Before going to bed
Many people think that green tea helps relax, but in fact, it contains a significant amount of caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, slowing down the production of melatonin - a hormone that regulates sleep. If you drink it too close to bedtime, you may experience difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or easily waking up in the middle of the night. This also disrupted the biological clock in the long run, causing fatigue the next morning. Therefore, if you want to drink green tea in the evening, try to drink it at least 3 - 4 hours before bed.
When hungry
Drinking green tea in the early morning before eating anything can harm the stomach. The polyphenols and catechin in green tea increase acid secretion, which can easily lead to a feeling of alcoholism, nausea or even stomach pain in people with sensitive digestive systems. This habit can gradually contribute to gastric ulcers. For safety, you should eat breakfast or at least have a snack before drinking tea.
Immediately after taking the medicine
Green tea can react to some ingredients in the drug, reducing treatment effectiveness or causing unwanted side effects, such as increased stomach acid. In particular, with iron supplements or anticoagulants, green tea also reduces absorption. Therefore, medicine should only be taken with water and should wait at least 1 - 2 hours after taking medicine before drinking tea.
Along with or immediately after meals
Green tea has the ability to support digestion, but if consumed right before or after meals, it hinders the body's absorption of some important nutrients, especially iron and zinc. This can lead to anemia or reduced resistance in the long run. It is best to give your body time to digest and absorb nutrients from meals, then about 1 - 2 hours before drinking green tea.
