Green Tea Side Effects Warnings!
Advice To New Drinkers

When I first started this site, I decided to investigate side effects. I promise myself that I wouldn't make any recommendation without first understanding the risks.

I felt quite stupid at first. After all, even the United States FDA categories tea as "Generally Recognized as Safe". It is the second most consumed beverage after water. What can possibly go wrong?

Tea health benefits are like 1 million times more powerful than its side effects. Observed side effects are few and far between. Discovered health benefits? There are thousands of them.

But there are a few things to be aware of. Sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry.

I have to confess I am not in anyway medically qualified. I tried my best to inform. If you are in doubt, please speak to your medical adviser or post a question at the Tea FAQ Forum. I would do what I can to help.

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

If you are sensitive to caffeine, here are the symptoms to watch out for:

• restlessness
  
  
• irritability
  
  
• sleeping problems
  
  
• tremor
  
  
• heart palpitations
  
  
• loss of appetite
  
  
• upset stomach
  
  
• nausea
  
  
• frequent urination
  
  
• skin rash

How to deal with tea caffeine? It is like an onion, surrounded by layers of myths. Are you ready to peel and see what is truly inside?

Tea Caffeine

This is very common. Stomach upset is the second most common complaint after caffeine.

A 1984 study concluded that "tea is a potent stimulant of gastric acid, and this can be reduced by adding milk and sugar."

Discover the 10 tips of enjoying a soothing cup of tea without experiencing stomach upset.

Tea and Stomach Gastric Irritation

Green tea contains caffeine, catechins and tannic acids. All three substances have been linked to pregnancy risks.

In addition, drinking a large amount may cause neural tube birth defect in babies.

Moderate consumption should be okay. But one should consider avoiding it altogether during early pregnancy.

Green Tea When Pregnant

Tea is known as a "negative calories" beverage. Not only does it contain virtually no calories, it also block the absorption of certain nutrients.

One key concern is iron mal absorption. A 2001 study reports that green tea extract reduces the absorption of non-heme iron by 25%.

Amazingly, another 2005 study found that long-term drinkers develop protective mechanism by having heavier parotic glands. The protein rich saliva neutralises the harmful effect of tea tannin.

Tea, Iron Absorption and Anemia

This is a hard one to call. There is mixed evidence.

A 2005 study found that green tea reduces the level of estrogens in the body.

It is not clear if this aggravates hot flashes. If hot flashes is a concern to you, please exercise caution with any tea beverage.

However, a 2003 study suggests that green tea, when taken with other herbs, may alleviate post menopausal symptoms.

Tea and Hot Flashes

If you have young kids, it is advisable for them not to drink tea.

This is because tea contains caffeine that may over-stimulate. It also contains tannins that may block nutrients absorption such as protein and fats in children.

Can Children Drink Tea Safely?

For older children, it is advisable for them to avoid energy drinks such as Enviga.

According to my friend Dr. Shen, energy drinks contain chemicals such as phosphoric acid, Ace-k and potassium benzoate. They are especially bad for kids, and even adults.

Potential side effects include weak bones, bad teeth, cancers and allergies.

Green Tea Energy Drinks Dangers!

Okay, I am stretching it a bit here ...

Tea reduces the absorption of thiamine (Vitamin B).

Thiamine deficiency leads to a condition known as beriberi. Once common to sailors, beriberi is now relatively rare in the Western world except for in alcoholics.

This is a real risk.

Some people prefer consuming green tea tablets rather than brewing hot tea. That is fine. But it is dangerous to overdose.

How many tablets can you safely consume? There is no clear cut answer, but some guidelines do exist.

Supplement Side Effects

Drinking too much tea can be dangerous. Especially if the tea is low quality.

A 2005 study raised concerns about instant iced tea.

A middle aged woman was diagnosed with skeletal fluorosis for drinking up to 2 gallons of iced tea daily. Why? Because her green tea contained too much fluoride.

Fluoride in Green Tea - Danger in Lipton Instant Iced Tea!

Want to know which food and beverage may contain too much fluoride? The USDA database, which contains the fluoride content of more than 400 food and beverages, may be just what you need.

Tea and Fluoride - What Does USDA Say?

This is a hard one to call.

Kidney stones are mineral deposits made up of calcium, uric acid or the amino acid cysteine. At least 3 quarters of kidney stones are composed of calcium combined with phosphate or oxalic acid. Green tea is a concern because it is rich in oxalic acid.

However, contrary to expectations, recent studies suggest that green tea inhibits urinary stone formation and  prevents kidney stones...

Tea and Kidney Stones

This is another contradicting one ...

Drinking green tea may prevent allergy. But it also contains caffeine and tannin that may cause allergy.

Tea and Allergy

There are many kinds of Chinese slimming and weight loss teas. While green tea is considered safe for long term consumption, slimming and weight loss teas that contain stimulant laxative herbs such as senna leaf and rhubarb root are especially dangerous when consumed in large quantity.

