Green tea is a great source of antioxidants, works as an excellent natural detox agent, and can even help you lose weight. But if you’re worried about overdoing your favorite drink, it helps to know how many cups of green tea are good for you and when you’re drinking too much. The good news is, you won’t need to cut back on your regular intake if you’re having just a few cups a day!
Green Tea Is Undoubtedly Good For You
What’s fairly well-established is that green tea does pack in a lot of goodness and health benefits. Research proves that it can work as a detoxifier, body-fat reducer, immunity booster, and skin-cell renewer.1 It can even cut your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases.2 3 Traditional Asian medicine considers it one of the best forms of protection against a variety of cancers.4 But how much green tea should you have to make the most of the benefits without overdoing it?
Around Three Cups Of Green Tea May Be Ideal
Overall, it is safe for most people to drink two to three cups of green tea per day. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, this number will give you optimal levels (about 240–320 mg) of its polyphenols, organic chemicals with antioxidant properties found in green tea. Just remember to pick an authentic brand of tea that delivers on all the nutrients and goodness green tea is known for. That will make every cup count!
Don’t Binge On Your Green Tea!
While researchers are exploring the therapeutic use of larger amounts of green tea and its extracts against certain cancers and for flushing the liver of toxins5, that isn’t reason enough to binge-drink green tea yet. As with all good things, overdoing it, say with 10 to 12 cups a day, is not a great idea. Here’s why:
Stick To Your Caffeine Quota: You’ll want to watch your intake so you don’t go over the daily upper limit for caffeine consumption. A cup (8 oz) of green tea contains 24–45 mg caffeine while a cup of coffee contains about 100 mg, so green tea is still heaps better on the caffeine charts. But if you end up having way more than 3 to 4 cups a day, you could be pushing your caffeine limit. Just remember, the daily upper limit of caffeine is about 400 mg for normal adults. This means that with about 10 cups of green tea, you’ll exceed the daily caffeine quota.
Watch Aluminium And Lead Levels: Green tea plants are also capable of accumulating aluminum, which may be absorbed by the body if you drink very large amounts of the tea. This, in turn, could raise your risk of neurological diseases and decrease hemoglobin concentration.6 Some categories of people, for example, patients with renal failure who cannot flush the aluminum out of the body, are more susceptible.7 For pregnant women, lead accumulation presents a potential risk since tea leaves and brewed teas like green tea could have higher than normal levels of lead in them.8
Ensure Nutrient Absorption: The catechins or the natural antioxidant phenols in green tea may have an affinity for iron. Green tea infusions could, as a result, cause a significant decrease in your iron absorption from the diet. The tannins in green tea also interfere with the absorption of iron and folate.9 Just be careful to include adequate iron in your diet to compensate. And avoid drinking your tea near mealtimes to ensure the tea doesn’t interfere with your nutrient absorption.
Who Needs To Watch Their Intake Of Green Tea
Some circumstances may need you to monitor or cut down a little on your green tea intake. This applies to:
Pregnant Women: You may need to reduce intake to ensure you don’t hamper iron or folate absorption during your pregnancy. Iron is important for generating blood for the baby and folate is important to protect the baby against birth defects. Very high caffeine intake may also increase the risk of growth retardation in the fetus, increase miscarriage risk, or result in an increase in heart rhythm and blood pressure.10 11 But before you worry, remember, keeping within the lower safety limit of intake of 100 mg caffeine a day, which is about 2 cups a day, should be fine.
Anyone Undergoing Chemotherapy For Cancer: Remember, this is not a blanket rule but the effectiveness of your chemotherapy could potentially be reduced by having green tea. Your oncologist will be able to tell you whether you need to avoid or cut down on green tea while you’re being treated for cancer.12
Anyone With Anemia: Green tea tannins and catechins may not let your body absorb sufficient iron, while the potential aluminum content may decrease the hemoglobin concentration in blood. So anyone with anemia may want to cut down their intake.
People On Medication For Psychological Disorders, Heart Issues, And High BP: Since green tea could interfere with the working of medication for psychological disorders such as nervousness, anxiety, and bipolar disorder and for unstable heart rhythm, blood pressure, contraception, and blood-thinning, you may want to consult your doctor to know if green tea can work in tandem with or against your prescribed medication.13
Those With Insomnia: The caffeine in your green tea may keep you from getting restful sleep. If you have sleeping problems like insomnia, you’d do well to avoid taking green tea close to bedtime as it might cause disrupted sleep and make you overly alert when you need to wind down.
For everyone else, time your healthy beverage right and go ahead and enjoy its benefits.
Quality Matters, So Buy The Best
As with wine or coffee, the quality of your green tea makes all the difference. So even if you’ve mastered the art of pouring out the perfect cup of tea or have invested in special teaware designed to enhance its flavor and aroma, the quality of the tea leaf ultimately decides whether you’ll savor your tea or merely gulp it down.
Tea that has been tended to with care, soil that is rich in minerals, good weather and an environment that’s just right for tea plants to thrive, the time the leaves are plucked, where it has been grown, how the tea is processed – all of these can bring subtle changes to the flavor as well as nutrients in a tea. You’re likelier to get more health benefits out of a tea that has been treated and processed with care. When it comes to picking a tea, you need to look for one that’s not just pleasing to your palate but also good for health. And why should you miss out on either of these? Choose a tea from a manufacturer who pays attention to quality and you’ll taste the difference!
Whether you’re just beginning your discovery of green teas or are a seasoned green tea aficionado, Teamonk Global teas will win you over. With 40 years of expertise in the tea industry, Teamonk Global brings you an eclectic collection of green teas that have been lovingly handpicked and painstakingly curated from some of the best tea estates across India. The sheer variety will appeal to tea drinkers across the spectrum – Meho Clove Green Tea will hit the spot for people who love a hint of spice in their tea. Sozen Orange Green Tea is ideal for those who lean toward fruitier flavors. And Kozan Spearmint Green Tea is perfect for when you need a refreshing pick-me-up!
With a focus on producing finely crafted tea for a community of conscious and well-informed tea lovers, the teas from Teamonk Global deliver with every sip. The carefully selected blends introduce no more than one ingredient at a time, allowing the spotlight to shine on the tea itself. So indulge your love of green tea, explore harmonious blends, and rest easy knowing you’ve picked a tea that isn’t just a winner on flavor but aces the health stakes too!
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