Oolong Tea Side Effects
Can It Harm You?

Like any other tea beverages, oolong tea does have some side effects such as caffeine intolerance and stomach upset.

Oolong tea is a hybrid between black tea and green tea, its chemical composition is between the two. So its health benefits and side effects are very similar to either green tea or black tea.

We will go through the main side effects below.

Caffeine Intolerance

You could be caffeine intolerant if you are experiencing any of the symptoms below:

  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Sleeping problems
  • Tremor
  • Heart palpitations
  • Loss of appetite
  • Upset stomach
  • Nausea
  • Frequent urination
  • Skin rash.

Fortunately, when it comes to caffeine, oolong tea occupies a sweet spot between green tea and black tea. If you are drinking a quality oolong tea, you can reduce your caffeine intake by throwing away the first infusion. This is explained in the article below:

Oolong Tea Caffeine - The Best of Both Worlds?

Stomach Upset

Caffeine and tannin can cause stomach upset by stimulating the production of gastric acid.

Tea can be a problem for those prone to heartburn and stomach ulcer. Heartburn results when gastric acids rise up and spill into the oesophagus, causing irritation.

Thiamine Deficiency

Tea reduces the absorption of thiamine, or vitamin B.

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

Tea Allergy

Tea contains tannin and caffeine that may cause allergy to some people. If you are hypersensitive to caffeine or tannin, avoid drinking tea.

Medical Interaction

Tea can interfere and interact with certain medications. As a safety precaution, avoid drinking tea for at least 2 hours after taking medications.

Avoid Low Quality

There is not such thing as a diet oolong tea. All oolong teas help to lose weight, scientists have not found any "weight loss" variety.

The main thing is to drink a small amount of quality tea a few times daily or weekly.

A quality oolong tea is grown in high altitude away from any possible contaminations. It smells wonderfully floral and can be infused or steeped 3 to 5 times.

This article discusses the different varieties of oolong tea that exist and how to decide which to buy.

Loose Oolong Tea Varieties - The Four Great Schools

Further Reading

The following article contains a full discussion of the side effects that can arise from drinking green tea. If you are experiencing other side effects other than those mentioned above, please click to have a look!

Green Tea Side Effects and Disadvantages To be Aware Of!

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