The FDA is on red alert. There have been 4 case reports of young women who died, of which herbal diet tea may be a contributing factor.

Herbal Laxative Tea - Diet Slimming and Constipation Relief?

For an in depth review of tea weight loss properties, visit Weight Loss Tea - How To Be A Successful Loser.

Drinking tea or coffee stains or discolors the dental plaque, but not the teeth itself.

If the plaque is not completely brushed and flossed away within 24 hours, it begins to harden and becomes what is commonly known as tartar. This tartar is porous and further absorbs stains from other food products.

When a dentist clean your teeth, they remove the tartar and plaque. When the tartar and plaque go away, so do the teeth stains.

Want to find out what's the best ways to prevent teeth stains? Read Tea Staining and Teeth - 5 Whitening and Removal Tips.

The healthiest way to enjoy tea is to brew and drink the liquor. When you drink tea, you are protecting yourself from harmful insoluble solids that may be present in the leaves (such as synthetic pesticide DDT).

Matcha green tea sellers claim that when you consume tea powder, you are maximising its health benefits. This is garbage. Drinking green tea is the safest and most proven way of ingesting green tea antioxidants.

This is perhaps the most important side effect of which to be aware.

Green tea, like any other tea beverages, can interfere and interact with certain medications. It is wise to avoid drinking any tea beverages 2 hours after taking medications.

Tea and Medical Interaction

Green tea contains caffeine. Caffeine can increase heart rate and blood pressure, although people who consume caffeine regularly don't seem to experience these effects in the long-term.

Caffeine can also increase blood sugar levels. Diabetes patients should drink it cautiously.

The same applies to those with psychological disorders, especially anxiety or panic disorders, and overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism.

Take care if you have severe liver disease, as the level of caffeine in the blood may build up and last longer.

Finally, if you have any other health concerns, play it safe. Consult with your health adviser before drinking green tea.

Medline Plus: Green Tea (Camellia sinensis). http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/print/druginfo/natural/patient-green_tea.html.

Drinking Too Much Tea

Take any healthy food excessively, it is likely to turn into a poison.

Potential Serious Side Effects

There are few case reports documenting serious side effects of tea. Here are worse case scenarios for the truly cautious.

Oolong Tea Side Effects

Like any other tea beverages. They key is to avoid the low quality teas.

7 Things To Avoid When Drinking Tea

What Chinese Medicine says about the art of tea drinking.

Browse Forums

Have Your Say

What Other Tea Lovers Say

Posting A Tip or Story to the Forum is Easy...

Do you have some tea drinking tips? Please DO tell!

Others who read this site will greatly appreciate it, too!

Submitting a tip or story is easy! Just fill out the form below and hit the submit button.

Thank you in advance for sharing!

Your Story or Tip Title

What's It About? [ ? ]

Close Help Entering your story is easy to do. Just type!... Your story will appear on a Web page exactly the way you enter it here. You can wrap a word in square brackets to make it appear bold. For example [my story] would show as my story on the Web page containing your story. TIP: Since most people scan Web pages, include your best thoughts in your first paragraph.

Upload A Picture (optional) [ ? ]

Close Help Do you have a picture to add? Great! Click the button and find it on your computer. Then select it.

Add Picture Caption (optional) 

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Your Name	(first or full name)
Your Location	(ex. City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

Check box to agree to these submission guidelines.

(You can preview and edit on the next page)

What Other Tea Lovers Say

Click on the links below.

Green Tea for Kids 
Is green tea ok for kids to drink as a refreshment instead of pop or gatorade?

Answer:

Occasional sips are okay, not I don't really recommend giving ...

Green Tea and Thyroid Medications 
What are some of the things you look for if you are taking a thyroid medication and drink green tea?

Answer:

I am not a medical expert so I can'...

Green Tea and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) 
Hope you do not mind me asking but I was wondering if you have any info regarding drinking your green tea and Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

I have ...

Green Tea Increase Sugar Level? 
Can drinking green tea increase sugar level? I drink Celestial Seasonings Authentic green tea ...My sugar levels seem to spike up at night.

After ...

Safe To Eat Tea Leaves from Tea Bag? 
I don't care for tea (of any kind) but want the benefits of green tea. I have been dumping my organic tea bags into smoothies, salads and cereal. There ...

Hot Tea and Cancer 
March 27 2009 - You may want to wait four minutes before sipping your next cup of tea.

Drinking tea that is very hot can raise the risk of cancer of ...

Green Tea Color My Tongue? Help! 
I consume large amount of green tea and my tongue looks green. What is this?

Answer:

Hey, personally I think this is unusual. I think you need ...

Green Tea Fat Burner and Heart Palpitations 
I took the Green Tea Fat Burner for one week. This supplement contained 50% EGCG per capsule.

I took two capsules per day. On day seven, I experienced ...

Green Tea Cause Skin Itch and Loss of Bladder Control 
I have recently started taking green tea as a weight reduction measure. And maybe it is a coincidence but I have developed this itching all over my body....

