Green tea is unfermented tea, which retains more of the natural substances in the fresh leaves. Among them, more than 85% of polyphenols and caffeine can be preserved. The components in green tea are indeed effective in preventing aging, cancer, and have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, which are incomparable to other teas. However, it is precisely these natural ingredients that can have adverse effects on the human body if consumed on an empty stomach.
The health benefits of green tea are well-known to everyone. Moreover, as international research on the health effects of green tea deepens, green tea seems to have become the top choice for many people's health and wellness. Many people have a cup of tea in hand all day long, with green tea never leaving their lips. Some people even make it a habit to drink a cup of green tea as soon as they wake up in the morning. However, Weng Kun, an associate researcher at the National Tea Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, reminds: drinking green tea on an empty stomach is not good for gastrointestinal health.
Weng Kun said that green tea is unfermented tea, which retains more of the natural substances in the fresh leaves. Among them, more than 85% of polyphenols and caffeine can be preserved. The components in green tea are indeed effective in preventing aging, cancer, and have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, which are incomparable to other teas. However, it is precisely these natural ingredients that can have adverse effects on the human body if consumed on an empty stomach. When the stomach is empty, some active substances in the tea will combine with proteins in the stomach, causing irritation to the stomach and easily damaging it.
In addition to stimulating the gastrointestinal tract, drinking tea on an empty stomach can also dilute digestive juices, affecting digestion. At the same time, on an empty stomach, some substances in the tea are easily absorbed in excess, such as caffeine and fluorine. Caffeine can cause symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, weakness in hands and feet, and mental confusion in some people, a phenomenon medically known as "tea intoxication". Once tea intoxication occurs, eating a piece of candy or drinking a glass of sugar water can relieve and disappear the above symptoms. If fluorine accumulates excessively in the body, it may cause intestinal diseases and affect kidney function.
Middle-aged and elderly people with stomach or duodenal ulcers should especially avoid drinking green tea on an empty stomach in the early morning. The tannic acid in tea can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, aggravate the condition, and may also cause indigestion or constipation.