You know how green tea can create a significant improvement to your health. So, the main question now is, how much green tea do you really need in a daily basis to enjoy these health benefits?
Experts believe that the magic number lies between 300 to 1,000 mg of catechins each day. This amount is equivalent to 3 to 10 cups of green tea per day. You might think that it is too much but this recommended dosage is based on the idea that the average cup of green tea comes with 100 mg of catechins. Nevertheless, some studies show that there are cups of tea that contains only a half of that said amount.
This variation of the catechin content may be because green tea leaves are crop just like any other. They may be fresh or stale, young or old, from poor or rich soil, etc. During processing and harvesting, the leaves might come in contact with different conditions which can destroy their nutrient levels. Also, the manner that you prepare your green tea at home can create a big change to the catechin content too.
Because there are so many ways that proper catechin content might be lost, here are some few tips that help you preserve your tea:
- Instead of flat tea bags, make use of flow-through tea bags. This way, the water can circulate through the leaves and helps catechins to be released better.
- Make use of purified water during preparation. Chlorine, which is too common on tap water, can only degrade the catechins and even destroy the rich flavor of your green tea.
- Do not make use of kettles created from metal alloys available with iron. As you know, iron will lessen the antioxidant activity of the catechins. Make use of nickel-plated metal alloys, lead-free porcelain, polypropylene plastic, glass, high-grade stainless steel for your kettle’s material.
- Allow the water to boil before you put in your tea. Steeping the leaves at 212 degrees Fahrenheit will release about 80 percent of catechins.
- Do not place leaves into water and microwave them after. This will only overcook your green tea.
