Green tea is a familiar drink for Vietnamese people. Green tea is famous around the world for its antioxidant properties, weight loss benefits, support for cardiovascular patients, cholesterol reduction, and its positive effects on the heart, brain, digestion, and cancer prevention.
With these outstanding benefits, green tea has become a beverage that many people praise as a longevity drink.
In Vietnam, green tea has been a traditional beverage for many years. Many people have the habit of making a cup of tea after a meal. Besides restaurants, many establishments have tea for customers to enjoy after their meal. Many people, after eating pho or other noodle soups, will go to a tea shop to have a glass of iced or hot tea to complete their dining experience.
Drinking tea after a meal helps to freshen the mouth, so many people like to do it.
Lovneet Batra, a nutrition expert from India, shared about the best way to use tea to get the most health benefits.
Batra said: Drinking tea after a meal can support digestion and help reduce bloating. Antioxidants, especially catechins, have the ability to enhance metabolism and improve overall digestion efficiency.
Drinking tea after a meal can help reduce bloating, because tea contains polyphenols and antioxidants that help treat indigestion. Tea also has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce digestive complications. Some polyphenolic compounds, such as catechins, enhance the activity of digestive enzymes, while pepsin helps break down proteins in food.
However, drinking tea immediately after a meal can have side effects. Tanins in tea can interfere with the absorption of minerals, including iron, zinc, and calcium (slowing down the absorption process). This can lead to deficiencies in these minerals, which can negatively affect health.
Or drinking concentrated tea with high tannin content can increase the risk of constipation and difficulty digesting food. Moreover, caffeine in tea can also hinder the absorption of nutrients in the digestive system.
Therefore, according to experts, it is best not to maintain the habit of drinking tea immediately after a meal or while eating. It is best to drink tea about 1 hour after a meal.
Furthermore, it is also advisable to avoid drinking tea on an empty stomach as it can make you feel tea drunk, leading to low blood pressure and dizziness.
If you want to drink tea for weight loss and improved digestion, you can add a few slices of ginger, which will further enhance the metabolism and support better weight loss.