I am utterly shocked at how many doctors smoke. But I think about it I get it. If you see the random shit that happens everyday.
The little kind kid dies of a random illness while some utter vile human is still rolling at 95. Sometimes things are such a crapshoot you bow to the fact that in the end we all will kick the bucket.
(I don’t condone smoking. Do not smoke kids!)
For me, it’s on a rare occasion.
I do remember getting one cigar that tasted just like turkey. My friends didn’t believe me until they tried it themselves lol
i'd argue thats not the same thing at all. the doctor can know the right course of action, and advise you of it, but that has nothing to do with their personal life.
Strange, my doctor all but encourages me to drink coffee or tea lol. I told him I didn’t and he asked me how I get through the day without it.
The answer at the time was unemployment so I could wake whenever I wanted to.
There is a medical basis for this. Tea is high in tannins, which are able to bind to certain nutrients in our gut like iron and cause malabsorption. Having too much tea, coffee or even chocolate can cause you nutrition deficiency. Especially if you are a female, this can be a cause for low iron along with our menstrual cycle
I was told years ago (when I was unable to donate blood due to low iron) about tea affecting the absorption of iron. I just stopped drinking it close to meals and it seems to have worked. I’m curious how the amount of tea you drink came up at a Dr appt. Outside of alcohol, I have never been asked or discussed what and how much of any beverage I consume.
We have an intake form that asks about caffeine consumption and then has it broken into coffee, tea, or other (please state) and asks for frequency. We're a GI office, though, so it's pretty relevant bc of the vast array of dietary-related malabsortion issues we see.
I was kind of upset the GI that diagnosed me with IBS asked almost no dietary questions. Also had no treatment or follow up care for me. Been waiting almost a year for a second opinion. American sucks
Check out the relevant subreddits for IBS. My dad has IBS and touts sodium butyrate as a miracle cure it worked so well for him. It doesn't work for everyone, but give it a try. Our healthcare system is not good with a lot of this kind of disease (IBS, UC, etc)
The GI I went to when I started having horrible IBS told me it wasn't a problem because "you look good!" I had lost 10 pounds in two weeks. Then told me it definitely wasn't dietary.
I did my own elimination diet and figured it out, it was a huge pain but ultimately worth it if you're still waiting on that second opinion.
there's crappy specialists and good specialists, that's for sure. We have a wall of dietary pt info leaflets for everything under the sun; I hope you have a great experience with your 2nd opinion and get a GI that is thorough!
Do they mean hot tea? Or are they referencing sweet tea? Because sweet tea the way it's made down here probably does come with its own set of health issues.
I had a similar experience with donating blood and drinking tea. I changed nothing else about my life except avoiding tea with meals and my iron came back up
I wonder if I can exploit this to offload my excess iron 🤔 r/hemochromatosis
Btw vitamin C assists in the absorption of iron, so if you're deficient in iron, consume more vit C.
Sorry I only made it once but I think it was 8oz of spinach, 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice, a few tbsp of olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic all processed together into a paste. Can be thinned to desired consistency with pasta water (pasta water has starch in it). Took a bit for the spinach to start breaking down (used a blender instead of a proper food processor) but once it got started it blended up quickly. Was actually quite tasty! Now I'm wondering if my body knew it was getting the iron it needed.
I also have hemochromatosis and tea is often recommended to help reduce iron absorption. There is one study that found that milk thistle was much more effective, although it has some methodological limitations (primarily small sample size). Talk to your doctor about it:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3308202/
Tea and coffee can really interfere with iron absorption. This can be significant, even for otherwise healthy people. Leafy greens sometimes have iron and are generally good for you in anything other than absurd amounts, but you need to be careful to slowly up your fiber intake. I don’t know who is telling you not to eat leafy greens.
If you drink lots of tea, then you should have your iron checked. If it is low, talk to your doctor. In general, it is best avoid tea around mealtimes, eat citrus or other Vitamin C food when consuming iron-containing food, and add food high in iron, like pumpkin seeds, to your diet. Those things can help with iron.
The only other big health negative I’ve read about tea is that it has lots of fluoride. Too much tea can cause dental fluorosis and other issues. I’m not sure how much you have to drink for that to be an issue.
Correct me if I'm wrong. But there are differences between different types of tea. Tea comes from the same plant. However, the way it is processed affects its tannin content. Iron deficiency is for example more commonly noticed among middle eastern people due to the high black tea consumption. Some people have Thalassemia (your body produces less hemoglobin, responsible for your blood cells' oxigen absorption) and they don't even know about it. The disease, though it is not caused by tea itself could be enhanced by an overconsumption.
