What is the most consumed drink in the world after water? It’s not coffee, but tea (soft drinks follow and coffee comes third). This is not surprising, since tea is also one of the oldest known drinks.
Tea as a beverage originated in China around 5,000 years ago. Legend attributes its discovery to Emperor Shen Nong in 2737 BC, but the leaves of the tea plant were surely eaten. Camellia sinensissince long before.
Since then, tea gradually spread throughout Asia and later, in the 17th century, it reached Europe and other parts of the world through trade, becoming a cultural and ritual element that evolved into varieties and forms of tea preparation. This includes green tea, a form of tea that occasionally becomes trendy on social media under the attribution of supposedly almost miraculous properties. The last one: think of it as a “natural Ozempic”.
Under this idea, different strategies are proposed which involve drinking a lot of tea. One of these “miracle” cures is the “green tea diet”, which involves drinking three cups of this drink a day for a week, while following a very strict diet of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, which does not exceed 1,500 kcal.
For Dr. José Ángel Rufián-Henares, professor at the Department of Nutrition and Bromatology of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Granada, “it is a totally unbalanced diet and very low in calories. “You don’t lose weight by consuming green tea, but because you don’t eat enough of it.”
Rufián-Henares is the author, along with other researchers from the University of Granada, of several studies on the health benefits of green tea and white tea. These benefits are due, according to scientists, to the presence of antioxidants and their influence on the intestinal microbiota.
[La denominada ‘dieta del té verde’] It is a totally unbalanced diet and very low in calories. You don’t lose weight by consuming green tea, but because you don’t eat enough of it
José Ángel Rufián-Henares
— Professor of the Department of Nutrition and Bromatology of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UGR
The difference between green tea and black tea
The main difference between green tea and black tea is the oxidation process of the leaves. In green tea, the leaves undergo heat treatment, such as steaming or roasting, immediately after harvest, which prevents oxidation and preserves their color and antioxidant compounds, such as catechins. On the other hand, black tea is obtained by allowing the leaves to oxidize completely, which gives them a dark color, a more intense flavor and increases the presence of theaflavins and thearubigins, compounds that are also antioxidants, but which provide other benefits than antioxidants. .green tea.
Therein lie the health benefits of tea, especially green tea, which contains a type of polyphenols called catechins. Catechins are antioxidants that help prevent cell damage and provide many other health benefits.
The best-known and most abundant catechin in green tea is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which various studies have linked to improved symptoms and disease markers, including anticancer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. -inflammatory. The effects are multiplied in the case of matcha, since this drink is prepared with the whole leaves crushed, instead of being infused, so the content of these beneficial compounds is even higher.
The beneficial effects of green tea
This anti-inflammatory effect manifests itself in different ways. On the one hand, it is neuroprotective, it can benefit cognition, mood and brain functions, possibly thanks to the interaction of two compounds: caffeine on the one hand and L-theanine, which modulates the the stimulating effect of caffeine. In a recent study, green tea consumption was also associated with less cognitive decline in older adults.
Green tea, in turn, has a positive effect on metabolism and fat oxidation, but there is fine print. A large review of studies found that indeed, consuming green tea in combination with exercise may have positive metabolic effects, such as increased resting energy expenditure, increased use of fat as fuel and, if combined with strength training, reduced triglycerides and cholesterol control in overweight people.
Moderate daily consumption is correlated with a reduction in the prevalence of different pathologies, notably those directly linked to inflammation and others such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or cancer. But it is not a treatment in itself.
Dr. José Ángel Rufián-Henares
Does this mean that by drinking green tea we will have an athletic body? It seems that this only happens if, in addition to tea, we eat and train like an athlete. Green tea alone appears to have very little effect on fat loss.
Tea also has other positive effects on the functioning of the body, notably on the regulation of blood sugar, but a review of studies revealed that these effects are only measured in the medium term and not in the long term.
“It is true that moderate daily consumption of green (and white) tea is correlated with a reduction in the prevalence of different pathologies, notably those directly linked to inflammation and others such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or cancer”, confirms Rufián-Henares. “But green tea is not in itself a treatment for these pathologies and does not counteract the harmful effects of an unbalanced diet or lack of physical activity,” he explains.
The benefits of green tea are also largely due to its influence on the intestinal microbiota. In an animal study, it was found that supplementing with green tea extract for seven days was sufficient to modify the gut and skin microbiota, with protective effects against ultraviolet rays. “It is likely that the gut microbiota acts at least as an intermediary for some of the health benefits of green tea,” says Rufián-Henares.
“Green tea can influence the intestinal microbiota by stimulating the growth of specific species or preventing the development of harmful species,” explains Rufián-Henares. For example, green tea has been shown to be able to correct the alteration of the microbiota that appears in diseases such as obesity or cancer. The compounds in tea also reduce the inflammatory compounds produced by gut bacteria in these diseases.
According to the findings of Rufián-Henares’ team, green tea is also used as a functional food, adding its extracts to white chocolate, to increase the antioxidant content, or even in yogurts and cookies. As an additive to meat products, tea extracts can prevent the growth of unwanted microorganisms and oxidation. However, we must not forget that no matter how beneficial tea is, it cannot compensate for an unhealthy life.
*Darío Pescador is editor and director of Quo Magazine and author of the book the best of yourself Published by Oberon.
