When a woman gives birth to a child, her views on familiar things change. There are many questions. One of the pressing topics is the nutrition of a nursing mother. During this period, you need to consume a lot of quality healthy warm drinks. As a rule, these are a variety of teas. Lovers of tonic products are interested in: is it possible to green tea with breastfeeding?
Green tea production
Before figuring out whether it is possible to drink green tea while breastfeeding, it is important to determine what this product is and what effect it has on the human body as a whole.
In fact, green and black tea are appropriately processed leaves of one tea tree (bush). Color and characteristics are justified by different processing methods. Black tea undergoes oxidative processes. The technology of manufacturing green, on the contrary, is based on the strengthening of the inherent properties of the sheets and the maximum deactivation of the enzymes filling them.
Stages of green tea production:
- Leaflets break off.
- The collected tea leaves are subjected to hot heat treatment: steaming (in Japan) or frying (in China).
- Drying and aging (with steam treatment), achieving a moisture content of about 60% in the sheets.
- Twisting: mechanical action, the purpose of which is to bring the maximum amount of juice to the surface of the leaves.
- Drying: fixing the extracted juice on the surface of twisted tea leaves, evaporation of moisture to a residual value of 5%.
- Sanding leaves (China), staining to give them the desired shade.
- Sorting.
The conscientious technology for the production of green tea provides a healthy natural product. The bad faith of manufacturers can occur at the following stages:
- Poor steaming.
- Poor twisting. As a result, we have too much or too few destroyed microparticles of the sheet, which means a large or insufficient release of juice to the surface.
- Weak or too strong drying of the twisted cake mix.
- Excessive grinding.
- Staining with unnatural and harmful dyes, their improper use.
Thus, when choosing green tea, you need to think about its price, popularity, country of origin (China uses the most sophisticated technology, and the result is a high-quality product), be sure to read the composition indicated on the package (the presence of dyes should push customers away).
Positive properties of green tea
- Tones, has an antioxidant effect.
- Invigorates.
- Heals: contains vitamins and minerals. Regular use reduces the risk of many diseases of the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, respiratory and digestive systems, and prevents the development of oncology.
- Accelerates metabolism: daily consumption of four cups per day improves the quality of weight loss.
- Improves immunity and body resistance to negative factors.
The negative effects of green tonic drink
- Exacerbation of chronic health problems, including with the stomach, joints, urinary system.
- Lowering blood pressure (contraindicated use of hypotension).
- May cause excessive alertness and insomnia.
In the presence of the described contraindications, tea can have a harmful effect when consumed more than 3-4 cups per day. A smaller amount will not cause harm.
Breastfeeding Green Tea
Many people ask: is it possible to green tea with breastfeeding? Of course, it is possible, but within reasonable limits, because the organisms of the baby and its nurse are more sensitive.
Green tea has the following effects:
- Increases lactation.
- Enriches with vitamins and minerals.
- Tones up and fights fatigue.
- Improves metabolism, stimulates faster weight loss after childbirth.
Green tea while breastfeeding is useful in the following cases:
- If mom and child have no health problems.
- If the mother drinks no more than 3-4 cups of tonic drink per day at approximately equal intervals (preferably 1-2 cups).
- If the drink is properly brewed and causes only a pleasant taste.
Rules for brewing green tea
Brew the drink in a pre-scalded bowl (in a cup or teapot). The water temperature should be in the range from 70 to 80 ° C, and the dwell time is about three minutes. After that, the tea is ready to drink. Repeated brewing is allowed until the loss of taste.
Very often during the use of this drink, taste buds remain unhappy due to its bitterness and strength. Such side effects are observed in violation of the brewing technology: water temperature 100 ° C, infused for a long time, poor quality welding or the ratio of product to water is not observed.
If in dry form finely granulated and strongly twisted leaves are used, and when brewed they are expanded to the size of a large sheet, then a good quality product is used. High-quality green tea must be large leaf.
What is important for a nursing mother to know
Nutrition of a nursing mother is based on the conditional rule of “one product” - you need to try no more than one new product or drink per day and observe the changes in the behavior and well-being of the baby. If the mother follows the rules, then she can have green tea when breastfeeding.
