The Benefits of Green Tea After Lunch

The Benefits of Green Tea After Lunch

Tea has been consumed for centuries, especially in Asian countries like China, Japan and India. The three main varieties, green, black and oolong tea, differ only in their processing. Green tea is composed of unfermented tea leaves and contains the highest level of antioxidants. Green tea has also been used for its medicinal properties in many cultures. It regulates blood sugar when consumed after a meal.

Green Tea and Metabolism

Green tea can help moderately overweight people lose weight by boosting metabolism. Research published in the April 2010 issue of "Obesity" found that regular consumption of green tea reduces body weight, waist circumference, intra-abdominal fat and total lean mass after 90 days. Although the green tea was not specifically consumed following a meal, the metabolism boosting component in green tea helps digest meals quicker when consumed immediately after lunch or another meal. Other smaller scale studies have produced similar weight loss results.[1]

Weigh loss

Green Tea and Blood Sugar

Drinking green tea after a meal, such as lunch or dinner, helps regulate blood sugar. Following a meal, especially one that is heavy in starch, your body releases an enzyme that breaks down the food and causes blood glucose levels to rise. Green tea helps regulate glucose levels. Research by the United States Department of Agriculture that was published in the May 2002 issue of "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" found that green tea has insulin-potentiating activity and boosts insulin production.

Other Green Tea Benefits

The University of Maryland Medical Center states that green tea has a number of health benefits. In general, tea helps prevent coronary artery disease. A meta-analysis published in the September 15, 2001 issue of the "American Journal of Epidemiology" found that heart attacks decreased by 11 percent in participants that drank three cups of tea or more. Green and black tea also appear to prevent specific types of cancer, including bladder, breast, ovarian, lung, prostate and stomach cancer. Green tea has also been studied in its relationship to liver disease, dental disease and arthritis.

Dosage and Precautions

Green tea can be consumed in liquid form or taken as a supplement. When drinking green tea, consume one cup following lunch. For added benefits, drink one cup of green tea following each meal for a total of three cups a day. When taking as a supplement, take 100 to 750 mg extract per day following lunch. Consult your physician before taking a green tea supplement or consuming green tea. It has the potential to interact with a number of medications and should only be used under a doctor's supervision.[2][i]

 By Danlo O. Bantilan., Th.D