Green Tea Cause Gout and Head Aches?

by Brian
(Detroit)

I am a moderate sufferer of gout, especially when I consume the wrong foods such as spinach, peanuts, mushrooms, red wine, and too much coffee.

So I am trying to drink and enjoy more green tea. The problem is I seem to be getting a head ache and I'm thinking it is from a lack of caffeine.

So I am drinking 50 ounces of green tea per day plus another 50 ounces of water. So I have two questions.

The first is will all this green tea consumption increase the likelihood of gout attacks?

Secondly, are these head aches caused by too much green tea or possibly a lack of caffeine?

I am in good health.

Answer:

Brian, I am not an expert of gout here I will give some common sense advice from the point of view of tea.

First, 50 ounces of green tea - assuming 8 ounce per cup - equates to about 6 cups. This corresponds to the top limit I advise for a beginner tea drinker. I normally recommend 3 to 6 cups.

So if you are just starting, you may want to start with 3 cups a day, then gradually increase. It takes a while for the body to adjust to the tea compounds.

Second, there are many types of green tea, some more processed than others, with the better ones containing much more antioxidants than the others.

I highly recommend unprocessed loose green tea made from young tea buds with no flavoring whatsoever.

For further information reads:

Green Tea Beverage Brands - Best Of 7 Types Reviewed

Finally, there is some evidence that green tea can help with gout, but it is by no means conclusive.

Multiple actions of EGCG, the main component of green tea

I hope this helps.

Julian