Although tea culture has a long history, drinking tea is regarded as a healthy lifestyle, enjoying many benefits such as refreshing the mind and promoting digestion, but everything has its two sides, and drinking tea is no exception. Excessive tea drinking or drinking tea under certain circumstances may bring some adverse effects. The following are the six major harms of drinking tea, which aims to remind everyone to pay attention to moderation and rationality while enjoying the fragrance of tea.
1. Affecting sleep quality
Caffeine and theophylline contained in tea are the main ingredients for refreshing the mind. They can stimulate the central nervous system, increase alertness, and reduce fatigue. However, excessive intake of these substances, especially drinking strong tea before bedtime, will interfere with the normal sleep cycle, leading to difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep quality, and even insomnia. In the long run, it may also cause neurasthenia, memory loss and other problems. Therefore, for people with poor sleep quality or prone to insomnia, tea drinking should be avoided or limited at night.
2. Increase the burden on the heart
Caffeine not only acts on the brain, but also accelerates the heartbeat, increases myocardial contractility, and thus increases blood pressure. For patients with cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and coronary heart disease, excessive tea drinking may increase the burden on the heart and increase the risk of cardiac events. In addition, caffeine also promotes gastric acid secretion, which may also aggravate the condition of patients with digestive system diseases such as gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers. Therefore, this group of people should be extra cautious when drinking tea, and it is best to consult a doctor.
3. Interfere with iron absorption
Tea contains a high content of tannic acid (tannic acid). This substance can combine with the iron in food to form compounds that are not easily absorbed by the human body, thereby affecting the utilization rate of iron. Long-term and large-scale tea drinking, especially drinking tea immediately after meals, may lead to iron deficiency anemia, especially for pregnant women, lactating women and children in the growth and development period, the impact is more significant. To avoid this risk, it is recommended to drink tea between meals or at least half an hour after meals, and supplement with iron-rich foods in moderation.
4. Cause constipation or indigestion
The tannic acid in tea not only affects iron absorption, but also astringes the intestines and slows down intestinal peristalsis, which may cause constipation or aggravate constipation symptoms. For people who already have digestive system problems, such as chronic constipation and gastrointestinal dysfunction, drinking too much tea will undoubtedly make things worse. In addition, the caffeine in strong tea may also irritate the gastric mucosa, causing excessive gastric acid secretion, leading to indigestion symptoms such as stomach pain and acid reflux. Therefore, tea should be light and avoid drinking on an empty stomach.
5. Increase the risk of stones
The oxalic acid content in tea should not be ignored. Long-term and large-scale drinking of strong tea, especially on an empty stomach, oxalic acid is easy to combine with calcium in the body to form calcium oxalate stones, increasing the risk of urinary system and biliary system diseases such as kidney stones and gallstones. For people who already have a history of stones, they should strictly control the amount of tea they drink, avoid drinking strong tea, and check their physical condition regularly.
6. Interference with drug effects
The various ingredients in tea, especially caffeine and tannic acid, may interact with a variety of drugs, affecting the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs, thereby reducing drug efficacy or increasing adverse reactions. For example, caffeine can enhance cardiac contractility, and simultaneous use with certain cardiovascular drugs may increase the burden on the heart; tannic acid can combine with antibiotics, iron, etc., affecting their absorption. Therefore, it is best to avoid drinking tea during medication, or at least wait a few hours before drinking. The specific implementation should be based on the drug instructions or doctor's advice.
In summary, although drinking tea is good, it should also be moderate. Understanding and avoiding the above potential harms can allow us to maintain physical and mental health while enjoying the fragrance of tea. For specific groups, such as patients with cardiovascular diseases, pregnant women, children, patients with digestive system diseases, and people taking medication, tea should be drunk scientifically, and professionals should be consulted when necessary. In addition, choosing high-quality tea, reasonable brewing methods, and drinking at the right time and in moderation are also the correct ways to enjoy tea culture. Let us find our own tranquility and health in the world of tea. Let us find our own peace and health in the world of tea.
