Green Tea Hot Or Cold | Does It Make A Difference?

Is it better to drink green tea hot or cold?

The health benefits of green tea have been widely reported, making it universally one of the most popular beverages consumed. Many of its benefits are related to its catechin content. This is a substance found in tea that helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.

So, is it better to drink green tea hot or cold simply a question of individual preference, or are the qualities of this popular drink and its health-promoting effects, attributed in any way to its temperature.

The effects of drinking green tea hot versus cold

Caffeine

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that can have both positive and negative effects on a person and should not be underestimated. Too much and our sleep may start to suffer, anxiety and blood pressure increase, we can start to feel quite jittery and can even experience heart palpitations. Conversely, it can increase our energy levels, help us to stay focused and alert, improve our mood and physical performance.

Green tea contains less caffeine than black tea or coffee. However, the caffeine content in green tea also varies from type to type and depends on which brewing method is used. Loose-leaf teas tend to be less caffeinated than bagged teas as the leaves are usually whole and un-broken, therefore less caffeine is extracted and infused into the drink.

Higher temperatures lead to a more caffeine-rich brew making cold green tea a better option if you are aiming to reduce your caffeine intake. However, this natural stimulant may help you stay awake, stimulate brain function, enhance exercise performance and promote fat loss. It’s worth noting the effects of caffeine can vary in each individual and moderation is usually recommended by health professionals.

Green tea can actually contribute to your daily fluid requirement. Caffeinated beverages may have a mild diuretic effect, however, green tea is widely considered the second most hydrating drink after water. In the warmer weather, individual preference may lean towards iced green tea whilst hot beverages are popular during the winter months.

Taste

Despite the common perception that green tea is better served in hot liquid form, there are actually many people who prefer to drink it cold. Some say that the taste is more pronounced in cold liquid form, while others simply like it because of the refreshing feeling when they drink it chilled.

Cold green tea has a much sweeter, smoother taste than hot green tea which can be stronger in flavor and quite bitter. However, there are many different ways to sweeten green tea without sugar that will not only enhance your brew but may also increase its health-giving properties.

Cold green tea is less fragrant than hot green tea. Whether this is viewed as a positive or negative depends on how much influence the aroma of your beverage influences your tea drinking experience.

Preparation

You can obviously brew your tea hot then simply let it cool down before drinking, but if you brew it cold there are some additional benefits to enjoy. Cold brewing is a method of extracting flavor from tea leaves by steeping them in cold water. Any tea can be cold-brewed, but the process can take several hours. It is a much gentler method and does not degrade the healthy tea compounds in the same way as hot water infusion does thus resulting in a healthier brew.

Hot brewing which uses heat is obviously a much quicker process. The hot water draws out the healthy compounds from the tea quite swiftly, but it can degrade and destroy them more quickly too.

Interestingly, similar properties to cold infusion in antioxidant activity were found after a short hot infusion, followed by rapid cooling with the addition of ice. This method helps to prevent the degradation of the healthy tea compounds caused by exposure to high temperatures.

Green tea is one of the most delicate tea types so it should be brewed with care, never brew green tea with boiling water.

Weight Loss

Can green tea increase weight loss? Studies suggest that it can. It is believed that the caffeine in green tea helps people to burn fat faster than usual because it has an effect on metabolism. The catechins in green tea also help break down fat cells for energy. Green tea also contains antioxidants that help by fighting off the harmful effects of free radicals, which are known to cause all sorts of damage to cells and tissues.

Hot green tea may have an added advantage here as the higher caffeine may increase energy use causing your body to burn more calories. Although the same properties are still present in cold green tea they’re simply not as effective if they’re over diluted with water.

The flavonoids and caffeine in green tea help to promote healthy weight loss by encouraging the body to burn more fat during a workout. Studies suggest that hot drinks such as green tea boost metabolism, ensure your fat stores are used for energy and help to curb appetite.

Green tea is thought to have fat-burning qualities but how much seems to be mostly down to how the tea is brewed. However, if you are thinking of adding green tea to your diet to help with weight loss, it does not appear to have enough fat-burning qualities to make up for a bad diet.

Health Benefits

Green tea has a range of possible health benefits including lowered risk of heart disease, improved brain function, weight loss, protection against cancer, reduction in blood sugar, and lower cholesterol levels. Some studies even show that people who regularly enjoy green tea may even live longer than those who don’t.

It’s difficult to say whether hot or cold green tea is better for your overall health as both offer benefits when drunk at different temperatures. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants, which can help boost the immune system. These health-giving properties can vary depending on the brand of green tea you choose and the method you use to make it.

Hot tea may have more antioxidants than its iced counterpart which is usually watered down and made using fewer tea bags. However cold-brew tea is thought to have a similar amount of antioxidants as hot tea. When you use cold water to brew your tea it has a less damaging effect on the antioxidant properties. If your water is too hot it can actually destroy some of the catechins, negatively impacting the quality of the tea.

What is the best time to drink green tea?

As green tea contains some caffeine it is ideal to drink it in the morning. Not only can it enhance your mood but it can increase your concentration levels too. It can be beneficial to drink it before a workout session especially if your motive is to burn fat. Studies suggest that doing this may increase the fat-burning process during the workout.

Some reports show that drinking green tea after a meal can aid in the digestive process whilst others find that drinking green tea straight after a meal may lead to a deficiency of essential minerals.

The nutrients from the meal are prevented from being absorbed properly by the tannins in the tea. A deficiency of minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium can lead to a myriad of health issues. Perhaps consideration should be given to drinking your green tea between meals especially if you are deficient in any key minerals.

Sipping your green tea before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep, this is due to its caffeine content. This may subsequently lead to increased blood pressure and raised anxiety levels. Maybe it would be pertinent to switch to an alternative herbal tea for bedtime such as Chamomile which has long been used as a natural remedy to reduce anxiety and may actually help to initiate sleep.

How much green tea can you drink a day either hot or cold?

It is considered possibly unsafe if you are consuming more than 8 cups of green tea per day for extended periods of time. Drinking large amounts of tea may cause side effects especially if you are caffeine sensitive which can range from fairly mild such as a headache to extremely serious such as confusion and convulsions.

By Consuming it in moderation about 3-5 cups a day, studies suggest you tend to reap the optimal benefits whilst avoiding any unnecessary risks. However, it’s worth remembering we are all different and the ideal amount for one may be different for another.

Conclusion

Green tea is a good source of antioxidants, but the research on its effects, whether enjoyed hot or cold is conflicting. Some studies have shown that drinking it heated can increase the number of antioxidants in your body, while others inform that it’s better for you consumed cold.

Many people who drink green tea are curious about whether or not hot or cold water is the best way to enjoy it. The answer to this question seems to depend on what you want out of your green tea.

Several laboratory studies have shown the health properties of green tea however, clinical evidence is still limited and more research needs to be carried out to establish the full extent of its benefits in both hot and cold form.

Is it better to drink green tea hot or cold?