everything, green tea should be taken in limited quantities up to 3 cups a day. People with anxiety disorders, bleeding disorders, heart conditions, diabetes, IBS, liver disease, osteoporosis etc should exercise caution and check with your doctor before taking green tea. Same goes with pregnant and breast feeding women.