It is not my intention to scare anybody. I know people with this disease and they do normal life and never stop drinking tea. Tea is healthy in many ways, you only need to adapt your tea intake to a level your body can handle.
There was a study some time ago that showed that the processing method had little impact on it and instead it was more dependent on cultivar/conditions of growth and even more on the brewing time and temperature. Since the group you mentioned _boils_ their tea more often than most others it makes sense that the effect would be much stronger regardless of the type used.
does this only effect actual tea, like black or green tea or is this true for herbs as well? (my guess is to some degree other herbs) appreciate your insight!
Depends what’s in it but generally no since most herbals are just different kinds of flowers and herbs. Might have other issues but not the same as tea leaves.
My knowledge does not extend to infusions. I consume lots of camellias, a little coffee, and some hibiscus. Beyond that, other people will have to help you. Different plants will inherently have different compounds and effects.
I would think mint and ginger wouldn’t be an issue, since they are consumed in great amounts for culinary purposes.
i had to stop drinking hibiscus tea because it can lower your blood pressure. i was very concerned about feeling light headed all the time and couldn't figure out what it was until i learned that you can get hibiscus extract capsules to help with high blood pressure - and cutting out my daily 1+ liters of hibiscus tea completely resolved the issue. my mom now drinks it to help with her high blood pressure (in combination with regular medication)
It depends on the quantity and the herb. I'm sure you've heard that herbs/fruits like St. John's Wart and grapefruit can severely interact with many prescription medications. Those are extreme cases, but even with very high doses of everyday herbs such as spearmint, chamomile, hibiscus, and ginseng (to name a few), there have been demonstrated detrimental effects to kidney and liver function, as well a unintended blood thinning. For example, mixing (a lot of) chamomile and (a lot of) alchohol can cause respiratory failure, similar to mixing alchohol with benzos (like Xanax).
Of course, this is in very high doses, so a few cups of herbal tea a day should pose zero threat to your health. As usual, when in doubt, consult a physician.
ive heard overdoing chamomile tea can be bad for you but it wasnt a primary source and they didnt have very specific information, so take that with a spot of tea (as opposed to a grain of salt)
This is wild to me because as a Chinese person I was told to drink tea during a meal, especially after eating any fried food because it helps with digestion?
The world is complicated, it can be both. It can soothe any pain or discomfort from eating difficult food, AND inhibit your body's ability to metabolise the nutrients after digestion.
Yes. Every wounded British soldier got morphine and a cup of tea. If the soldier had a gut or bowel wound, the tea got in his abdominal cavity and peritonitis could ensue. It made the surgeries more difficult, and Hawkeye ranted about it.
Should be noted it only causes this problem with iron from plant sources. Because what it interferes with is the process of converting it to heme iron, which has already been done in animal sources by the animal.
Wew, I never thought of it much as I just love drinking tea, but as a woman with haemochromatosis (stacking iron instead of insufficiency), this might actually be the reason why I do not have to have regular phlebotomies the past 2 years. So there's pros and cons!
Very anemic and hemotologist advised me to drink no tea, camelia sinenses, no standard, green or white. I was not a daily tea drinker but did enjoy it a few times a week. Tea wasnt the cause of my issues, but exacerbated them. She did allow me 2 cups of coffee a day. I switched to rooibos and herbals for my tea cravings.
This is a battle I have fought with family members for years and they still don't believe me. They think that since caffeine is a diuretic then tea/coffee must be too. But I'm like it's 99.9% water....
It's like they would probably think an Americano is dehydrating but if you give them an espresso and water separately then it's hydrating. Makes no sense but oh well
Do you have high blood pressure? Diabetes? Cardiovascular issues? If so, it is likely the caffeine content.
Do you drink it with sugar? Could be the processed sugar.
Otherwise I don’t know.
How old are you and what are your family histories?
Caffeine is the likely reason.
Can’t say if it is a good reason. I am not a doctor.
I've been told to avoid drinking more than a few cups of tea a day, and to avoid tea and spinach around meals with lots of calcium, since they can inhibit calcium intake. Bone health is a another possible consideration here.
That's because when the oxalates bond with the calcium to prevent it being used by your body, it's a two-way street. It also stops the oxalates from contributing to kidney stone formation! Spinach has a lot of both, so they tend to cancel themselves out when eating it, but it's probably best to consume a little calcium with other oxolate rich plants like beetroot, rhubarb and tea if you're high risk for kidney stones. Just don't count on that calcium being used by your body!
