The health benefits of green tea are well-known, and many people never let go of their teacup, keeping green tea on hand all day long. Some 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, warns: drinking green tea on an empty stomach is not good for gastrointestinal health.
Green tea is unfermented and thus retains more of the natural substances from the fresh leaves. However, it is precisely these natural ingredients that can have adverse effects on the body when consumed on an empty stomach. When the stomach is empty, some active substances in the tea can bind with proteins in the stomach, causing irritation and potentially damaging the stomach lining.
In addition to irritating the gastrointestinal tract, drinking tea on an empty stomach can also dilute digestive juices, affecting the digestion process.