| Random Character |
|---|
|
| Green Tea: Separating Fact from Fiction |
|
|
|
|
Hot tea over cold Eastern medicine specialists advise hot green tea over cold because its "cold" elements already bring down body temperature. For people of the "Minor Yin" body type, who get cold easily, it's best not to drink green tea when they experience indigestion after eating cold food. In Eastern medicine, different medicines have been used to treat diseases depending on "body type," of which there are four -- Major Yang, Major Yin, Minor Yang and Minor Yin. Lee Chang-hun of Kyung Hee University's Kangnam Korean Hospital says people with bodies with a lot of heat should also avoid cold green tea. The more, the better? One or two cups are fine. If you drink more than that, the acidic tannin in green tea can irritate an empty stomach, much as orange juice can. Tannin can prevent the stomach of people with gastro-intestinal disorders like gastric ulcers from repairing itself. Oxidized oolong or black tea make the tannin insoluble, so they are fine. Moreover, too much caffeine can mean you lose too many minerals in your urine. What if green tea and milk meet? Because tannin merges with inorganic materials, it can interfere in the absorption of calcium. The effects are not of a scale that should worry you, but you shouldn't let growing children drink green tea right after they've eaten calcium-rich food. Mothers should avoid mixing green tea into their babies' powdered milk, and pregnant mothers and babies under five months should avoid it because their capacity to discharge caffeine is lower. Is it good for constipation? The effects of green tea made from soaked leaves and from powder are different. In the case of tea from leaves or tea bags, only the minerals seep out into the water. The dietary fiber that eases constipation remains in the leaf itself and does not enter the body, so it has no effect on constipation. Do you lose weight? Green tea has virtually no calories, and it reduces that amount of cholesterol stored in the body. The caffeine and amino acids stimulate the brain and increase metabolism, so they can lead to weight loss. Yet no matter how good a food is, it's best not to consume too much of it. If you drink too much green tea, you become addicted to the caffeine and that can lead to digestive problems. Source: chosun.com July 19, 05 |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|