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Harmful effects of drinking Excessive TEA
14 Answers » - Asked by admin - on August 1st, 2007 at 12:49 pm - filed under Health Watch
Tea is one of the most widely consumed drinks. It is taken primarily as a hot drink for its stimulating effects. One feels refreshed after drinking it and gets over his tired feelings. This reputation leads to tea drinking habit which in course of time becomes deep rooted and difficult to give up.
The most active alkaloid principle in tea is caffeine. This is an addictive drug as it stimulates central nervous system. The effects are short lived but withdrawal symptoms observed are lethargy, headaches, anxiety, irritability and insomnia. All this shows that this is a quite strong drug which could lead to potential health problems.
Tea is prepared from leaves of shrub belonging to camellia family. The plant is a native of south east Asia. The earliest record of its cultivation comes from China in 4th century AD.
The chemical composition of tea leaves are as follows:
- Moisture: 5 – 8%
- Aromatic oils: 0.5%
- Caffeine: 2.5 – 5%
- Nitrogen: 4.75 – 5.5%
- Soluble substances: 38 – 45%
- Tannin: 7 – 14%
- Minerals: 5 – 5.75%
The primary effects of tea are due to alkaloids, caffeine, tannin and aromatic oils. It is not only composition of tea leaves that is harmful but also the composition of infusion which is prepared by boiling tea with water.
The harmful effects of drinking excessive tea in case of specific diseases are as summed below:
Indigestion: Tea is said to slow down digestion. It impedes the action of ptyalin, a digestive ferment of saliva which acts as cooked starch. Tannin is responsible for inhibition of this condition. This effect could however disappear once milk is added as milk precipates tannin. Tea also delays stomach digestion and could lead to gas formation diarrhoea and constipation.
Kidney disorders: Experiments show that 5 cups of tea increases the urine by 400 – 500% in people vulnerable to kidney related ailments. This continued stimulation of kidneys by caffeine might damage them. Tea could also promote kidney stone because of its high concentration of oxalate.
Premenstrual syndrome: Drinking tea could aggravate symptoms of premenstrual syndrome . According to a research conducted under Dr Annette Rossignol, an associate professor of public health at Oregon University, women in China who drank between 1 – 4 cups of tea a day were twice as likely to have PMS then non tea drinkers. drinking 8 cups of tea increased the PMS occurrence 10 times.
Incontinence: Drinking too much tea could lead to incontinence or frequent/urgent impulse to urinate. According to a recent study conducted at St. George’s Hospital London, caffeine could exert pressure on bladder by causing muscle surrounding it to contract increasing the need to urinate.
The respiratory and cardiac muscles are also stimulated by caffeine as coronary arteries get dilated resulting in the increase in the rate of blood flow. The quickening of respiration lowers the level of carbon dioxide and increases the heat production of body by 10 – 20%.
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It’s very enlightening article on tea, I believe.
I vomit when i drink boiled tea what is the cause
i have a bed wetting problem!
i want to know the effects of drinking of tea for testing and sampling before getting a proper blend of tea for packaging. if a person drinks nearly 25 cups of tea daily for this purpose how his health will be affected.
i am from India. please give me an urgent responce for my querry.
thanks
n g
good article
To clarify my doubts, may I seek answers to the following questions:
1. Can excessive intake of tea aggravate the condition of my husband’s already deteriorated left femoral head caused by degeneration and his advancing age?
2. Does his daily five to seven cups of tea intake clash with his daily intake of the following drugs: casodex, an anti androgen continuesly treating prostate which had advanced cancer, but is on remission for a year now; coozar and pritor for his high blood pressure; lipidor for his very high bad cholesterol level; and viartril and celebrex for his degenerating bones?
3. Can his intake of tea assist greatly in his effort to reduce his size and weight which accordingly promote futher bone degeneration?
With high hopes on encouraging and enlightening answers!
Ms. Godinez
For me tea has always been harmful. OK I believe it refreshes you but for a while perhaps a few hours. After those few hours, symptoms begin. I become unbearably drowsy, I must have another cup to go on. I start looking dark. Oil oozes on the face that makes me look tired & exhausted. And yet I keep drinking tea.
I used to take 10 to 12 cups of tea daily. I am suffering from high BP, high cholestrol & Gout problem. Let me know is there any bad effects of taking above quantity of tea in my health.
for me tea is a poison i feel poisoned i cant stop drinking it i promise i will not and then again i have it wen i see someone drink it or talk of it i feel like vomitting all d tea out of my system dat was my worst part of my life wen i drank tea
i hate tea and the name of it i hate the people who put me into this habit
I am 17 years old. Please let me know is it harmful to drink 5 cups of tea daily? If yes, then how many cups of tea is harmless daily?
i love tea n coffie and i don’t care about that stupid causes….i m with u my TEA
tea is life……
one must drink tea in controlled manner,do not addict to it ,playing with your lives,