Tea is a daily beverage for millions of people in our country. Some people are absolute tea lovers and can't go a day without consuming tea.
For some, it is their morning routine to have tea, but some have tea to simply feel stress-free. Some consume tea in a medicinal way depending on the ingredients you put in during the preparation.
In a country like India where we have diverse people we also have a lot of variety in tea. Be it, Sulaiman Chai, from Malabar, Kerala, or be it the Irani chai of the Parsis. There is a huge variety of tea over here.
But one should also know about the side effects of what one is consuming and get knowledge about it. These side effects can be good and bad.
So here is the list of all the side effects of tea.
1. Reduces Iron absorption
The first side effect of tea is that tea reduces iron absorption.
Iron deficiency is very common in the world, if you are iron deficient and are consuming high amounts of tea ten you may exacerbate your condition.
High amounts of tannins can be found in tea. It binds with Iron and makes your body unable to absorb it.
So if you are somebody who can't go a day without having tea then preferably take it between your meals so that your body's iron content remains intact.
2. Weight loss
The next side effect of tea is that it causes weight loss.
Not just green tea but any tea without sugar and honey is suitable for weight loss.
Just a cup of tea can help you diminish your hunger with a very low-calorie intake. It is clinically tested that a lot of components in green tea are good for a fast metabolism, abdominal fat loss, and boost fitness.
3. Would give you yellow teeth
Tea can stain your beautiful white teeth. Tea has acids and tannins which can stain your teeth if you drink it on a daily basis.
Though green tea has components that do not stain your teeth so if you want to you can anytime switch to that.
4. Increases Stress and anxiety
Tea contains caffeine which causes the feeling of stress and anxiety in some people. If you are a high tea consumer, and you feel nervous and anxious often then that is because of your caffeine consumption. To reduce this try to consume less tea.
The highest amounts of caffeine can be found in black tea. Green tea and white tea have relatively lesser amounts of caffeine content in them. This side effect of tea is very important to be kept in mind.
5. Have stronger bones
Tea even without the presence of milk is beneficial for the bones.
We have always learned that milk is rich in calcium and is beneficial for our bones. In the same way, tea has nutrients that are essential for our bones and makes them stronger.
Scientists have also found out that tea has bone-developing components which help in the formation of new bones.
6. Poor Sleep
One of the other side effects of tea consumption is poor sleep. As we have already read above, tea contains caffeine.
Caffeine causes sleeplessness and that further causes a lot of other psychological problems.
If you are facing sleeping difficulty then you should cut down on tea and other beverages that contain caffeine.
7. Caffeine dependence
When you consume a lot of tea you are consuming a lot of caffeine with it and regular consumption of it can make you caffeine dependent.
Symptoms of its withdrawal may include irritation, headache, fatigue, and increased heart rate.
8. Pregnancy complications
There are many side effects of tea for a pregnant woman.
Again excessive consumption of caffeine is not good for the mother as well as the baby.
It increases a lot of complications thus it is advised to mothers to be not to have a lot of tea or other beverages with high amounts of caffeine.
9. Lowers cholesterol
The consumption of green tea, in particular, has been proven very effective in controlling cholesterol because of all the nutritional benefits that it has.
It is highly advised to cholesterol patients to consume at least one cup of green tea daily for better health.
10. Alzheimer disease
Researchers have found that a component in making green tea CAGTE is able to protect cells from damage.
The free radicals and beta-amyloid which has a part in developing Alzheimer's disease.
It is one of the beneficial side effects of tea.
11. Reduces Inflammation.
Studies have shown that green tea suppresses the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines and related enzymes in our bodies.
This effect is good for a lot of reasons like vascular diseases, cancer, etc.
12. Constipation
Tea has a dehydrating effect which can cause constipation. Some people consume tea in the morning to have a clear stomach while having too much tea can cause constipation in your stomach.
13. Gain weight
Depending upon what you are adding to your tea you can also gain weight.
While consuming green tea is a great source of weight loss, consuming white tea with an excessive amount of sugar does the correct opposite. Adding milk, sugar, and honey on a daily basis into your tea can make you gain weight.
So to prevent this people use almond milk or soya milk instead of cow milk. Instead of putting sugar in, people often consume it without sugar.
14. Type 2 diabetes
Studies have suggested that people who consume green tea have a lesser risk of type 2 diabetes than people who consume regular tea.
Studies have also found a relation between green tea and fasting glucose and insulin levels.
15. Protects from skin cancer
Drinking any kind of tea be it green tea, black tea or white tea helps you get protected from skin cancer.
Also, a lot of things different from the way we prepare tea too. If we brew it for a longer period of time and make it strong then there will be relatively lesser chances of skin cancer.
16. Sleep disorders
One of the most common side effects of tea is a sleep disorder. This is because of the caffeine that is in the tea.
Caffeine causes less or no sleep. Because people have different bodies and metabolize caffeine in different ways one cannot really predict the effect of caffeine in one body.
So if you are having difficulty with sleep and are a regular consumer of tea then you should cut down on your tea consumption.
17. Dizziness
Another side effect of tea caused by caffeine is dizziness. People who consume excessive amounts of tea face this issue.
Though in some people this effect is visible when they consume less amount of tea and that depends upon the person's sensitivity.
18. Prostate cancer
Researchers have proven this side effect of having too much tea is the worst.
They have found that the one who drinks excessive amounts of tea in a day is more predisposed to prostate cancer than the one who does not.
19. Liver damage
Consuming a high amount of green tea can cause liver damage because of the components in the green tea.
So one can have green tea as it has other benefits but continuous consumption of green tea in excessive amounts can be very harmful for the liver.
20. Stroke risk
The last one on the list is a beneficial side effect of tea.
Drinking tea or other beverages with caffeine can prevent you from strokes. People who consume tea daily have a lesser risk of having strokes than others.
This is a clinically proven fact too. Thus, this is one of the helpful side effects of tea.
Tea is the most common beverage all across the globe. Tea has a lot of positive side effects but just like the two sides of a coin it also has negative side effects.
Tea consumption is very healthy when consumed in an adequate amount. Excessive consumption of tea can be proven very harmful for our bodies.
Just like an adequate amount of tea acts as a medicine, higher tea consumption can cause a lot of problems to the body and lifestyle.
So consume your favorite beverage but in adequate amounts so that it does not cause you harm.
Let us know in the comment box if you ever faced or came across any of these side effects of tea.
Also, like and share with your tea-mates.
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