What Is Your Tea Doing to You & Your Health?

Tea is wonderful when it’s enjoyed in moderation, just like anything else in your daily diet. And even though tea offers many health benefits, there are some hidden dangers that many people may not realize are also a reality. Before you decide to warm up your teapot, here are some considerations that you might like to know about.

Is It Good to Drink Tea Every Day?

Drinking tea in moderate amounts (about 2-3 cups per day) can be a healthy habit and contributes to daily fluid intake. However, the benefits and potential risks can depend on the type of tea consumed. For instance, too much black tea can lead to an excessive intake of caffeine, which may cause restlessness, insomnia, or an increased heart rate in some people. It’s important to balance your tea intake with your diet while considering your health.

What Are the True Benefits of Tea?

Recent scientific findings support several key benefits of tea:

Cardiovascular Health: Regular tea drinkers have improved cardiovascular because tea relaxes blood vessels.

Metabolic Advantage: Particularly green tea has been shown to boost metabolic rates and can help with weight loss.

Cancer Prevention: While it’s not some type of magic elixir, tea can lower the risk of cancer. Antioxidants such as catechins found in tea are known for their cancer-fighting properties.

Mental Alertness: The caffeine and L-theanine present in tea can improve brain function, leading to better mental focus and alertness.

Digestive Health: Herbal teas, like peppermint and ginger, are known for their positive impact on digestive health.

Remember, a cup of tea can be more than just a soothing beverage; it can be a step toward a healthier you.

More caffeine than you think

Unlike coffee, a typical cup will contain as much as 96 milligrams of caffeine. Now, this is where most people will jump for joy because the tea will average 14 to 61 milligrams of caffeine. This is much lower than coffee which is why some people don’t mind a second or third cup. The problem with this is when you have more than a few cups throughout the day. What this does is putting your circadian system through the wringer.

 

As most scientists have known for centuries, animals all sleep and wake using a circadian system. But for humans, the choice of diet has often included products with caffeine as part of a conscious choice. This has led to cases where the natural circadian system is interrupted and prevents normal sleeping rhythms. This can ultimately lead to cardiovascular issues later in life, and weight gain issues and mental health problems are most certainly encountered through a weakened immune system.

 

It’s recommended that those who enjoy tea at night switch to herbal variants which contain no caffeine. This will not affect the circadian system to get better sleep at night.

What’s hot and what’s not

Drinking tea is often a two-way street for the preference of drinking it hot or cold. Many tea drinkers will settle for hot tea since this beverage is best served when it’s piping hot. Sadly, this can contribute to esophageal cancer from drinking hot liquids so often. The amount of damage to the esophagus can result from drinking any hot tea which is typically at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

By the time it’s cooled enough to drink, the esophagus will reach an average of 127 degrees Fahrenheit, which is enough to damage the esophagus, leaving it prone to illness and bacteria that can eventually lead to esophageal cancer.

Troubling Tannins

Some products are naturally filled with tannins including wine, chocolate, and tea. And though this is perfectly fine, science has shown that tannins reduce the body’s ability to limit iron bioavailability. In a nutshell, it can cause people to become more prone to becoming anemic and have iron deficiency problems as a result. This is especially more common with Green tea but not limited to all types of tea.

 

It was a major problem in British society which has enjoyed tea for centuries. It should be such a surprise that many British people suffer from high levels of anemia and a lack of iron in their bodies.

More Leaky Moments

If there is one thing about drinking tea that you don’t need to be an expert to know is that tea makes you frequently go to the toilet to urinate. This is a curious case for naturally occurring diuretics that cause your kidneys to increasing sodium levels. This helps to flush out your system by expelling water to remove these increased sodium levels from your bladder. This will often lead to dehydration and higher levels of lethargy or feeling tired all the time.

 

This is why some doctors prescribe tea to those who suffer from water retention. Yet, for most people, it’s asking for side effects including headaches, irregular heartbeats, and frequent trips to the toilet all day long.

Don’t Back Up

Another added danger of drinking too much tea is the threat of constipation which is mainly caused by water loss in the body. Tea also has a chemical found within it that is called theophylline and is responsible for dehydrating the intestinal tract. This further reduces the ability of the intestine to pass solid waste easily and will make it difficult to pass stool easily. As a result, many tea drinkers will need to increase their water intake and eat foods high in fiber.

 

Sadly, being constipated comes with all sorts of side effects such as being miserable and having bowel cramps. Most people don’t even realize that their tea was the direct cause unless a balanced diet with plenty of fiber and extra water counters this common problem.