There are many legends about when and how tea appeared. And yet there is no doubt that this wonderful drink is at least 5 thousand years old. Previously, people did not even think about the calorie content of what they eat or drink. And in our time, it is worth understanding how many calories enter the body. For example, do you know how many calories in black tea?
A bit of history
Many people know the legend of the appearance of tea associated with the Chinese emperor named Shen Nung. And for millennia, Japan has become accustomed to enjoying a drink made from tea tree leaves, whose plantations look really fabulous.
But on the territory of Russia, the drink, unfortunately, only got in the XVII century. And even that was not immediately appreciated by our ancestors. Therefore, if you are interested in learning more about the history and culture of tea, then it is worth turning to its eastern roots. You will definitely learn something new for yourself, because dozens of different varieties of tea are classified according to the processing method, country of origin, type of tea leaf and even the presence of additives.
Chemistry and tea
Before you figure out how many calories in tea, let's try to understand a little better what it consists of and what benefits our body brings. It is hard to imagine, but a tea leaf contains almost 300 different chemical elements. Some of them can stimulate the nervous system, while others fight pathogenic bacteria and relieve inflammation. That is why tea is usually drunk during a cold. Green tea is also a well-known antioxidant. How many calories in green tea we will tell a little later. A large number of essential oils make the drink so aromatic, and a huge amount of vitamins is also useful. But with colds we are used to drinking tea with jam or honey. So let's try to figure out how many calories we consume.
How many calories are in tea?
You can immediately say that tea itself does not pose absolutely any threat to your harmony. 100 ml of leaf tea accounts for only 3-5 kcal and it doesn’t matter if you are used to drinking black or green tea. Based on these numbers, you can calculate how many calories in sugar-free tea are based on your favorite mug. But sugar can add a pretty tangible amount of calories. In addition, sugar is pure carbohydrates and, as a result, it practically does not bring benefits to the body. And already how many calories in tea with sugar are definitely worth considering. If we turn to the numbers, then one teaspoon of sugar carries as much as 20 kcal. You can imagine how this figure is growing for fans to add two, or even three tablespoons of sugar to their cup. After drinking a couple cups of such sweet tea, you consume the amount of calories almost equal to a normal meal. But there are also lovers of tea with a sandwich with cheese or jam.
You should not deceive yourself with thoughts that at the same time your tea party remains dietary. But you can replace sugar with other additives that will make the taste more saturated and rich, but less affect the calorie content of tea.
Instead of sugar
What to add to tea if you are not accustomed to unsweetened drinks, but take care of your figure and you are afraid of how many calories in tea with sugar. An interesting combination of flavors will create milk added to tea. And here you yourself decide milk with what percentage of fat content to get for tea. In a tablespoon of milk, on average, it will be 8-10 kcal. You can immediately see the difference with respect to sugar. But milk does not add sweetness - you can rightly object. In this case, we can turn to such a wonderful product as honey. The amount of calories, of course, can amaze you. As many as 64 calories per teaspoon. But it is worth remembering that the honey carries much more benefits than regular sugar. First of all, it has a very positive effect on the metabolism in the body, which means it will help your body burn much more calories than you get during tea drinking.
Condensed milk can also be added to tea, but there will be much less benefit in it than in ordinary milk, and more calories than in sugar. Approximately 48-50 calories per teaspoon. Therefore, if you still count how many calories in the tea you drink, it is best to avoid this product.
Extreme care must be taken with sweeteners. If their natural options simply help you reduce the calorie content of tea, then chemical ones can cause serious metabolic problems. Without the recommendation of doctors, it is best to not use these sugar substitution options at all. Do not forget about the beloved by many tea with lemon. How many calories in tea with lemon can be calculated by adding to the number of calories of the tea itself and calories from the amount of lemon that you add. A small piece, which on average is cut off to put in tea, contains only 3-4 kcal. A teaspoon of lemon juice is only 1 kcal. That's just with lemon and all the products made from it, you need to be extremely careful for people suffering from gastritis. After all, this bright and juicy citrus fruit causes an active secretion of gastric juice and an increase in acidity.
Various herbs can be excellent tea additives. Adding chamomile, rosehip, mint or even fragrant jasmine will not increase the caloric content of tea by one unit.
Tea diet
There are whole nutrition programs and special diets based on the use of tea. The best choice for those who want to give up extra pounds is green tea. Numerous studies confirm that people who regularly drink green tea have an index of the body an order of magnitude lower than those who do not drink this drink. And all because green tea incorporates a considerable amount of polyphenols. This trace element helps to activate the process of burning fat in the body. First of all, by improving the functioning of the pancreas. At the same time, do not forget that achieving any results is possible only with the regular use of green tea without sugar and sweeteners. Allowable is the addition of a small slice of lemon or aromatic herbs. It is good for the body to arrange fasting days with the use of only tea, but before that it is better to always get a recommendation from a doctor.
Summarize
Tea can be a wonderful helper in the process of weight loss, if you know the calories of all the additives and fillers that make up its composition. The main thing to remember is how many calories in tea are sugar free and how insignificant this figure is. But if this question does not bother you at all, then you can simply enjoy a fragrant drink without limiting yourself to the number of spoons of sugar. You just need to know the measure in everything and listen to your body.