In this case, you need to follow some recommendations:
- The first time you need to brew the least strong drink and drink one small cup. In the absence of visible changes in the baby (excessive excitability, insomnia, allergic reactions, intestinal colic) in the following days, you can gradually increase the amount used to an acceptable level. It should be remembered that you can not drink more than 4 cups in one day.
- If the baby begins to worry unreasonably, sleep poorly, there are pains in his tummy or allergic satiety, you need to analyze the foods and drinks used the day before. If suspicion falls on green tea, it should be immediately removed from the diet of a nursing mother.
The product itself rarely causes side effects. But a reaction can occur on poor-quality coloring matter used at the stage of leaf polishing. The probability of their presence is small, but it is always present when commercial interests come first. That is why it is important to drink green tea when breastfeeding in small quantities and carefully consider any changes in the baby's body.
Green tea with jasmine
Technologically, this drink can be presented on the market in two variations: green tea with jasmine petals or only with its aroma. The first option is cheaper and lower quality, as it is produced using accelerated technology. In the manufacture of the second of these options, tea leaves are dried for a long time along with jasmine flowers, absorb a unique aroma, after which the flowers are selected manually.
Jasmine bush flowers give the drink new properties:
- Anti-inflammatory.
- Antifungal.
- Painkillers.
- Soothing.
At the same time, tea is contraindicated for allergy sufferers, people with hypertension and a stomach ulcer.
It is important to drink green tea with jasmine when breastfeeding, taking into account the already known rules: in small quantities, increasing the amount of drinking gradually, watching the baby. In the absence of negative reactions, you can take a drink with pleasure, because it does not have side effects on lactation.
Green tea with lemon balm
This drinking option is also very popular among tea lovers. Melissa attracts with its unusual qualities - a mixture of mint and lemon flavor. For the preparation of drinks, grass itself is used separately, a mixture of green leaves and lemon mint, as well as green tea with the scent of lemon balm. The plant has a positive effect on the human body. The benefits of the product are as follows:
- Active sedative and antidepressant qualities: calms the nervous system, normalizes sleep, lowers blood pressure (for hypertensive patients). In reasonable amounts, it is useful for mom and baby, which receives nutrients through breast milk.
- Normalization of the female hormonal background and the production of breast milk.
- Enrichment with vitamins and minerals.
- Anti-inflammatory characteristics.
Breastfeeding green tea with melissa is popular due to its positive effect on lactation and soothing properties. However, it is important to know that abuse greatly lowers blood pressure, and this is especially dangerous for hypotonics and small children. Also, for babies there is always a risk of increased allergic reactions to herbal drinks. Nursing lovers of lemon mint need to be careful to take into account any changes in the child’s body and not drink more than 1-2 cups of such tea per day.
Green tea with mint
Peppermint drinks are popular for their refreshing menthol flavor and sedative properties. Green tea with mint when breastfeeding should be drunk very carefully. There are about 20 species of this plant that differ in menthol content. The main varieties of grass: peppermint and curly mint. The first contains menthol, the second - carvone. Menthol has a strong sedative effect and reduces milk production. Carvon, on the contrary, somewhat stimulates lactation.
Drinking peppermint as part of green tea or as a separate herbal drink is rational in case of intentional completion of breastfeeding. If you want to maintain lactation, you can use curly mint in small quantities. It stimulates a rush of blood to the mammary glands, which slightly improves milk production. However, mint does not have pronounced lactostimulating features, so mothers suffering from insufficient milk production should not be abused by such a drink.
With known advantages (antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, sedative qualities), mint can greatly lower blood pressure, cause arrhythmia. It also has a diuretic effect and allergenicity.
For her big fans, and also, if necessary, to calm her nervous system, it is better to give preference to curly mint. In this case, you need to carefully study the composition and grade of the mint product. It should be introduced into the diet very carefully. It is necessary to carefully monitor the health of the baby. In case of serious nervous instability or depressive state of a young mother, it is better not to engage in "grandmother's" self-medication, but to seek professional medical help.
When choosing a drink for regular consumption, young mothers should initially prioritize the importance of their own taste preferences and risks to the child’s health. Experienced pediatricians try to avoid prescribing herbal preparations and medicines of similar origin to children under 3 years old. For problems with lactation, it is best to consult a doctor. He will advise on the best green tea for breastfeeding. Take care of your health and the health of your children!