We’ve all heard about the benefits of drinking green tea. Study after study is confirming that green tea’s high yield of valuable antioxidants has the ability to ward off free radicals known to damage our DNA.
But green tea also contains caffeine that can make some tea drinkers feel jumpy and anxious. If you have a low tolerance for caffeine, these 7 tips will help you enjoy green tea’s many health benefits, minus the jitters.
- Know Thy Tea
There are a variety of flavorful green teas on the market but they all have differing caffeine levels. Houjicha, Genmaicha and Bancha are just few examples of green teas that have lower amounts of caffeine. Speak with a tea purveyor or go online to review which green tea might be best for you before purchasing. - Don’t Come On So Strong
A typical cup of green tea contains 17mg of caffeine, which may be just enough to make some people feel its effects. There’s no need to brew green tea at its fullest strength if caffeine is impacting your well being. Try brewing less than the recommended amount of leaves if you’re seeking a more calming cup of tea. - Three Times Is A Charm
If you find that you experience negative caffeine effects after consuming several cups of tea, there’s good news to report. Green tea leaves can be infused up to three times and still retain their sweet and delicious taste. But whether you’re infusing the first, second or third time, never over-steep the tea or it may develop a bitter aftertaste. - Switch to Decaf
May tea-drinkers find it’s easiest to purchase decaffeinated green tea. If that’s the route you’d like to take, make sure it’s been done by a natural process known as effervescence that utilizes water and carbon dioxide to extract the caffeine. This is preferable to chemical methods of caffeine extraction that use the solvent and diluent ethyl acetate, which is used commercially as a paint activator and in some nail polish removers. - Get Loose
A 1996 study done by Auburn University showed that tea bags rather than loose tea tend to have higher concentrations of caffeine. Researchers found that the leaves in tea bags are broken into many pieces, resulting in a greater infusion of caffeine than what’s released when whole leaves are steeped. In addition, most bagged teas go through extensive processing which greatly reduces the beneficial qualities of their contents. - Don’t Go First
Respected physician and health advocate, Dr. Andrew Weil, claims that you can retain green tea’s many health benefits and lose the caffeine by throwing away the first infusion. Weil suggests steeping the tea for 45 seconds, pitching the first cup of liquid, then adding more hot water to the leaves and steeping as usual. According to Weil, up to 80 percent of green tea’s caffeine will be missing from the second infusion without the loss of taste or aroma.
- Some Like It Hot
Green tea contains potent substances known as catechins and theanine that diminish caffeine’s strength. But as tea cools, catechins and theanine begin to break down and caffeine’s effects may be felt. Make sure to drink your tea while it’s hot. If it cools, toss it and re-use your leaves to prepare a second cup.
Reducing green tea’s caffeine while consuming its many beneficial properties may protect you from a variety of illnesses including arthrosclerosis, cancer, high cholesterol, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and obesity.
So what are you waiting for? Grab some loose tea, follow the steps that are easiest for your lifestyle and enjoy!
Author Bio – Richard G. Hamilton has a B.S. in Nutrition, is an avid blogger and also a content contributor for Kanetix, a car insurance comparison site, including Ontario car insurance quotes.
