One Major Negative Impact of Drinking Tea on your Health

Cautions, Dietician and Nutritionist Avni Kaul

A majority of Indian people’s day starts with a cup of hot tea. In fact, around 62% of people in India say that India is predominantly a tea-drinking nation. When it comes to choosing a beverage more than 2 out of 5 people opt for tea i.e., 44% choose tea while another 18% coffee.

Also, more than 159 million Americans are drinking tea in a single day, as per the Tea Association of the USA. What is not to love about tea? It is healthy, light, and also very delicious.

And, if you are a younger woman who daily drinks the calming beverage, you probably are setting yourself up to prevent a major health problem that is linked with menopause.

This blog by nutritionist and dietician Avni Kaul talks about one possible negative impact of consuming tea on your health.

Avni says, a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who started drinking tea before their menopause had significantly higher bone mineral density (BMD) post menopause compared to those who did not drink tea before menopause.

Usually, menopause could cause a rapid reduction in BMD. This, as a result, puts older women at a greater risk for conditions such as osteoporosis, a debilitating bone disease. During the menopausal period, estrogen levels hugely drop. This drop-in estrogen is linked with a process called bone resorption which could lead to osteoporosis.

Studies also found that high caffeine consumption actually might increase the rate of bone reduction in older women. While that seems contradictory, researchers have pointed out that the majority of those studies have been done on populations that consume coffee—which normally contains more caffeine than tea. For instance, one 226.79 grams cup of coffee has about 95 milligrams of caffeine, whereas the same size cup of green tea contains nearly 35 milligrams.

This study, which was conducted at over 1,300 women below the age of 80 saw that the association between high postmenopausal BMD and tea drinking was even more significant in women who consumed more than four cups of tea each week.

The current research supports an existing body of evidence that consuming tea could assist older women to retain BMD. Almost two decades ago, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also found a similar link.

The findings further reveal that opting for a tea-drinking habit earlier in life might pay off in the long run. The study did not find significant improvement in BMD in women who began drinking tea post-menopause.

So, why not stock up on some healthy tea options such as green tea, chamomile tea, hibiscus tea or black tea next time you visit the grocery store instead of buying the regular tea which besides from helping you wind down before bed would also help to set you up for a healthier future.

No one is suggesting to give up drinking tea all together. But, moderation is always good irrespective of what you are consuming. Mindful eating or drinking goes a long way that helps to keep your health intact.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-021-00856-y