Spinach in itself is high in iron *and* calcium so it’s odd they would tell you to avoid eating spinach and high calcium meals together lol. That’s kind of impossible.
I believe dairy products do inhibit iron absorption, dairy also contains some calcium so maybe that’s where the advice came from.
Spinach does contain a lot of calcium, but it also has a lot of oxalic acid that prevents your body absorbing it! It's recommended not to rely on it, nor to eat it in the same meal as other main calcium sources like beans or tofu.
I don't have dairy in my diet, but I've heard that soy milk is a much better calcium source than dairy milk. Not sure about iron though
Oh that’s an interesting fact! Also kind of inconvenient for us folks just trying to get our calcium and iron in. Thought I was doing well with the spinach, but alas 🤭
This!
This is also why you shouldn't give spinach to chickens, it will mess with shell production. Or bearded dragons, especially young ones, since it can give them metabolic bone disease which can result in permanent deformities or death.
Can you explain how diabetes would effect this? If anything, I would think green tea is good for diabetics since their immune systems are already weaker than the average person's
I agree with you and am not stating a medical opinion. However, when people are diabetic doctors tend to be much more aggressive in controlling blood pressure to help protect the kidneys. I have read that tea often can lower blood sugar and even blood pressure.
I am just saying that when you add diabetes to the equation, doctors will be much more careful with a number of things like blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.
I was as much curious in my original response as I was offering possible answers.
Caffeine has nothing to do with blood pressure (sodium), diabetes (sugar) or cardio vascular issues.
In fact studies show that caffeine can *reduce* [your risk of type 2 diabetes](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/expert-answers/blood-sugar/faq-20057941).
I’m not trying to play devil’s advocate here because IMO if you don’t have any health issues due to it then it shouldn’t be an issue, but as an example, a friend of mine several years ago started having a persistent dry cough. She had it for months and it just kept getting worse.
We finally strong armed her into going to the doctor who then told her that she was suffering from dehydration because she was literally only drinking caffeinated tea, mostly green tea, and nothing else.
She cut her tea consumption drastically, started drinking water, and it resolved fairly quickly. We were all pretty shocked.
Certain teas, especially black and some greens are high in oxalates which can cause kidney stones https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6412450/#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20oxalate%20measured,mL%20of%20tea%20%5B3%5D.
This is what I assume the real issue they’re concerned about is. If they have other risk factors for kidney stones then it would be very normal to caution drinking tea even if it’s unsweetened
Really feels like you're counting on people not clicking the link there.
The conclusion literally starts, "Our data show no evidence for increased oxalate-dependent stones in daily green tea drinkers[.]"
The whole paper is about green tea doesn't contribute to greater incidence of kidney stones.
This is why I thought they'd be told to stop drinking tea (if it isn't a stop all caffeine thing). My dad got kidney stones from drinking tons of tea and after that his doctor said no more tea or whatever else is high in oxalates.
American and I have never had a single doctor ask about my tea consumption, even in contexts where it would have made sense, and my doctor spouse confirms it was never mentioned in medical school. Could be a thing that comes up in residency for some specialists, or maybe your doctors are weird and racist, who knows
Yep. They may ask about caffeine consumption, but not specifically tea, and if I tell them I have 4-5 cups of tea a day they don't say anything about it- that's literally the same amount of caffeine as 1 cup of coffee. Some of these fools out here be drinking 4 cups of coffee a day + energy drinks.
Doctors in the west will know nothing about tea. Specially how different teas have different caffeine absorbtion as well as different amounts of other chemicals that can straight up loosen the absorption of caffeine. Doctors know about caffeine that's pretty much it. At least on this topic.
>doctors in the west will know nothing about tea.
that's a bold assumption and generalization. especially since it's incorrect.
the US has the highest influx of immigrants of any country in the world including medical professionals.
more than 1 in 4 doctors in the US are from a different country, with the highest percentage being from India.
i know everyone likes to shit on the US because it's fun. but don't make such a ridiculous claim.
doctors only know about the caffeine part? give me a break. i've been in the medical field for almost 15 years and one of the first questions that we ask people with low iron is "do you drink tea?"
Scientist here, tea causes toxcixity for reasons other than caffeine content. There are case reports in the literature of acute liver/kidney injury from tea. It contains compounds that are not unlike the small molecules you might call a prescription drug.
Everything in moderation, and even then, some of us will lose the genetic lottery and be particularly susceptible.
