More people are enjoying the tea experience these days not only for taste but for the apparent health benefits. Although most animal studies and the limited number of human studies that have been carried out support the health benefits of drinking tea, even tea drinking may not be without its risks. Here are some of the possible health risks of tea and what you can do to moderate them.
Health risks of tea: It’s high in tannins
Tannins are a form of polyphenol found in tea that can give it a bitter, astringent taste when present in high quantities. The problem with tannins is that they can reduce the absorption of certain minerals such as iron. In some people, this could result in a low iron state that leads to anemia. The way to prevent this problem is to avoid drinking tea with meals. Another way is to add a few drops of lemon to tea before it’s drank. The vitamin C in the lemon helps to offset the negative effects of tannins on mineral absorption
Health risks of tea: It contains oxalates
Oxalates are natural organic acids that can combine with calcium to produce calcium oxalate kidney stones. Although oxalates in tea are unlikely to be a problem for most people, in certain susceptible individuals too much oxalate could increase the risk of kidney stones. People who have a history of kidney stones should limit the amount of tea they drink and reduce other dietary sources of oxalate.
Health risks of tea: Teas can contain pesticides
Samples of tea leaves obtained from a variety of green and black teas have been found to harbor pesticide residues. Some imported teas have even shown traces of the banned pesticide DDT, which is still manufactured in some areas of the world such as China and India. The risk of exposure to pesticides and chemicals such as DDT may be reduced by buying organic tea. Unfortunately, some organic tea samples have also tested positive for pesticide residues showing how pervasive the pesticide contamination problem is.
Health risks of tea: Caffeine
Tea, particularly black tea, is a source of caffeine, although most teas contain less than the average cup of coffee. Some people are particularly susceptible to the effects of caffeine and can experience anxiety, palpitations, and elevations in blood pressure even at lower doses. One way to reduce levels of caffeine is to drink white tea which is much lower in caffeine or buy naturally decaffeinated black and green tea.
And finally, some tea bags are manufactured with a chemical known as epichlorohydrin which produces a known cancer causing chemical when exposed to water. For this reason, it’s best to brew tea from loose leaves rather than tea bags to get the health benefits without exposure to contaminants from the bag itself.
Reference:
- Eur J Clin Nutr. 1989 Aug;43(8):547-57
- grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail&origin;=ibids_references&therow;=46537
- www.wikipedia.org
