When you feel tired or bored, the first thing that comes to your mind is a cup of tea. Tea is the second most popular drink in the world, water being the first. There are different types of tea available and you can choose one that you prefer. Granular, brick tea, black tea, leaf tea etc are some among them. There are also tea bags. Many prefer to have black tea, which is low in calories. Various ingredients present in black tea are caffeine, glucuronic acid, lactic acid, fluoride, potassium, manganese, tannin, purines, xanthine and gallic esters. It was introduced in the market in 1827 and people called it theine as it was regarded as a new substance. Later on it was found that it had the same effects as black coffee and also contained the same components that black coffee contained. Since then, the word theine was given up.
Black tea is great for boosting your energy and increasing your alertness. So, people who stay awake late at night often drink black tea to increase their overall concentration. This is because black tea has the ability to stimulate the respiratory and cardiac systems of the body. This in turn helps in enhancing the supply of oxygen to all parts of your body. Black tea is also found to be very beneficial for losing weight. When you drink black tea, it reduces your appetite. As a result you will have less food than you have normally. So, you will succeed in losing weight. Black tea is also great for preventing cancer. However, you must take care that you do not drink too much of black tea. This can lead to some side effects.
Dietitians always warn people against excessive consumption of caffeine. Caffeine, when taken in excess, can cause certain side effects like breathing trouble, insomnia, increased pulse rate and so on. Here are some common side effects of black tea when you consume it in excess.
Side Effects of Black Tea:
Anemia:
If you are suffering from deficiency of iron, black tea can make you more anemic. So avoid black tea if you are anemic.
Brittle bones:
Black tea is full of caffeine and this can increase the amount of calcium flushed out in the urine. As a result, your bones may become weak due to reduced amounts of calcium in the body and you may suffer from osteoporosis. Make sure that you do not take in more than 300 mg of caffeine a day. This means that you must never drink more than 2 or 3 cups of black tea per day. You can take in extra calcium to compensate for the lost calcium.
Constipation:
If you drink black tea in excess, you may suffer from constipation. This is because black tea contains tannins. Tannin is beneficial for your body and helps the body to store precipitate. It also has other health benefits. However, excess of it can cause constipation. The reason for it is that when it is in excess, your body will start storing a lot of waste products. This leads to constipation.
Cardiovascular diseases:
Patients recovering from heart attacks and acute cardiovascular disorders, like paroxysmal tachycardia or cardiac asthma, are strictly advised not to consume black tea. This is because caffeine is not good for your cardiovascular system. Caffeine is also not suited for people suffering from gastritis or gastric ulcers, as both of these diseases are caused due to increased acidity in the stomach.
Diabetes:
If you are a diabetic patient, be cautions when you drink black tea. Black tea is said to affect blood sugar levels.
Diarrhoea:
One of the main ingredients in black tea is caffeine. So, when you consume it daily, it may lead to diarrhea. This is because caffeine has the power to stimulate your digestive system. So, when you drink black tea in excess, it may have an adverse effect on your health. Another negative affect is that it can directly influence your central nervous system, thus making you nervous even for small incidents. Black tea in huge doses excites you nervous system and can cause insomnia, varicose veins, palpitations, digestive issues and so on.
Disturbed stomach:
As mentioned earlier, black tea has caffeine as the main ingredient. When this reaches your stomach, it will start producing various acidic substances. Your body is unable to absorb all these acidic substances. As a result, you will start feeling uneasy. Your stomach will feel uncomfortable with so much acidic products inside it. If you are suffering from stomach ulcer or cancer, you must certainly avoid black tea as it can make things worse for you.
Overactive bladder:
Drinking black tea can make your bladder overactive. So, if you already have an overactive bladder, it may make it even worse for them. Such people must be very cautious when they consume black tea.
Other health hazards:
Health professionals advice pregnant women not to take more than two cups of black tea a day. The reason is that black tea is rich in caffeine, which can increase the possibility of miscarriage. If you are breast feeding, then also you must not have more than two cups of black tea as excess of it can make your baby irritable and increase bowel movements. People suffering from glaucoma, cardiovascular disorders, anxiety and high blood pressure are also negatively affected by drinking black tea because of the caffeine present in it.
Compared to other types of tea, black tea contains the maximum amount of caffeine in it. This is because of the way it is processed. So, always remember to have it within limits. Limited consumption of black tea allows you to enjoy its benefits and prevent side effects.