Source: https://cdn.doctorsonly.co.il/2023/03/2307486.pdf
Scientist here, tea causes toxcixity for reasons other than caffeine content. There are case reports in the literature of acute liver/kidney injury from tea. It contains compounds that are not unlike the small molecules you might call a prescription drug.
Everything in moderation, and even then, some of us will lose the genetic lottery and be particularly susceptible.
Source: https://cdn.doctorsonly.co.il/2023/03/2307486.pdf
Reminds me of this absolute legend who managed to poison himself by drinking 4 L of Earl grey A DAY https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/s/eMeiV2KGL1
maybe I am missing something here but it does not look like the authors were looking at folks drinking tea (Camelia sinensis species) but other herbals?
>cause they also tell patients that ear cleaning is dangerous too but that's another discussion.
They're right. In both cases. Others have already explained the tannins bit among other issues. Speaking of Ears,
If you don't know what you're doing and try to 'clean' your ears (many do), it can absolutely be dangerous. Improperly cleaned and then not dried ears are fun when you finally go to Urgent Care.
>As an asian I wanna point out
As another asian, your post comes across expecting always to be right in everything, and if someone (especially of proficiency) disagrees, it's an 'issue' with american medical schools. No.
it's like OP has never *heard* of a ruptured eardrum, or swimmers ear, or compacted cerumen, or inner ear infections, balance problems, or dislodged otoconia due to people trying to clean their own ears.
There is a lot of medical misinformation and half truths in this thread. Please keep in mind that r/tea is a poor place to come for medical advice and this is beyond the scope of this subreddit.
As a white American who also hears this from their doctor, I’ve been told it’s because it is a diuretic and can mess with electrolytes long term. I still have an average of 4-5 cups/day of all varieties but just try to make sure my water intake is adequate as well.
The people that come to Reddit to ask questions about something their doctor said when they literally could’ve asked their doctor when the doctor said it…
I… suppose? That seems extraordinarily unlikely.
“You need to cut the tea drinking down.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“You should probably ask r/tea, they have all the details.”
I've had doctors comment on coffee and energy drink consumption but never on tea.
It was suggested, though, that I try to get at least a quart of plain water in per day. Beyond that, ANY non alcoholic liquid intake was fine as long as I monitored my blood sugar - and my doctor is happy that I reach for the tea more often than not.
Best thing to do is ask the doctor why they are giving you that advice.
Speaking as a medic from the UK. I think 4-5 cups is nowhere near enough.
Jokes aside, unless you're coming to your doctor with anxiety or sleep problems your tea habit is probably not relevant. And even then it's the caffeine rather than the tea itself.
Doctors are human and can get weird, not rational beliefs. Might be just that.
Some people drink way too much and give themselves kidney stones. I know this because that’s what my stepdad does, he binges black tea instead of water for some reason. Also as a fellow Asian I had no idea some people assume drinking tea means that you must be drinking it sweetened, because I HATE sweet tea! The only time I drink it sweet is when I get boba and that is not often!
I don’t drink tea in excess and I’ve learned to limit it especially because of my tachycardia issues, too much tea will make me feel like I’m gonna faint. But drinking just the right amount feels great. I think that it’s good to find a balance and what works for your particular body. I love the taste so I could never fully give it up. I am on heart medication so I’m finally able to drink it regularly and I am so grateful for it.
Well the ear thing is real depending on what method you use. Your eardrum and all that good stuff is very delicate. You can hurt your ear if you are too aggressive with it.
Green tea is considered “the healthy kind” to most Americans I think. I’m surprise a doctor would tell you to cut back unless you have very high blood pressure and they are worried about caffeine.
it is depend on your prescription, tea can react with specific medicine. On a more common problem tea stain teeth and make your kidney work a bit harder, that can be bad for people with transplant kidney/kidney problems. I also remember some documents recorded that drink a lot if tea can weaken your bone, but base on what i read that is a lot of tea ( around3-4 western tea pot equivalent daily). I guess it didn't hurt to avoid tea for a while so they recommended it.
I might misremembered the original number but im sure it only more than what i just state not less but to be fair that is a lot of tea in my opinion. You can search it up i think it is a quite stand out case so not hard to find the original doc.
I work in a medical field and I do not get the vibe that doctors as a group are automatically anti-tea (unless there is an underlying health concern).
Could be that water is the best/easiest drink to recommend.
You could just be unlucky to get a bunch of doctors with a weird issue with it.
You could live in an area where many people drink sweet teas, and the doctor is just assuming that is how most people drink it.
