Being considered one of the healthiest drinks that you can consume, you’ve probably heard about the great impacts of green tea on your health. This healthy and fresh drink has done many great jobs, from burning fat stored in your body to improving brain functions.
How about lemons? We all have known this citrus fruit, right? They are used for daily purposes, from cooking, making drinks to cleaning. Not just that, the natural Vitamin C that is rich in them is very good for our health with a proper consumption.
When green tea and lemons combine together, they do more than that, becoming one of the most powerful concoctions that we could make.
Can’t wait knowing more?
In this article, we’re writing about benefits of green tea with lemon as well as some precautions when using it. It promises to work with those who want to know more about this drink and even those who are just interested in getting here.
Origins of green tea and lemons
Green tea comes from the plant called Camellia sinensis, like black and oolong teas. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves – that makes it green when being brewed. Nowadays, the amount of green tea produced of this plant is 20-22% and the majority of it is grown in China, covering 20 provinces.
Lemons are thought to have first grown in Assam, a region in northeast India, northern Burma or China. They are a great source of acid citric and their leaves are used to make tea and for preparing cooked meats and seafood. There are three common types of lemons, including the Meyer, Eureka, and Lisbon lemons.
Nutrition facts of green tea and lemons
Green tea is rich in antioxidants, which are beneficial to our health. Its distinctive taste- bitterness is caused by caffeine and a group of chemicals, called catechin polyphenols (commonly known as tannins). Not just that, it contains amino acids, xanthine alkaloids, pectin, saccharides and several vitamins, like Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E.
Lemons are a great a natural great source of Vitamin C that are good for our body. They are popularly used in making drinks but their the pulp and rind (zest) are also used in cooking and baking. The juice of the lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, with a pH of around 2.2, giving it a sour taste.
Benefits of green tea with lemons
Green tea and lemons themselves have great impacts on our health. When paired with green tea, the vitamin C within the lemon juice slows the breakdown of antioxidants that are rich in green tea, so more are readily available for your body to use.
Vitamin C
Lemons a natural great source of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. And, green tea contains several Vitamins, including Vitamin C. It is vital for the development of your body’s tissues, including skin, ligaments, blood vessels, bones, cartilage and teeth. Not just that, Vitamin C can also help heal wounds and produce scar tissue.
Lower the risks of cancer
It’s universally known that green tea is an excellent source of powerful antioxidants, so it’s logical to know that may reduce your risk of cancer. According to National Cancer Institute, the catechins that are high in green tea plays an important role in eliminating free radicals, cancelling cancerous cells and preventing them from rising and scattering. Free radicals is primarily leading contributor of cancers, Parkinson’s and numerous other debilitating and terminal diseases.
Lemons contain 22 anti-cancer compounds, including naturally occurring limonene; oil which slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors in animals and flavonol glycosides which stop cell division in cancer cells. According to an estimation of The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) of Australia, eating citrus fruits can reduce cancer risk by around 50 percent.
Burn body fat
Both green tea and lemons can help you lose weight. The catechins found in the green tea help boost your metabolism, selectively burns fat storage in your body, then, lower the risks of becoming overweight or obese. At the same time, the caffeine in green tea can give you some extra boost of energy.
Although its amount presenting in green tea is different from that in coffee and is also digested differently, it still helps maintain a steady energy needed when trying to lose weight or get into shape.
Regarding lemons, it is rich in polyphenol and pectin that work together to decrease absorption of fat. Not just that, pectin may make you feel fuller, so naturally limits the amount of food you consume.
Boost immune system
A cup of green tea added some slices of lemons or lemon juice can do a great job in improving your immunity. The catechins found in green tea have ant-viral and anti-bacterial properties that can help prevent bacteria and viruses from attaching themselves to cell walls in order to infect them.
Lemons are an outstanding basis of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that help reduce inflammation and arthritis symptoms. So, drink a cup of green tea and lemons regularly to improve your immunity!
Aid in digestion
As mentioned, Vitamin C in lemons slows the breakdown of green tea’s antioxidants, making them more accessible for your body to use. As you may know, catechins that favor the acid surroundings of the stomach will be shrunken to just a small amount in the extra alkaline situation of the small plus large intestine, wherever nutrient absorption takes place.
Lemon juice can help in this case, it may increase the amount of catechins by up to 6 times, thereby, help your gut digest food better. Not just that, drinking a cup of green tea with lemon can help speed up the iron assimilation from foods.
Make skin better
Green tea is beneficial for skin thanks to the powerful antioxidants. By protecting your skin from aging and skin-damage causes like external pollutants and free radicals, these help fight off wrinkles, skin sagging and a variety of other skin problems.
Like green tea, lemon juice also helps in controlling oil production in skin, preventing-acne, improving your skin complexion, then keeping your skin looking healthy and young.
Fight off cold and flu
Vitamin C that is rich in lemons and antioxidants that are high in green tea help build a strong immunity system. Drinking green tea with lemon water does not only reduce common cold and flu but also helps build up a strong resistance during cold weather. This mix helps you to get well soon if you do catch cold. Furthermore, lemon juice can fight off the bacteria of malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and other deadly diseases
Maintain blood pressure
You might not know that green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a bioactive compound that play a role in regulating the proper flow of blood through veins. Thus, drinking a cup of green tea added some lemon slices or lemon juice may help maintain your blood pressure, keeping your heart healthy and protected from any kind of cardiovascular diseases.
Improve taste
Can you guess why green tea combined with lemon juice tastes better? Here is the answer: lemon juice acts as a sweetening agent. This delicious concoction can be consumed daily, even up to a few times a day. Just make sure not to pour too much lemon juice!
Both green tea and lemons themselves have great health benefits. The combination of two probably even does more for your body. For this reason, you may add this delicious and healthy drink to your daily routine. If you keep wondering of the proper amount of lemon juice in this, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor.