Hi, I am a 26-year-old woman. Recently, one of my colleagues said that drinking green tea during menstruation is not good for health. I start my day with a cup of green tea and prefer drinking it at least two times a day, during those days of the month as well, as it refreshes my mood. Is it okay to consume green tea while I’m menstruating?
Green tea is packed with powerful antioxidants along with tannins and little amount of caffeine. The tea is known to prevent heart disease, aid in weight loss and prevent cancer. However, tannins present in green tea are polyphenolic compounds that bind to iron, preventing it from getting absorbed by the body. According to Deepshikha Agarwal, sports nutritionist and dietician, Mumbai, ‘Drinking green tea during menstruation can have a slightly negative effect on the iron levels in the body. That is, the presence of tannins in green tea interfere with the absorption of iron in the body. However, it doesn’t reduce the levels of iron already present in your body.’
Drinking 2 cups of green tea does not cause any health complication, even during menstruation. To maintain your blood iron levels and haemoglobin content within normal limits, eat iron-rich foods such as spinach soup, dates, fenugreek paratha, etc. during the first four days of your periods. ‘This is because, even though tannins reduce absorption of iron, they cannot prevent the absorption of iron from foods. So including iron-rich foods in your diet might help maintain your haemoglobin levels in the body. To further enhance iron absorption, include foods rich in vitamin C,’ says Deepshikha. These 11 healthy foods improve your haemoglobin count.
Here are few things you should know about green tea:
- You can drink up to 3 cups of green tea daily, however, restrict yourself to just 2 cups a day during your periods.
- Being high in antioxidants, drinking green tea boosts your overall metabolism and keeps you active.
- Green tea contains less caffeine as compared to normal tea or herbal tea.
You may also like to read:
Image Source: Shutterstock.com
For more articles on diseases and conditions, visit our diseases and conditions section. For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter.
References:
- Fujiki, H. (2005). Green tea: Health benefits as cancer preventive for humans.The Chemical Record, 5(3), 119-132.
- Sinija, V. R., & Mishra, H. N. (2008). Green tea: Health benefits. Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, 17(4), 232-242.