4 Health Benefits Of Decaf Green Tea During Pregnancy
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Is green tea your most favorite herbal tea? Does your day seem incomplete without a cup of green tea? But have you stopped drinking green tea during your pregnancy because of the warnings about it? If you said yes, you should reconsider your position. Why? Scroll down and find out just why.
During pregnancy, choosing the right things to eat and drink can be mighty confusing. You might have to sacrifice many things to keep your baby happy. And for some mommies-to-be, it means cutting down on caffeine.
Now it does not mean that you cannot relish your favorite green tea during pregnancy. There is a new variety of green tea in the market, the decaf green tea. It contains a significant less amount of caffeine as compared to regular green tea. Read out post and find out is decaf green tea safe during pregnancy.
What Is Decaf Green Tea?
Green Tea, as we all know, is a non-herbal tea made using unfermented tea leaves. It has far more health benefits than the traditional black tea. Green tea typically contains caffeine but decaffeinated green tea is also available in the market. The decaf green tea lowers your caffeine intake, which will benefit you greatly during pregnancy.
[ Read: Safe Herbal Teas During Pregnancy ]
Benefits of Drinking Decaf Green Tea During Pregnancy:
There is a plethora of decaf green tea benefits for expectant mothers. Some include:
1. Rich In Antioxidants:
Green tea contains chock full of antioxidants that will boost your immunity and will ward off the illness during pregnancy.
2. Regulates Blood Sugar:
Decaf green tea helps regulate blood glucose and lowers cholesterol in the body. Decaf Green Tea contains polyphenols, antioxidants that neutralize free radicals that destroy cells in the body.
[ Read: Benefits Of Raspberry Leaf Tea During Pregnancy ]
3. Treats Depression:
The hormone fluctuations during pregnancy often lead to depression. Green tea contains Theanine, a compound that will provide relaxing effects, helping you treat depression.
4. Skin Care:
Acne and breakouts are common during pregnancy, primarily due to hormonal changes. The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea will help you avoid such skin problems.
Do It Yourself Decaf:
Can’t find decaf green tea in the market? Don’t worry. We have the solution for this too! Caffeine is the first substance that green tea leaves release during steeping. To decaffeinate your favorite tea, steep the leaves for 30 seconds and then discard the water. Then refill your cup with warm water and steep again. This process will lower the caffeine content.
[ Read: Effects Of Caffeine During Pregnancy ]
Transition:
If you are used to drinking regular green tea, you will find difficult to adjust to the decaf green tea. Withdrawing will cause symptoms like lethargy, irritability, and headache. To reduce these symptoms, you should try cut down on regular green tea gradually, not drastically. We would suggest you to try mixing regular green tea with decaf green tea first. Then gradually reduce the amount of regular green tea.
Things To Consider:
According to the American Pregnancy Association, decaf green teas still contain some level of caffeine. For instance, a regular cup of green tea contains 40 to 50 milligrams of caffeine while a cup of decaffeinated tea has about 0.4 milligrams of caffeine. Also, the diuretic effects of caffeine can cause essential fluid and nutrient loss through urine. So you must avoid consuming more than 150 milligrams of caffeine per day during pregnancy.
To conclude, decaf green tea contains a small amount of caffeine. So, moderate consumption is safe during pregnancy. As with the other foods, you must talk to your doctors before including decaf green tea or any other green tea in your diet. If she tells you to eliminate caffeine, then it would be better to do so.
Did you drink decaf green tea during pregnancy? How different is decaf green tea from regular green tea? Tell us in the comment section.
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