I’ve been researching green tea intake on the net and I am still unclear of how much I should be drinking. There was an article in Men’s Fitness that recomnneded 8 cups a day to gain the full benefits. I’ve also heard anywhere from 3-4 and that over 5 is too much. Anyone have any insight into how many cups a day is a good amount?
I just make a 3-4 cup jug a day with 2 teabags and I’m good to go. Been doing this for a while and it seems to be fine.
I’m probably wrong - but I don’t think 1 or 2 cups more is going to make much difference anyway.
4 to 5 cups of green tea, is fine you can even cook meals using grean tea some that actually taste good will also mean that your getting the full benifits of green tea.
Also if you have honey and lemon with the green tea it is good for your immune system because the ingredidents work synergysticly( I think thats how you spell it:)
I have been looking for the notes I had on the subject but cant seem to find them.
I basic with it is that your cunsumption has to be spreaded evenly on the day.
Also, not all green tea have descent amount of polyphenol. There are many varieties and some of them contain next to no active molecules, while some others contain huge amounts. Look for Sencha, Ben-cha(cha mean tea in Japanese), Gyokhuro. These varieties are more expensive but are worth it. They usually taste better too!
finally, to get the most active susbstance out of the leaves, leave them in the water for 10 minutes. It gets a bit more bitter.
Enjoy!
white tea is also a good option for heavy tea drinkers. It may contain more polyphenols and it has even less caffeine. I would say it also has a slightly ‘sweeter’ flavor.
FYI, has anyone tried Touch Organic’s Sweet Green Tea? This stuff is absolutely bizzare. It only tastes like it has sugar or stevia in it but that is just the natural flavor of the tea!
I have a question about spreading intake out over the day. I have had trouble sleeping in the past and do not want to trigger this again by taking in caffeine late in the day. Is there any reason why it is suggested intake be spread out? Would 2 cups in the morning and 2 in the early afternoon still constitute “spreading out” intake?
[quote]speedy5323 wrote:
I have a question about spreading intake out over the day. I have had trouble sleeping in the past and do not want to trigger this again by taking in caffeine late in the day. Is there any reason why it is suggested intake be spread out? Would 2 cups in the morning and 2 in the early afternoon still constitute “spreading out” intake?[/quote]
That is very simple. The thing is that the active stuff stays in the body for a short period of time. Taking the equivalent of 5 cups in the morning won’t make it! It’s a bit like fibers, vegetable, omega-3…
But hey…spread the drinking as eavenly as you desire. Not in the evening? Fine! I’m not able to drink it all day long either. I drink 2 coffe jugs a day.
There’s always green tea extract. You can get it both caffeinated or not. I recommend Kent Nutrition if you go for the decaf version. If it’s not a reputable company, the decaffeination process can remove the catechins and other the other things that provide health benefits.
I just drink it whenever. I try to get in at least one cup a day, especially in place of coffee in the afternoon.
Since nobody else has mentioned it, you can brew up green tea, remove the tea bags, dump in a large package of crystal light (or whatever) and then fill your pitcher with water.
If you use decaf, you can drink it anytime without issue…
[quote]SprintMachine wrote:
I basic with it is that your cunsumption has to be spreaded evenly on the day.
Also, not all green tea have descent amount of polyphenol. There are many varieties and some of them contain next to no active molecules, while some others contain huge amounts. Look for Sencha, Ben-cha(cha mean tea in Japanese), Gyokhuro. These varieties are more expensive but are worth it. They usually taste better too!
finally, to get the most active susbstance out of the leaves, leave them in the water for 10 minutes. It gets a bit more bitter.
Enjoy! [/quote]
Is ‘Lipton’ brand O.K.?
Yes lipton is OK.
Watch the Decaf there are two ways they decaf. tea and one leaves the tea void of much of the goodness of the Anti Ox’s. Shugart has an article on this somewhere.
I wouldnt sweat it. Timing that is. Just drink the stuff. The anti oxidants and micro nutrients etc are going to stick with you for a bit. No need in drinking it before bed and messing up your sleep.
Dont sweat the small stuff so much just make an effort to replace a few drinks a day with G Tea and you’ll be Golden.
Just my opinion,
Phill
I think there is some good advice here, but don’t forget that thanks to our industrialized planet and subsequent acid rain, the tea plant often absorbs flouride more easily than other types of commonly consumed plants. Because of this, I think the 8 cups a day (if one tea bag per cup) is way over-kill. It was mentioned elsewhere on this site (and in many other credible contexts) that 1 cup of green tea can have the same flouride content as 8 liters of municipal water! FYI, per the AMA, 28% of bladder/intestinal cancer are a direct result of consuming flouridated water! ~8 cups a tea over a long period of time may contribute to this risk.
Remember that flouride is only helpful topically, not systemically. Therefore, it’s best to get your flouride from toothpaste/mouthrinse, spitting it out after use, than from ingestion.
I’d have to say the minimum consumption is more like 1 cup, not 8! Since any measureable amount of anti-oxidants are better than none at all. So, even 1 cup of of green, black, regular, herbal, or white (has the highest anti-oxidants) is better than none. Also, let’s not forget that I believe it was LL who wrote that you can actually consume TOO MANY anti-oxidants! I believe he stated that anti-oxidant intake should be proportional to your oxidation rate (physical activity and calorie needs).
I think 1-2 cups a day as long as it is a quality/potent tea is good. For additional antiox’s, try getting them from other sources to avoid excess flouride. Such sources include fresh fruits and veggies; specifically alpha lipoic acid, berries, garlic, and there are great polyphenols (what’s in tea) in thyme and oregano.
TopSirloin
[quote]
Is ‘Lipton’ brand O.K.?[/quote]
I don’t know, but usually, these format are mad eusing leftovers of various green tea. No way to tell of the quality, % of active substance. Green tea is not only about antioxidant. Polyphenol play a major role against cancer angiogenesis, as other compounds found in most green vegetables.
It’s a bit like Grow!..not all protein powder are equal. Same with the green tea. But I guess that if you can’t find any Quality green tea imported from Japan, stick with the lipton!