Are you drinking your green tea right? Know the how’s and why’s

Loaded with antioxidants and bio-active compounds, green tea is believed to be one of the healthiest drinks around. From improving your metabolism to lowering heart disease risk, green tea may help improve your health in many ways.

Also watch: Here's the tea: All the benefits of green tea you need to know

But does that mean you can mindlessly gulp down multiple cups of the beverage every day?

When it comes to green tea, you should not fall for the common misconception that the more you have it, the better your health will get.

The timing and amount of green tea you drink plays a significant role in getting you the maximum health benefits.

Here are some unspoken rules of consuming green tea as suggested by the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

Avoid green tea with or immediately after meals

As soon as you eat anything, the body kickstarts the digestion process. Drinking green tea with meals or immediately after it can hamper the absorption of nutrients from food. This may even prevent you from getting enough benefits from the drink.

Avoid pre-bedtime green tea plans

About 35 mg of caffeine is present in a cup of green tea. While it may not have as significant an effect on the body as coffee, it can still lead to disrupted sleep in some. So, avoid green tea before bedtime.

Never have green tea on an empty stomach

Consuming green tea on an empty stomach is not the best way to reap its benefits. This may have adverse effects on your health. The caffeine content may lead to dehydration and stimulate the release of gastric acid which can cause upset stomach or ulcers.

Drink 2-3 cups a day

Green tea is high in antioxidants and natural plant-based compounds such as tannins and flavonoids. Consuming it in excess can result in digestive issues and sleeping problems. So, do not drink more than 2-3 cups of green tea a day.

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