Tea is Good for You, but Beware of Overdoing It

Let’s Find Out How Much Tea to Drink a Day and When to Drink It.

We have often talked about the benefits and properties of good tea: antioxidant, stimulating, rich in catechins and L-theanine, many types of tea are considered true elixirs, important in preventing certain diseases, aiding metabolism and improving brain function. But what happens if you consume too much tea? Let’s find out together how much tea is…too much tea!

What Can Happen If You Drink Too Much Tea?

Many people approach tea for its health benefits, the variety of flavors that exist, or as an alternative to coffee, and it is easy to be won over by its aromas and consume several cups a day. But is drinking too much tea bad for your health? You know, as with all things, you should never overdo it: tea is good for you, but in excessive quantities it could have side effects, precisely because of an overdose of the substances that make this drink so beneficial. Then there are certain types of tea whose excessive consumption could result in various problems, especially in individuals with special needs or diseases: green tea is often thought to be an elixir for health, and we often tend to consume excessive amounts of it thinking that the more we drink of it, the better it will make us feel, demonizing black tea for its caffeine content. Often, in reality, green tea, if consumed in excess, can also have far worse side effects than black tea. When is it bad to drink tea, then, and how much tea can you drink per day? Which teas are bad for you? Let’s find out together.”

Why Drink Tea

Before talking about the possible side effects of tea, and how good it is to consume it, it is a must to point out that drinking tea (which after all is the third most consumed beverage in the world) is good for the mind, muscles, heart and memory. People in the East have been drinking tea since ancient times for its beneficial effects, and this beverage is still the focus of ‘tea ceremonies,’ real rituals for the mind and body. According to some studies, tea would be good for brain function, particularly because of its L-theanine and catechin contents; it contains antioxidants, which are useful in fighting free radicals and cell aging; it aids metabolism; and it contributes to the prevention of bacterial infections. Despite the benefits, however, high consumption of tea is not always a good idea, and often the very beneficial substances that make it a healthy drink can be the cause of several side effects.

When It Hurts to Drink Tea and Side Effects

The first point to make clear is that tea generally contains theine, and therefore not only can it be addictive, but excessive tea consumption in the day can cause what is called ‘tea drunkenness.’ The caffeine content in tea makes this beverage a powerful stimulant, and there are teas in particular with very high levels of theine, the consumption of which, like coffee (some argue that the caffeine in tea has even worse effects than coffee), can facilitate the occurrence of migraine headaches, cause insomnia and worsen sleep disturbances, as well as increase nervousness, feelings of anxiety, palpitations, even going so far as to cause nausea, stomach ache and vomiting. There are some teas that are particularly high in theine, such as green tea, white teas and some black teas, as well as matcha tea, which is often consumed in large quantities for its beneficial properties. People often tend to think that black teas are bad for them precisely because of their theine content, and avoid them, instead making large consumption of green tea: in fact, many black teas have lower theine contents than green teas!

Too Much Tea is Bad for the Stomach

As already mentioned some teas when consumed in excess can be harmful to the stomach, either because of their theine content, or because they are more ‘raw’ teas. The concentration of caffeine in some teas can cause nausea or stomach pain, as it increases the amount of acid involved in the digestion processes.

Tea and Heart Health

The consumption of green tea is often associated with the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease because of its catechin content, although there is insufficient epidemiological evidence. On the other hand, tea, due to its caffeine content, can increase blood pressure and accelerate heart rate, putting pressure on the cardiovascular system. It can also stimulate the nervous system and worsen situations of anxiety, nervousness and stress. In fact, excessive tea consumption is not recommended for people with cardiovascular disorders, heart failure and those suffering from anxiety problems.

Tea and Iron Absorption

Iron is an essential mineral for the well-being of the body, essential for the production of hemoglobin; however, foods such as tea inhibit its absorption (as well as that of calcium) because they are rich in tannins. Tannins form insoluble complexes with iron that inhibit its assimilation. To reduce the tannins in tea, it is suggested to reduce the brewing time (although this will also reduce the extraction of the beneficial substances, as well as caffeine). Tea that is light and extracted for 4-5 minutes will decrease the tannin concentrate. In fact, tea is often recommended at the end of a meal for those individuals with conditions characterized by high iron levels.

Tea in Pregnancy

During pregnancy it is preferable to avoid excessive consumption of tea, particularly tea such as green tea, which due to its caffeine and catechin contents could interfere with the effect of folic acid, a substance very important in preventing the development of spina bifida or preventing premature birth. In particular, daily intake of green tea, black tea and oolong tea during pregnancy is not recommended because the theine could lead to disorders such as increased heart rate or insomnia in the baby.

Interaction with Medications

Excessive consumption of tea is not recommended for those undergoing pharmaceutical therapy, as it may interfere with certain medications and impair their effectiveness. It is always recommended to refer to your doctor about consumption of the beverage.

How much tea can you drink per day?

How much green tea can you drink? What is the daily dose of tea? How much tea is too much tea? These are just some of the questions we receive regarding tea consumption in the day. Having established that excessive consumption of tea, like any other caffeinated beverage, is never a good idea, is there a known limit of how much tea one can drink per day? It is known that the pleasure of a hot cup of tea to accompany the day can be a great source of relaxation and enjoyment, but the caffeine contained in it can lead to states of anxiety, nervousness, increase blood pressure and speed up the heart rate.