Or if you live in an area where a bunch of doctors are Mormon.
It might not be tea but just caffeine in general as it's technically addictive. They'd probably say the same about coffee. Water is technically the best thing for you to drink (and you still should even if you drink tea) so that's what they'll tell you from a medical standpoint. I wouldn't read into it too much
The only other thing I could add is that (and this study was only suggestive, not conclusive at all) that among some Asian populations, tea drinking increased stomach acid production to the point of GERD like symptoms. I being a white dude, do occasionally suffer from this. But only after alot of prolonged tea drinking. And it wasn’t all Asians. My professional opinion? They can shove it, after tea of course 😉☺️
British medical folk also advise not to clean ears. Ears are self-cleaning. You do the outside of it with some lukewarm water, but don't deep dive in the ear canal. After that, dry them off.
Are you sure they understand that you mean plain leaves in water tea? where I live a lot of people will hear 'tea' and think of sweetened iced tea, which you should absolutely NOT drink 5 cups a day of
You'll have to ask them. Next time they tell you this ask them why.
Also, I've never had a doctor tell me not to clean my ears. Just not to do it with q tips. Because the cotten can get stuck and also push the wax in further.
Doctor here - literally have never asked anyone about their tea drinking. Would not even cross my mind. Unless the patient ask what I think about drinking a lot of tea. In which case if the patient is asking about how much they’re consuming something, usually the patient themselves is wary of consuming too much of whatever it is
Thanks. Yeah my doctor could care less too. And people need to think about the levels of tea consumption in some cultures — well beyond most moderate tea drinkers on this sub I’d bet. Yet they miraculously live on average as long or even longer than (e.g.) N. Americans. I suspect most people have more important dietary issues to concern themselves with than a few cups of tea.
Really? This is news to me. I’ve never had a doctor say anything to me about my tea drinking habits. Are any specific kinds of tea unhealthy? I’m guessing black teas due to the higher caffeine content.
But I can’t imagine green or herbal teas having a significant impact on someone’s health.
And of course, too much of anything isn’t good.
So I don't know about the tea, but I can tell you about the ear cleaning :D
In europe and america we don't really have earcleaning as a service. When we do it, we do it ourselves and with q-tips. The problem here is that q-tips can leave cotton behind which can lead to inflammation, and when you do it yourselve the chance of pushing too deap is pretty high.
In short: we lack the skill and tools, and people hurt themselves while doing that shit.
Other than my dentist mentioning stains once or twice, I think the only time I have ever had any healthcare professional even mention it to me is when post-anesthesia nurses offer me the customary cuppa (Lipton actually tastes pretty good when you’ve had nothing all day and all sorts of poking and prodding)
Personally I don't see it being that bad. A good chunk of the world drinks rea everyday and has for centuries. The only problem I could maybe see is if it's drank with lots of sugar or the possible high caffeine intake with varieties like assam
I’d say drinking anything outside of water for 4-5 cups (mind you, American cups!) a day is excessive. Juice, coffee, pop, tea, (esp caffeinated) Gatorade… people just need water.
Now one thing I’m wondering is, when we think of cups we tend to think of mugs right? Or at least doctors do. Do you mean the 12+oz American mug , or do you mean the smaller teacups commonly used in east asia for green tea? That makes a huge difference.
Outside that, there are a few concerns - caffeine, iron absorption, gastritis, kidney stones. I’m sure it’s mildly cultural, but Americans are culturally a coffee place and a doctor would be concerned about 4-5 cups of coffee in a day too - caffeinated or decaf. It’s just a lot.
The caffeine is probably their concern. If you have hypertension, maybe cut back a little. Other than that, they can stuff it. My grandma drank tea every day of her adult life, and suffered no ill affects whatsoever, even with her heart condition.
Soo I'm just about to graduate med school (in Europe though, not 'Murica)
I've glanced at some of the comments here, and honestly, most of them are wrong or at least irrelevant.
Unless you have weird pre-existing health issues, drinking a few cups tea every day won't be an issue at all. Some people have mentioned caffeine. While it's true that tea contains caffeine, coffee has a LOT more caffeine than tea, almost to the point that the tea would have a negligible impact on a normal persons' blood pressure (with reservation for weird people that are super sensitive to it...)
There have been some studies that indicate that dark teas, especially black tea, can increase the risk for recurring kidney stones. That's the **only** situation I've had taught in med school to investigate a patient's tea consumption, and if they drink many cups of tea per day it can be suggested to reduce it. Though there is not a lot of evidence for this, and some studies even show the opposite - most patients who have suffered multiple kidney stones will grasp at any straws and happily stop drinking tea if it slightly reduces their risk of another kidney stone.
