How Much Green Tea Do You Need?

By now you know that green tea catechins can do great things for your health. But how much green tea do you need on a daily basis to experience the health benefits? Most studies have concluded that the "magic number" lies somewhere between 300 -1,000 mg. of catechins per day, or the equivalent of 3-10 cups of green tea. This recommendation is based on the idea that the average cup of green tea contains 100 mg. of catechins per cup. However, studies have shown that some cups of green tea contain only half that amount or even less.

The variation in catechin content is probably due to the fact that green tea leaves are a crop like any other. They can be young or old, fresh or stale, from rich or poor soil. And during harvesting, processing and packaging, the tea leaves can be exposed to different conditions that either preserve or destroy their nutrients. The way you handle, brew and store your green tea at home can also make a difference in the catechin content.

With that in mind, here are a few tips to help you protect and preserve the catechins in your green tea and maximize their health benefits:
Use flow-through tea bags instead of flat tea bags, so the water can easily circulate through the leaves and the catechins can be released efficiently.
Use purified water, as the chlorine in tap water degrades the catechins and destroys the subtle flavor of green tea.
Avoid tea kettles made of metal alloys containing iron since iron lowers the antioxidant of activity of catechins.1 Kettles made of high-grade stainless steel, nickel-plated metal alloys, copper,polypropylene plastic, lead-free porcelain or glass are best.
Bring the water to a full boil and add to the tea immediately. Steeping tea leaves at 212° F for five minutes releases approximately 80 percent of the catechins. In contrast, the catechin release is over one-third less when tea is steeped at 176° F.2
Don’t put the tea leaves in water and then microwave them. This will "overcook" them and destroy some of the catechins.
Keep your tea in an airtight container in the refrigerator, even if it comes in pre-packaged bags. This will keep the tea leaves fresher and help preserve the catechins.

Although it may sound a little complicated, making a health-enhancing, delicious cup of tea is really easy. As Senno Rikyu, the Greatest of all Tea Masters, said back in the 16th century: "Tea is nothing other than this: Heat the water, prepare the tea and drink it with propriety. That is all you need to know."

1 Kumamoto M, Sonda T, Nagayama K, Tabata M. Effects of pH and metal ions on antioxidative activities of catechins. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2001:65:126-32.
2 Khokhar S, Magnusdottir SG. Total phenol, catechin, and caffeine contents of teas commonly consumed in the United Kingdom. J Agric Food Chem 2002; 50(3):565-70

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