Recommended Daily Doses

How much tea to drink per day then? The answer is…it depends! It depends on the tea: there are conflicting opinions on this, with some studies claiming that you can drink as much as ten cups of tea a day. Actually, it would be preferable to refer to the caffeine content of the tea you are drinking: the Ministry of Health recommends, for an adult, sticking to single doses of caffeine of up to 200 mg, or 3 mg per kg of weight, except in the evening. Single doses of 100 mg of caffeine in the evening can in fact affect the body. EFSA, according to the Ministry of Health report, reports that caffeine intake of up to 400 mg per day, spread throughout the day, does not pose problems or contraindications for healthy adult elements. According to these quantities therefore, one could safely consume several cups of tea per day, since the content of teas generally ranges from 15 to 70 mg per cup. This does not detract from the fact that there are some exceptions of teas that contain more!

To take teas that are lower in theine and be able to drink several cups of tea per day, we recommend drinking second brew teas, as in the first the leaves will have released much of their theine. You also need to understand your resistance to theine by starting by drinking a few cups a day, in small doses, of leaves left to infuse for short periods.

When to Drink Tea?

As a general rule, it is therefore good not to overdo tea, and to keep within the recommended dosage, while also listening to your body and its reactions to the drink. But what is the best time to drink tea? The caffeine (or theine) content in tea is one of the main culprits of side effects related to its intake, making tea an excitant and stimulant. Therefore, it is best to avoid, in case you suffer from insomnia, consuming tea in the evening or late afternoon, but to drink tea in the morning or early afternoon. The contraindications of drinking too much tea also include reduced iron absorption, caused by antioxidants: to mitigate this effect, it is recommended to drink tea away from meals, especially very antioxidant teas such as green tea.

This rule is not a general one: in the East, such as in China and Japan, where tea has been consumed regularly for years, and prepared according to traditional methods that allow for perfect brewing, tea is often drunk to accompany meals, or shortly after a meal, like coffee. Actually when to drink tea depends mostly on the type of tea chosen: there are more robust teas such as Darjeeling or Pu Erh teas suitable for drinking in the morning, to provide a boost of energy and accompany hearty breakfasts, teas rich in theine that are preferable to drink on a full stomach, and lighter teas such as some green teas that aid digestion, and thus should be consumed after meals.

Is Drinking Too Much Green Tea Bad for You?

There are many people who start drinking green tea because of its health benefits, and also because of myths regarding its properties: green tea is a great ally of the body, antioxidant and beneficial for cardiovascular health, but drinking too much of it does not necessarily help the body, quite the contrary. Many people prefer green tea believing it has less caffeine: in fact there are green teas with significantly higher theine contents than black tea or white tea, so even drinking green tea could bring excessive caffeine inputs into the body, equal to other teas or even higher. It is recommended never to exceed the recommended dosage of 5 cups of green tea daily, and again to listen to your body’s needs and how it metabolizes it. Among the main contraindications of green tea, it is important to mention that green tea reduces iron absorption, being rich in flavonoids, which have antioxidant power. To mitigate this effect, it is preferable to drink green tea away from meals. Green tea also contains fluoride, which is useful for healthy nails and bones, but in excessive amounts in the body can cause various bone diseases.

Possible Contraindications of Matcha Tea

Matcha tea, often prized for its beneficial properties due to its antioxidant content, effects on digestion, and vitamin content, however it is a tea that is very high in caffeine and polyphenols, and drinking too much of it can result in palpitations, rapid heartbeat, and have negative interactions with any medications.

Is Drinking Too Much Iced Tea Bad for You?

During the summer and particularly hot days, people tend to prefer drinking iced tea, which for many becomes addictive due to its relief and cooling power. However, excessive consumption of iced tea can have major health risks: it was only a few years ago that an American was diagnosed with permanent dialysis caused by daily consumption of four liters of iced tea. The cause is mainly to do with the content of oxalates, compounds in needle-like crystals found especially in black tea, which, once taken, bind to minerals and form salts that prevent absorption, and thus reduce the minerals available to the body, which enters states of deficiency, leading to various diseases. When oxalates bind to calcium, they also accumulate in the urinary tract and cause kidney stones. But how much iced tea can you drink then? A few glasses of iced tea a day is unlikely to cause problems of this kind, but as with any food or drink, be careful not to overdo it: a consumption si 500 mg a day of oxalates is perfectly within the norm, to be balanced among the various foods and drinks in one’s diet.

Is Sachet Tea Bad for You?

Teas in sachets are industrial products, often made with low-quality ingredients, leftover powder and discarded broken tea leaves from loose teas: but besides the dubious quality, is tea in sachets bad for your health?

Low quality affects the brew in an important way: the small particles and powder are devoid of most of the essential oils and nutrients that make tea a beneficial beverage for the body, and also in bags the leaves do not open completely, but when brewed these release more tannins, making bagged tea a more bitter brew. Tea also has set storage times, while tea bags sit on supermarket shelves for months.

A study in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science and Technology conducted at McGill University in Montreal also showed how nylon and polyethylene terephthalate tea bags release billions of microplastics and nanoplastics into the brew, although it has not been shown whether these are harmful to health. A study conducted at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom also investigated the effects of tea on the body, particularly with regard to the effect of fluoride, which is contained in exaggerated amounts in many bagged teas. Excessive intake of fluoride could cause weakening of bones, chronic pain, fluorosis and damage to the nervous system. According to the British study, many bagged teas would contain 75-120% more than the recommended daily dose of fluoride, and tea bag manufacturers are not required to disclose fluoride levels in their teas, so it is important to also pay attention to the water with which tea is prepared, as it is often high in fluoride.