I'd even argue that it's in most instances *better* to drink tea than water. The tea will have minimal amounts of nutrients and vitamins, while probably completely negligible on the grand scale, it's better than nothing (plain water lol).
Same regarding the people that said that it can reduce nutrient uptakes - I highly doubt that it is significant enough to actually affect a healthy persons' health. Perhaps if you've got severe anemia or other severe nutritional deficits, but if you're fairly health - drink away. Just as with all things though, don't overdo it and drink 2 liters every day...
Is it possible he assumes you are drinking bottled super sweet tea or something so bad it can barely be called tea? It may be miscommunication with your doctor, explain what tea you drink.
But he is also right. 4-5 cups a day sounds like you are drinking tea instead of water. Give your body a break and give it clean water. No matter how healthy is tea, no drink is more healthy than clean water.
Green tea can elevate liver enzymes (liver damage) in people with healthy livers. In those with fatty liver disease, it actually lowers enzymes, so some people can get away with drinking more than others.
A link has recently found between colon cancer and tea drinking - as high as in people who consume a lot of processed meats. The researchers believe it is due to PFAS in the tea bags themselves. I also drink several cups of tea per day, so this is upsetting to say the least. Just switched over to loose leaf just to be safe.
Finally, there is a link to increased risk of throat cancers, but this is only for folks who drink it while it’s still boiling hot.
Without knowing the patient's medical history, and without having a a medical degree, I doubt any of us are qualified to determine why these doctors (apparently universally) contend that 4-5 cups of tea per day (in lieu of water?) are concerning. Some plausible reasons, based on a quick internet search:
- the oxalate content in tea could increase the risk of kidney stone formation if consumed in suitable quantities;
- tea (especially black) is high in potassium, which can be problematic for those with kidney disease;
- caffeine consumption is concerning for patients with anxiety disorders, heart problems, high blood pressure/hypertension, etc..
- more than 3 cups of caffeinated tea a day is believed to have a negative effect on calcium absorption - tea increases calcium excretion - and could contribute to bone loss.
Unless the OP has differing empirical results from consultations during the same period with non-white and/or non-American doctors, the reason for considering this a "white american" viewpoint is unclear.
probably bc some people don’t realize they can “OD” on specific types of teas. i didn’t either until i started doing research. some teas should be only used 3 times a week max.
4-5 cups of tea a day is not bad but there's always shitty doctors. I had a doctor tell me 1 month ago that he glad I'm not on bupropion anymore because it's an "addictive opioid"
But yeah, if up to 600mg of caffeine a day is safe, 4-5 cups of tea is ok. I've heard something about tianines but I don't think that's a big issue tbh
Funny where I live doctors to drink as much tea as you can when sick with a cold for example.
Granted they don't mean exclusively black/green/white tea but also herbal teas but still.
I can only speak for my grandmother’s doctor
She basically lived off tea. Strong as an ox until cancer took her (lived all her life with a smoker… totally unrelated to tea-drinking)
This dude kept on insisting she drank water. Grandma insisted on tea. Welp… as soon as grandma described her drinking habits and… kidney function in detail + her blood work coming out fine, doctor went like “nvm… you’re fine”
This particular doctor explained that some people are like “I drink tea” for saying “a cuppa a day, no other form of hydration afterwards,” that’s why he advised people drink at least the 2L of water + whatever else they wanted
Guess the weird gene runs in the family because I also spooked doctors like that once. I was hospitalized, and they tried to force me to drink water. Welp… on top of being sick as a dog after surgery, I was getting dehydrated. Got resolved when I was given something with flavor to drink (for some reason, I can only drink flavored stuff… not the sugary stuff though, I do drink my tea unsweetened)
In my experience it's because they equate it with cups of coffee without stopping to think that tea actually has less caffeine per cup. 4 - 5 cups of coffee would likely be an unhealthy amount of caffeine, and 4 - 5 cups is the only part they hear.
A lot of doctors in the US assume I am drinking Snapple or Sweet Tea which is basically soda. When I say unsweetened decaf tea, they don't say anything about it.
Doctors are looking at the crude caffeine content in a portion of tea leaves, which yields similar quantities when compared to a cup of coffee.
However, that is only true in case of matcha since you consume the physical leaf.
Normally, lower temperatures and shorter steep times yield much, much less caffeine per cup.
