Food allergies are quite common. A lot of people all over the world suffer from allergic reactions when they consume specific kinds of food products.
And, when it comes to green tea, it provides a great relief to allergies. But, did you know that you can still be allergic to green tea? Yes, that’s true!
This is one reason why you should be careful while drinking the beverage for the first time.
Before getting into the food allergies caused by green tea, let’s have a look at the reason why people are allergic to certain foods.
What Causes an Allergic Reaction?
Allergic reactions are the way your body reacts when an ‘invader or foreign substance’ enters the system. That invader, referred to as an allergen, can be anything like dust, plants, pollen, medicines, and food.
Most often they are quite minor but in certain rare cases, they can even be life-threatening.
Allergic reactions are basically due to the immune system that kick-starts a set of reactions upon being exposed to a foreign body. Moreover, they are not the same for everyone.
The reaction may be immediate for some and for others it can take hours or even days to appear.
Green Tea Allergy
Studies indicate that green tea can fight the allergic reaction caused due to allergens like dust, pollen, chemicals, and animal dander.
Green tea helps in inhibiting the chemical production that takes place in the body when there is an allergic reaction.
The catechin EGCG present in green tea blocks histamine and immunoglobulin which are the two chemicals responsible for triggering these reactions.
They cause symptoms like sneezing, itching, redness, and the like.
Methylated EGCG has an even more powerful response to allergy than normal EGCG that is there in green tea.
Those who suffer from any kind of food allergy will get relief from the symptoms by drinking green tea.
One tea variety cultivated in Japan, ‘Benifuuki tea’ has a high content of methylated catechins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and is, therefore, the best way to minimize the symptoms of an allergy.
While this may sound intriguing, consuming green tea does cause allergy to some individuals.
You are likely to get a rash on the skin associated with swelling, itchiness, and redness after drinking green tea. Those who have a hypersensitive skin have more chances of suffering from this kind of allergy.
The reaction can be quite serious at times with bumps, blisters, or boils. There can also be peeling, scaling, and discharge of fluid.
Green tea naturally has caffeine and tannins in it. Both these compounds can be the cause of an allergy.
In case you are sensitive to caffeine or tannin, it is better to steer clear of green tea altogether.
Additionally, if you are allergic to green tea, you will be allergic to other varieties as well. This is because, be it black tea, green tea, white tea, or oolong tea, all the true teas are made from the tea plant Camellia Sinensis.
It also means that you would be allergic to any food product that contains tea in any form. You must, therefore, carefully read the list of ingredients of food products and make sure that they are free of tea.
Green Tea Allergy Symptoms
The symptoms of green tea allergy can be anything from skin rashes to something as severe as eczema and hives. Eczema is a skin condition in which there is hypersensitivity.
Hives are itchy, bumpy, and red-colored swellings on the skin. They can be formed almost instantaneously and take a while to get alright.
In addition to all this, some individuals may feel a tingling sensation on their face, lips, tongue, or throat. There can be itching, swelling, and even blisters on the skin.
Moreover, there can be severe reactions too such as scaling and peeling of the skin in addition to fluid discharge as mentioned already.
What should you do when you have an allergic reaction?
If you notice any signs of green tea allergy mentioned above, stop drinking green tea right away. It is highly recommended that you consult a doctor and follow the prescriptions to ease the symptoms.
In the future, you should avoid consuming green tea in any form. It’s absolutely okay if the tea is not for you.