Tea is a good natural remedy for several ailments. However, it is always found that drinking tea just after meals could be harmful to health. But, it is a controversial topic, and several studies suggest that drinking tea is good for your digestive systems and stomach. However, caffeine content present in tea might affect the absorption of essential nutrients in the digestive systems. Having tea just after meals relieves gases in the stomach. Having tea after meals decreases the availability of catechin in the body.
Functions of tea in the digestive system
According to several studies, drinking tea after meals relieves flatulence and gases in the stomach. However, all tea types are not the same. Green tea and herbal tea contain high amount of polyphenol and antioxidants which help in indigestion. These teas can help in making our digestive system work most efficiently because it induces the production of bile, gastric juices, and saliva. It also contains powerful anti-inflammatory elements which help reduce several digestive issues. Some polyphenolic compounds such as catechins increase the overall activity of the digestive enzyme while pepsin also helps in the breakdown of dietary proteins in the system.
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Why drinking tea with meals is not good
Studies have found that compounds like phenolic which are present in tea can affect iron absorption since they form iron complexes in stomach. It is always recommended that you should consume food rich in iron and vitamin C if you want to drink tea just after your meal. Drinking tea after the meals decreases the amount of catechins in your body.
Tea and coffee should be simply avoided at least one hour after and before meals as tannins present in coffee and tea interfere with the iron absorption. Though tea and coffee is effective in relieving mental and muscular fatigue, it should be consumed in moderate amount.
Dietary guidelines report recommends that people suffering from heart-related disease cut down on the coffee consumption because it is found to increase blood pressure and also causes abnormalities in heart beat.
So, if you want to drink coffee and tea after your meals, choose between green tea and ginger as both of these items help in digesting foods.
Drinking tea right before and after meal is not good
One should avoid consuming tea just after and before the meals. It affects our body in the negative way possible.
Tea has a phenolic compound which deprives our body of the absorption of the required amounts of iron. The presence of phenolics and iron leads to the production of complex iron in the stomach which finally leads to various stomach issues. Besides causing this issue, drinking tea immediately after meals lead to the issue of lack of catechin in the body.
People who are suffering from heart diseases should avoid too much drinking of coffee and tea. The quantity of caffeine in them leads to rising in blood pressure of your body and also causes fluctuations in heartbeat as well. Also, if anyone still wants to consume coffee just after the meal, there should be some gap for the foods to get digested. One can even add flavors like ginger, cardamom, etc. in tea.
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Can you drink herbal tea after meal?
There should be at least a considerable gap when you drink tea after and before after the meals. Immediate consumption of the tea right after dinner or lunch may lead to the issue of iron deficiency in the body. Tea has tannin content which affects the iron consumption in the body. So, one should maintain a gap of minimum an hour between the meal and tea consumption.
However, the case is not the same with different kinds of teas. Herbal tea is a little different than normal tea. Drinking the herbal tea right just after the meal is quite safe. Regular tea consumption may lead to the issue of gastric pain and disturbances in the digestive system.
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Green teas and herbal teas are very safe for consumption. They have anti-inflammatory properties and contain enzymes which help to break down the proteins into smaller particles so that it can be digested. So, green tea and many other herbal teas are quite safe to consume just after meals.
Final words
Consuming tea before meal may not be a good idea as it might lead to gastric problems. It has been found in several studies that there tea has a phenolic compound which affects the absorption of iron in the food. It interferes with the iron absorption by producing iron-complexes in the intestines. So, you must avoid drinking tea before the meals or even between the meal.