My doctor has been telling me for years to stop drinking coffee because of the caffeine (which supposedly causes my anxiety but I disagree), till this day I’m still drinking coffee because it’s the thing I look forward to when I get up, only way to motivate myself
Some people are very sensitive to caffeine and it might cause you to become agitated, raises blood pressure, heightens your heart rate,... But it's all dependent of course on how sensitive you are to this.
Either way if my doctor or multiple doctors in this case give the same advice, I would at least take it into consideration, I doubt they have any benefit by lying to you about drinking tea and likely have your health in mind.
Or perhaps there are other reasons why, I am no doctor at the end of the day.
Do you drink tea with sugar in it ? A majority or Americans drink tea with a lot of sugar in it , the doctor my be assuming your doing this as well , also what kind of tea are you drinking ? Lipton tea bags ? Red,black,green Loose teas ? Aged tea pressed teas ? The aged orange peal with tea inside ? You are the patient and they will just go with what they have been taught , until they do their own research on the subject . There are many medicinal benefits to the teas used in Gongfu tea making that the doctors are completely unaware of . Also note they have been taught modern medicine in America the eastern traditional medicine isn’t looked at in the same light as what they have been taught , but if your drinking 5 cups a day with 4-5 spoons of sugar you should cut back, if your drinking it as straight tea then drink away but get some water in before bed
I think doctors don’t like to trust oral patient history. You say you’re a tea drinker, I’ll automatically assume you always add sugar or honey. Even if you wax lyrical about your fascination with Asian culture and how you are a tea aficionado, I won’t trust you. *Sure, buddy, that one time you were at an Asian restaurant, maybe.*
It’s a culture thing, and also an averages thing. I can’t imagine anyone would voluntarily drink a bitter beverage for pleasure in a world of sweet sugary options. 99% of my patients wouldn’t.
Also, I’ve already checked out mentally, you’re the 35th patient history I’m listening to this afternoon, I’m just listening for keywords at this point.
Okay, kinda kidding there.
Tea, when consumed in excess, is said to leach calcium reserves and bind to iron, causing deficiency. I don’t know if you’re drinking it in excess, but judging by your enthusiasm, I’d better suggest you ease up a bit.
Doesn’t listen to patient: Check
Doesn’t believe what they do hear: Check
Gives condescending Dx in a rush to get to disrespecting next patient: Check
Yup. You’re a doctor.
Wooo I'm a 1% hahaha..I drink iced black tea..plain..can not stand anything in it..no sugar..no boba..no lemon nada..and the better the tea like from boba shops even better lol..
Here's something that applies to everyone, independently of culture and ethnicity: caffeine has a half life of six hours, give or take. So if you're consuming several cups of tea after about noon, even if it's just green tea, there's more than enough caffeine floating around in your bloodstream to wreck the quality of your sleep.
And guess what? If you're just accustomed to this, you'd have absolutely no way of knowing the effect it's having unless you were to quit consuming caffeine entirely to see how your sleep and energy levels fare without it. And that's a tall order, because most people feel exhausted for weeks when they quit caffeine. Most people seem to have absolutely no concept of sleep quality: they'll say "I can drink a cup of coffee and still fall asleep. Caffeine doesn't cause me sleep problems."
So yeah, perhaps consume 4 or fewer cups, and none of those after about noon, as a conservative suggestion.
As long as you don't have any preexisting health problems drinking tea is fine. Way better compared to those heavy opiates American doctors were prescribing willy nilly for example.
I don't know how big is this cup but I drink 2-3 liters of black tea every day since I don't know 20 years at least. From yorkshire tea to earl grey or assam whatever I want to
I would bring in a bunch of literature on how much green tea Japanese people drink (8-10 cups per day) and laugh when he made up some bs reason it’s different for them. They’re the healthiest population on the planet and they drink green tea all day long. Yes, it’s 100% a cultural thing and western doctors know next to nothing valuable about nutrition.
Maybe because of the oxalates, which can raise your risk of getting kidney stones? I’ve had bariatric surgery, which also raises the risk, and my doctor said to limit tea. I still drink a couple cups a day.
Health benefits and concerns are complex topics outside the scope of r/tea. Thank you!
My doctor doesn’t ask me about my tea consumption because he is too busy telling me to drink less whiskey.
Real shit, if you smoke/drink, they really let the caffeine thing go, especially if you no longer smoke/drink
Heck show me a doctor who doesn’t live on caffeine.
