Is Tea/Coffee good friend of your meals?

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India is a country, where most of the people’s day start with either tea or coffee and its consumption continues to multiple times a day, depending on personal preferences. Drinking tea or coffee on a daily basis is normal, however the quantity, frequency and when it is consumed plays an important role in our health.

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Quantity & Frequency safe to consume

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Consumption of 1-2 cups of Tea/ Coffee on a daily basis is safe for our health, but the size of tea cup/ coffee mug may vary and so it is very important to know the exact quantity which is safer to be consumed.‍

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1 cup = 150ml and so consumption of 150-300ml i.e. 1-2 cups of these beverages on a daily basis is safely recommended, however consuming more than the recommended quantity can badly affect our health.

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People who have the tendency of having tea/ coffee multiple times a day, can use smaller cups or can consume half cup at a time.

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‍Must Read: Immune boosting foods

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Why not with meals?

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Tea and coffee has chemical compounds in them, namely tannins and caffeine. These two compounds have the ability to decrease the absorption of some of the nutrients like Iron, Calcium, Magnesium and B complex vitamins. So when tea/coffee is consumed along with meals, the tannins and caffeine present in them binds with these nutrients and inhibits their absorption leading to severe nutrient deficiency diseases like anaemia, osteoporosis and many more.

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When to consume?

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The best time to consume these beverages is either early in the morning, mid-morning or evening and not with the meals. Keeping a gap of at least 1 hour before or after meals is recommended for better absorption of nutrients.

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Healthier beverage alternatives

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• Green tea: Green tea is rich in antioxidants, hence helps in boosting immune system and also increases BMR and fat metabolism resulting in healthier weight loss. It has very less tannin and caffeine content as compare to the regular tea/ coffee, so safer for consumption.
• Herbal tea: Herbal tea has number of benefits to offer, like, it helps in relieving stress, aids in digestion, helps in detoxification process and boosts immunity.

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• Lemon water: Lemon is rich in Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant, helps in increasing the white blood cells (WBCs) count, which fight against various infections.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is one the healthiest beverage taken with meals. It is rich in probiotic which helps in digestion and takes overall care of our gut health.
• Coconut Water: Coconut water is a natural ready-made beverage with several health benefits. It keeps us hydrated and also rich in some of the important minerals like Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+) and many more.

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Must Read: PCOS and DIET

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• Vegetable Juice/ Soup: It is low in calories and rich in nutrients like vitamins and minerals, so highly recommended to the people who wants to lose extra weight and gain health.

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By,

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Shilpa Singh

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Nutritionist

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Cloudnine Hospital,

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Vashi

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Our customers had a few questions regarding this blog, check them out now!

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