Fasting green tea: all you need to know

Drinking green tea on an empty stomach has become one of the most popular routines when it comes to improving wellbeing and health.

Obtained from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, green tea is deeply rooted as a natural remedy in Eastern cultures, particularly in China, Japan and Korea. In these places, each province has its own speciality and there is a rich tradition surrounding this drink.

Today, this drink is also widely popular in the West, where it is considered one of the healthiest beverages.

This notion has also been confirmed by modern science, which highlights its high content of antioxidants and health-promoting nutrients.

Green tea now accounts for a quarter to a fifth of global tea production, with the main tea producers being China, Japan and Vietnam.

In this context, what are the benefits of green tea and the main advantages of drinking it on an empty stomach? We tell you.

Green tea: what makes it special?

The nutritional composition of green tea makes it a particularly health-promoting tea. These contents include:

• Polyphenols: it has 30% polyphenols by weight, most of which are flavonoids such as epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Of particular importance is catechin, a natural antioxidant that prevents cellular and molecular damage by minimising the formation of free radicals, which are responsible for ageing processes and the formation of some types of cancer.
• Protein: 15-20% of dry weight, especially enzymes
• Amino acids: which make up between 1 and 4% of the dry weight, including theine, glutamic acid, tryptophan, glycine, serine, aspartic acid, tyrosine, valine, leucine, among others.
• Carbohydrates: 5-7% of dry weight, including cellulose, pectins, glucose, fructose and sucrose.
• Minerals and trace elements: account for 5% of the dry weight, including calcium, magnesium, chromium, manganese and zinc, among others.
• Other elements: in small quantities, some lipids, sterols, vitamins (B, C, E), xanthan bases (caffeine, theine), and pigments, among others, are also present.

Benefits of fasting green tea

The above-mentioned components ensure that drinking green tea is not only a pleasant experience but also improves a number of health processes:

• Improvements in brain function. Some of the components of green tea involve improvements in brain function and cognitive ability.

These include caffeine, well known as a stimulant for its ability to block adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and activate neurons and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and noradrenaline.

This, in turn, translates into improvements in mood, reaction times and memory. Other components, such as the amino acid L-theanine, are able to increase the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, dopamine and brain wave production.

• Activity and physical performance. The synergies produced between L-theanine and caffeine produce an effect of increased activity and a feeling of being awake, but with a more stable and less explosive effect than coffee. In terms of physical performance, green tea is able to mobilise some of the fatty acids in fatty tissues and transform them into a source of energy.

• Fat reduction. Green tea is a well-known ally for people seeking to lose weight, as it has been shown to accelerate metabolic rate and increase fat reduction processes.

• Antioxidant action. The antioxidant components mentioned above help in the prevention of some types of cancer.

• Neuronal protection. The catechin components generate a neuronal protection effect which, in the long term, may help in the prevention of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

• Dental health. Green tea can also help kill bacteria and inhibit viruses harmful to dental health that contribute to tooth decay, infection, plaque or bad breath.

• Diabetes. High blood sugar levels linked to diabetes and insulin resistance can be combated by some of the components of green tea.
• Heart disease. Green tea can have a positive impact on minimising risk factors linked to cholesterol and triglycerides, all of which are associated with the likelihood of developing some types of heart disease.

Why is green tea good on an empty stomach?

Taking certain foods or drinks on an empty stomach is a boost to some nutritional processes, as these are times when there is no digestive process going on.

Therefore, drinking green tea on an empty stomach can be particularly beneficial to take advantage of the properties mentioned above.

In addition, for people who practice intermittent fasting with respect to food, this is a drink that can make the process more pleasant or easier as it can make the process more enjoyable:

• Can eliminate the feeling of hunger that is experienced
• Provides extra energy
• Positive effects on digestive health

Green tea on an empty stomach: how to drink it

Experimenting with eating some foods on an empty stomach is part of the overall framework of changes aimed at improving well-being and health.

In this sense, more and more people are interested in making changes in their routines and diet to improve their health, changes that are reflected in trying new diets such as the keto diet or incorporating beneficial elements such as organic silica.

Drinking green tea on an empty stomach, as we have seen, can be particularly beneficial. However, it is important to follow some key steps to ensure that the process is beneficial:

• To take advantage of the full potential of green tea, heat the water until it reaches 100º.
• It is not advisable to leave the leaves for more than 2-5 minutes, otherwise the infusion could turn out particularly sour.

If you are fasting, always pay attention to the kind of message your body is sending: if you are not feeling well, the process may not be working for you and you may need to make some adjustments.