15 Side Effects Of Black Tea

Who doesn’t love a cup of steaming black tea? Though it may not have a lot of staunch supporters, there are people who cannot function without indulging in their favorite cup of black tea. Black tea is more like an acquired taste and once you fall in love with it, nothing else will suffice.

Having a cup or two of black tea in a day sure has a lot of benefits to it but anything more than 3 cups in a day is like inviting problems. So for those of you are addicted to it, we have a list of black tea side effects which might be useful for you and would motivate you to cut down the excess consumption of black tea.

15 Black Tea Side Effects

1. Pregnancy

Pregnant women can consume black tea in moderate amounts. Drinking more than 3 cups of black tea in a day can be potentially unsafe. Over consumption of black tea during the pregnancy period can cause serious side effects like increase in the risk of miscarriage and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), lower birth weight, caffeine withdrawal symptoms in newborns, etc.(1)

2. Breastfeeding

Women who are lactating should also try and avoid drinking excess black tea as it can be harmful for the baby. Drinking more than a moderate amount can cause unnecessary bowel movements in the babies and also make them more irritable.(2)

3. Anxiety

Black tea consists a good amount of caffeine and one of the side effects of consuming excess caffeine is anxiety disorders. Some of the symptoms of anxiety disorder are dry mouth, sleeping disorder, shortness of breath, feeling of panic and fear, cold or sweaty hands, feeling of numbness in hands or feet, etc. If you are already going through an anxiety disorder then it would be best to avoid drinking black tea as it can worsen your condition.(3)

4. Heart Problems

Most of the side effects of drinking black tea is due to its caffeine content. One of those side effects is the occurrence of various problems related to your heart. Irregular heartbeats is one of those problems which you need to be wary of while drinking excess black tea.(4)

5. Diarrhea

The next side that we have in our list is diarrhea. Now diarrhea is a condition which can be caused not just because of drinking black tea but also due to a number of other reasons. So before you jump to the conclusion that your diarrhea is a result of you drinking black tea. Make sure to find out the exact root cause and then take the necessary precautions.(5)

6. Bleeding Disorder

Over consumption of black tea can also cause bleeding disorders. This is because the caffeine present in black tea can slow down the process of blood clotting. Hence, it is advised to be extremely cautious while using black tea if you are already going through any bleeding disorders.(6)

7. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition in which there is damage to the optic nerve of your eye which worsens over time. In this condition, there is usually a pressure which builds up inside the eye and this pressure can last for at least 90 minutes. The consumption of black tea with its caffeine content has been known to build up and increase the pressure within your eyes.(7)

8. High Blood Pressure

Sometimes the caffeinated black tea has been known to be dangerous for people with high blood pressure as it can increase the blood pressure. In case you notice this side effect, you should stop the consumption of black tea.(8)

9. Seizures

Another side effect caused due to caffeine content is seizures. It has been noticed that consuming high doses of caffeine can cause seizures and also decrease the effect of the medications that are used to control seizures. So people who have had seizures or are prone to them should strictly stay away from any caffeinated products including black tea.(9)

10. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

This is a common disorder which affects the colon. It is a chronic condition which needs to be treated over a period of time. Some of the symptoms of IBS are bloating, gas, abdominal pain, etc. If you are facing any of these symptoms then it would be best to stop drinking black tea as it can worsen all of those symptoms of IBS.(10)

11. Constipation

This is an unexpected side effect of drinking excess black tea. It usually appear because of the presence of tannin. When you drink excess black tea, your body starts storing excessive amounts of waste products which in turn results in constipation.

We know how difficult it is to give up on something that you are addicted to but we are sure it is not too difficult to monitor the intake levels, right! After all, it is much easier to reduce the amount of black tea you drink rather than going through any of the above mentioned side effects.(11)

12. Anemia

When your blood doesn’t have sufficient healthy red blood cells, it leads to condition called anemia. Fatigue, dizziness, skin pallor, shortness of breath are some of the symptoms of anemia. People who already have an iron deficiency in their body can worsen their condition of anemia due to excess drinking of black tea.

13. Overactive Bladder

People who have an overactive bladder should be careful while drinking black tea. People who don’t have an overactive bladder should also be careful since drinking excess black tea can actually increase the risk of developing it.

14. Hormone-sensitive Conditions

Uterine fibroids, uterine cancer, breast cancer, endometriosis, ovarian cancer, etc., are some of the hormone sensitive conditions. These conditions can become worse due to exposure to estrogen and black tea can act like an estrogen. In such situations, avoiding black tea is the best option.

15. Osteoporosis

Wondering how osteoporosis or brittle bones and black tea are related? Well, the amount of calcium that gets flushed out while urinating can increase due to over consumption of black tea. The lack of calcium in turn will have a negative impact on your bones. Though you can take calcium supplements to compensate it, a simpler choice would be to just stick to moderate consumption of black tea.

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