A lot of people drink green tea regularly and sing praises of its goodness. It has become a part of the modern-day lifestyle. There is no doubt about the fact that green tea has a lot of health benefits to offer as it is rich in antioxidants and helps in boosting immunity.
Its benefits have made people increase the number of cups they drink in a day because they have a feeling that the more the merrier!
However, the medical world feels that when you go overboard with anything, it can backfire, no matter how healthy it is. Excess of everything is bad and the same applies to green tea.
Green tea does have its share of side effects and disadvantages. Some health conditions can get worsened due to it. Therefore, you need to be careful when you are already suffering from a health condition.
When should you avoid drinking green tea?
Health experts opine that those who have the following health conditions should think twice before drinking green tea:
1. Anemia / Iron Deficiency
Individuals with anemia have below-normal red blood cell count or hemoglobin levels.
One of the most common causes of this condition is iron deficiency.
You need iron to make hemoglobin and if you have less of it in the body, you can suffer from iron deficiency anemia.
Since green tea contains compounds called ‘tannins’ that prevent iron from getting absorbed by the body and can worsen the condition, it is recommended that you avoid it.
2. Constipation
Green tea contains caffeine and can make your constipation worse if you are already dehydrated. Caffeine is known to cause dehydration in the body as it is a diuretic.
If you don’t already know, a diuretic is a substance that makes you visit the washroom more often as it increases the production of urine. Therefore, if you are already constipated and dehydrated, you should avoid going in for green tea.
3. Pregnancy
Pregnancy is not a health condition; it is a special phase in the life of a woman when she nurtures a new life in her womb. So, what is the connection between pregnancy and green tea?
It is the presence of tannins in green tea. It has been found that tannins hamper the absorption of folic acid in the body.
As you must be aware, folic acid has a huge role to play in preventing any kind of birth defects in the unborn baby. Furthermore, tannins also affect iron absorption in the body as stated above which is not good during pregnancy.
So, it is better to say no to green tea during pregnancy.
4. Anxiety
For the uninitiated, anxiety disorder is a common mental illness and many people in the US suffer from it.
Green tea has caffeine which increases anxiety in most cases.
Things can get difficult to handle when there is too much anxiety.
So, those who suffer from frequent panic attacks and anxiety should not drink green tea. It is not suitable for them.
5. Liver disorder
Green tea has antioxidants and several beneficial plant-based compounds in it that are good for health. However, the concentration of the antioxidants gets way too high when the tea is consumed in excess and does more harm than good.
Too much consumption of green tea leads to liver damage. Avoid drinking it if you are already suffering from a liver disorder.
6. Osteoporosis
Research says that when you consume green tea within safe limits, your bones will stay strong.
On the other hand, drinking too much of it can flush out calcium and cause osteoporosis.
It is a condition in which the bones turn fragile and tend to get broken easily.
If you are already suffering from the debilitating condition you should avoid consuming green tea.
7. Diabetes
Green tea is generally good for diabetics. However, you need to be a little more careful and check your blood sugar levels from time to time.
This measure needs to be taken because green tea is known to lower blood sugar and you need to ensure that it is within the normal limits. As a diabetic, you need to take care of low sugar levels too!
8. High Blood Pressure (BP)
High BP or hypertension is a very common health condition and many people all over the globe are suffering from it.
If you are one of them and are on prescription medicines for high BP, you should avoid drinking green tea because it reduces the effect of the medicine.
9. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
If you happen to suffer from IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, it is important to stay away from green tea. The caffeine present in green tea can aggravate the condition when it is consumed in large quantities.
Things to keep in mind
Green tea is great for a healthy adult but if you suffer from any of the health conditions mentioned above, it is better to talk to a doctor or health expert and find out how much green tea is safe for you.
Please abide by what they have to say.
Also, ensure that when you drink green tea, you drink only the freshly steeped one because, with time, it’s nutrients and active compounds start diminishing.
So, instead of making a huge batch of it, make it fresh every time to be able to reap its benefits.
The temperature of the tea also matters; a scalding hot cup of green tea is a strict no as it can lead to digestive issues and even throat cancer. It should comfort you and not burn your food pipe!
So, by now you should know when to avoid green tea and how it should be consumed.