A Harvard-trained gastroenterologist has urged people to look over their tea drinking habits, as it could have damaging effects on your gut and liver.
Brits are known for loving their tea, as we consume over 100 million cups of tea daily, which adds up to approximately 36 billion cups annually.
According to the UK Tea & Infusions Association (UKTIA), 84% of the UK population drinks tea every day. But have you ever thought about how this affects your body?
Harvard trained gastroenterologist Dr Saurabh Sethi has now taken to his Instagram account to urge his 1.3 million followers to look over their tea drinking habits, to make sure it’s not damaging their health.
“I’m a board certified gastroenterologist and here are [the] seven worst tea habits wrecking your gut + liver,” he wrote at the start of the post.
1. Drinking tea on empty stomach
For his first point, Dr Sethi urged people not to have a cup of tea on an empty stomach, but to make sure to eat something before or while enjoying your cuppa.
He went on to explain that drinking tea on an empty stomach will irritate the stomach lining due to its acidity and compounds like caffeine and tannins
This can later lead to acid reflux, nausea, and general discomfort. It can also cause dehydration because tea is a diuretic and may interfere with iron absorption, particularly for those with anemia.
2. Sweetened teas
Next up, Dr Sethi went on to urge people to limit the amount of iced teas or milk teas they drink, due to the high sugar contents.
He told his followers: “Iced teas or milk teas can pack 30 – 40 grams of sugar.”
This means that drinking these kinds of sugary teas on a regular basis can increase the risk of someone getting conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or diabetes.
3. ‘Detox’ or Slimming teas
For his third point, Dr Sethi revealed that detox teas, or ‘slimming’ teas might not be as good as they are advertised. While they might work for you, the doctor went on to reveal that the ‘slimming’ ingredient in these teas usually is some sort of laxatives.
Drinking these tea ‘laxatives’ too often can lead to overall dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, as well as gut damage.
Because of this, it’s important to never drink more than is adviced, and you should also look up the NHS’ guidelines on laxatives in order to prevent any lasting damages in your body.
4. Overdoing green tea extracts
While drinking green tea is generally known to be a better and healthier alternative compared to your normal black tea, it’s also important not to overdo it.
If you don’t like the taste of green tea, then green tea supplements have become a popular way to still get the benefits of the green tea, such as the antioxidants and polyphenols, without having to drink it.
However, Dr Sethi went on to warn people not to rely on these supplements too much, as they have been linked to a rare, ‘but real’ liver toxicity.
5. Drinking too hot tea
While most of us will pour the boiling water directly from the kettle onto the teabag in our cup, Dr Sethi has urged tea drinkers to wait to drink it until the water has gotten below 65C.
He went on to explain that drinking tea that’s warmer than 65C on a regular basis has been proven to increase the risk of esophageal cancer.
A Chinese study that was published in 2020 showed that regularly drinking tea that was warmer than 65C was significantly linked to Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer that starts in the thin, flat squamous cells lining the esophagus, the tube that connects the throat and stomach
6. Drinking caffinated teas late at night
While different types of tea contains significantly less amounts of caffeine compared to coffee, it’s still important to acknowledge that it’s there.
Because of this, Dr Sethi urged tea drinkers to avoid drinking chai and green teas late at night. He went on to explain that caffeine lingers in our bodies, which can lead to our sleep getting disrupted.
This can later lead to your body not being able to repair itself as well during the night, such as your liver or gut.
7. Drinking too much boba or bubble teas
Finally, Dr Sethi went on to urge people to limit the amount of boba teas or bubble teas they drink due to the amount of sugar and ‘hidden calories’ that they contain.
He went on to explain that the amount of sugar in these drinks, mixed with the starchy boba pearls, which are made from tapioca, lead to hidden calories that you might not be aware that you’re drinking.
This later can lead to insulin resistance and non-alcholoic fatty liver disease. To prevent this, it’s important to look over your life and making sure you’re living an overall healthy lifestyle and eating a healthy diet.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