Green Tea Allergy - Hives/Welts, Itching and Burning 
My mother started 3 days ago with her whole body covered in hives/welts/itching/burning/swelling. The only thing different is she started drinking hot ...

Tea for Anemics - Can Citrus Fruits Help?  Not rated yet
Since the harmful effects of tannin on anemics are being uncovered, is it still possible for anemics to try to brew their tea with oranges or citrus rich ...

Green Tea, Stomach Pain and Sleeplessness  Not rated yet
I started taking green tea a lot lately and notice I have constant stomach pain and sleepless night.

Now it all makes sense. Thank you for the explanations....

Green Tea and Arthritis - Cause Swollen Feet?  Not rated yet
I bought a bag of bulk green tea from ebay. I took about 1.4 grams a day for an arthritic knee after an old work injury.

After 4 days, my feet were ...

Green Tea Cause Gout and Head Aches?  Not rated yet
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 ...

Jasmine Scented Tea and Breastfeeding  Not rated yet
I would like to give a gift of Jasmine flower tea to my daughter to celebrate the birth of her daughter, Jasmine， but am concerned about the possible ...

Green Tea and Heart Rate  Not rated yet
My husband had two valves replaced and was advised not to drink green tea, due to an increase in heart rate.

Is this true?

Thanks.

Answer:

Hey,...

Green Tea and Nasal Congestion  Not rated yet
I drink a couple of glasses of green tea every evening. By the time I go to bed my nose is stuffed tight. I began to wonder if the tea was causing it. I ...

Green Tea Cause Aching?  Not rated yet
I started aching all over and the only thing I have been doing different was I just started drinking green tea. When I quit it went away. I was drinking ...

Green Tea For Breastfeeding and Nursing Mother  Not rated yet
Hello my weight is 91 kg height is 5.2. Also I am a nursing mother so can I use green tea?

Answer:

Tamma, green tea is not recommended for nursing/...

Tea Substitute for Allergy Sufferers?  Not rated yet
I used to drink tea, but due to allergic reaction , I stopped. Is there any good tea substitute to drink?

Answer:

Chink, it really depends on ...

Iron-Free Green Tea - Do They Exist? (Thalasemia Trait Minor)  Not rated yet
I have a blood desease called Thalasemia Trait(minor) and I am not supposed to take any product that contains iron.

So, is there a green tea product ...

Black Tea Irritate My Heart and Ears...  Not rated yet
Black teas seems to irritate my heart and ears. Is this because I am brewing the teas 20 to 30 minutes long and sometimes longer? Is this good or bad ...

Green Tea Cause Back Pain?  Not rated yet
I'm a 37 year old woman and have been drinking green tea for two weeks now. It definately gives me lots of energy and people have commented about my beautiful ...

Green Tea and Breast Cancer - Cause or Cure?  Not rated yet
A friend of mine was watching the TV Show "Extra" (9/18) and they had a "green tea alert" saying that drinking green tea stimulated breast cancer. Can ...

Tea after Meal - Ideal Minimum Time Gap  Not rated yet
How long should one wait after having meals to take tea? What should be the ideal minimum gap as I feel like having tea shortly after meals?

Answer:...

Green Tea and Drug Testing - EGCG and Morphine  Not rated yet
I will be doing a drug screening test today to be a substitute teacher for one of our local schools. I take 300 milligrams of green tea extract a day for ...

Green Tea and Breastfeeding  Not rated yet
Are there any contraindications with drinking green tea and breastfeeding?

Answer;

Isabelle, the only concern is that green tea contains caffeine....

Tea and Allergy - Cause Sore Tongue?  Not rated yet
I bought this wonderful loose leaf tea from our brand new store in our new mall It was great! After drinking three 16 oz. mugs of this tea, my tongue ...

Green Tea and Drug Test for Pot - Make You Fail?  Not rated yet
Julian, we are just wondering if drinking green tea can make you fail a drug test for pot. We were talking about it in class yesterday.

Answer:

Jason,...

Green Tea And Hair Loss - Cause Or Cure Baldness?  Not rated yet
Does green tea cause or cure baldness? Does it make you lose hair and make you bald?

Answer:

Hey, studies regarding green tea and hair loss is ...

Tea And White Hair - Does Tea Turn You Gray?  Not rated yet
I want to know whether drinking tea can cause white hair. Some elder people are telling if you drink tea regularly you will get more white hairs. Is this ...

Too Much Green Tea  Not rated yet
I drink 2 litres of bottled green tea daily. Is that too much?

Answer:

2 litres of tea is roughly equal to 8 to 10 normal size cups a day. This ...

Back to Top of Green Tea Side Effects

Back to Amazing Green Tea Home

---

In the tea world, you can never know too much. Every month, I put pen to paper a letter to my tea friends worldwide. Amazing Green Tea Newsletter is dedicated to solving problems every tea drinker faces. Email Address Name(Optional) Then Learn More

---