Too Much Green Tea
3 Reasons Why It Is Harmful

Many population studies documenting green tea health benefits are based in Asia, where people typically drink 3 cups a day.

The United Kingdom Tea Council recommends drinking up to 6 cups a day.

What can go wrong with drinking too much green tea? Three reasons: caffeine intolerance, minerals overdose and side effects.

Caffeine intolerance is the most common complaint.

Green tea contains half the amount of caffeine found in coffee, so moderate consumption is unlikely to cause problems to the majority of people.

For those who are sensitive to caffeine, here are symptoms to watch out for: restlessness, irritability, sleeping problems, tremor, heart palpitations, loss of appetite, upset stomach, nausea, frequent urination and skin rash.

Experts recommend 300 milligrams of caffeine a day as being safe for most individuals. According to the United Kingdom Tea Council, this is equivalent to 6 cups a day.

Are you ready to unveil the mysteries of tea caffeine?

Green Tea Caffeine

Tea plant accumulates nutritions such as aluminium, manganese and fluoride from soil and water. These minerals can be harmful when consumed in large amounts over many years.

A 2005 study conducted by Dr. Michael Whyte from Washington University raised concerns about the high fluoride content in instant iced tea.

A middle aged woman diagnosed with skeletal fluorosis drank 17 to 33 cups a day, double-strength, because of the hot weather.

This is unusual, but highlight the dangers of drinking too much green tea.

Green Tea Fluoride

The Chinese have been drinking green tea for more than 2,000 years. But until A.D. 600, green tea was used mainly as a medicinal tonic, not an everyday beverage.

Like any other herbal medicine, green tea's healing power has to be carefully harnessed. There are times when we should avoid drinking too much green tea.

Tea can cause indigestion to those with a sensitive stomach.

It also reduces absorption of non-heme iron, causing problems to those prone to iron deficiency anaemia.

We can take precautions against these side effects by avoiding tea drinking around mealtimes or on empty stomach.

How To Minimise Green Tea Side Effects

Imai K, Suga K, Nakachi K. Cancer-preventive effects of drinking green tea among a Japanese population. Prev Med 1997;26:769–75.

Imai K, Nakachi K. Cross sectional study of effects of drinking green tea on cardiovascular and liver diseases. BMJ 1995;310:693–6.

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