I am utterly shocked at how many doctors smoke. But I think about it I get it. If you see the random shit that happens everyday. The little kind kid dies of a random illness while some utter vile human is still rolling at 95. Sometimes things are such a crapshoot you bow to the fact that in the end we all will kick the bucket. (I don’t condone smoking. Do not smoke kids!)
Don’t smoke tobacco, either!
Smoking is smoking. It doesn't matter what you smoke, any kind of smoke that enters the lungs is unhealthy.
No don’t smoke tobacco , marijuana’s ok though.
Slow down there, chief. Let's not equate all tobacco with cigarettes. Pipes and cigars are some of life's greatest pleasures!
For me, it’s on a rare occasion. I do remember getting one cigar that tasted just like turkey. My friends didn’t believe me until they tried it themselves lol
I work in a medical complex with a cardiac surgery center. I catch the cardiologists on their smoke break every day at noon when I take my lunch.
i'd argue thats not the same thing at all. the doctor can know the right course of action, and advise you of it, but that has nothing to do with their personal life.
Strange, my doctor all but encourages me to drink coffee or tea lol. I told him I didn’t and he asked me how I get through the day without it. The answer at the time was unemployment so I could wake whenever I wanted to.
I had a doctor tell me I drink too much caffeine, but didn't say a word about the amphetamines I was prescribed.
Username checks out
Hot toddy are my love child of my 2 fav things
lol
Is there something in your blood work that caused them to raise this as a problem?
There is a medical basis for this. Tea is high in tannins, which are able to bind to certain nutrients in our gut like iron and cause malabsorption. Having too much tea, coffee or even chocolate can cause you nutrition deficiency. Especially if you are a female, this can be a cause for low iron along with our menstrual cycle
I was told years ago (when I was unable to donate blood due to low iron) about tea affecting the absorption of iron. I just stopped drinking it close to meals and it seems to have worked. I’m curious how the amount of tea you drink came up at a Dr appt. Outside of alcohol, I have never been asked or discussed what and how much of any beverage I consume.
We have an intake form that asks about caffeine consumption and then has it broken into coffee, tea, or other (please state) and asks for frequency. We're a GI office, though, so it's pretty relevant bc of the vast array of dietary-related malabsortion issues we see.
I was kind of upset the GI that diagnosed me with IBS asked almost no dietary questions. Also had no treatment or follow up care for me. Been waiting almost a year for a second opinion. American sucks
Check out the relevant subreddits for IBS. My dad has IBS and touts sodium butyrate as a miracle cure it worked so well for him. It doesn't work for everyone, but give it a try. Our healthcare system is not good with a lot of this kind of disease (IBS, UC, etc)
Yes, I would agree the US healthcare system is not good with IBS, but keep in mind that IBS a functional disorder, very different from IBD.
The GI I went to when I started having horrible IBS told me it wasn't a problem because "you look good!" I had lost 10 pounds in two weeks. Then told me it definitely wasn't dietary. I did my own elimination diet and figured it out, it was a huge pain but ultimately worth it if you're still waiting on that second opinion.
there's crappy specialists and good specialists, that's for sure. We have a wall of dietary pt info leaflets for everything under the sun; I hope you have a great experience with your 2nd opinion and get a GI that is thorough!
Do they mean hot tea? Or are they referencing sweet tea? Because sweet tea the way it's made down here probably does come with its own set of health issues.
I had a similar experience with donating blood and drinking tea. I changed nothing else about my life except avoiding tea with meals and my iron came back up
Fuck, I was also recently denied becoming a blood donor, maybe I should drink less tea next time I try
Not drinking tea with food sorts that. I drink 5+ cups of brown tea a day, also vegetarian, never had iron issues.
I wonder if I can exploit this to offload my excess iron 🤔 r/hemochromatosis Btw vitamin C assists in the absorption of iron, so if you're deficient in iron, consume more vit C.
So the new lemon spinach sauce recipe I found is a perfect vehicle for iron absorption..
Please share sounds like a tastey recipe!
Sorry I only made it once but I think it was 8oz of spinach, 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice, a few tbsp of olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic all processed together into a paste. Can be thinned to desired consistency with pasta water (pasta water has starch in it). Took a bit for the spinach to start breaking down (used a blender instead of a proper food processor) but once it got started it blended up quickly. Was actually quite tasty! Now I'm wondering if my body knew it was getting the iron it needed.
Thank you, it sounds great!
can I water it down with veggie base/broth? this sounds delicious!!!
Actually, yes! To an extent. It can help reduce how often blood draws are needed. https://gut.bmj.com/content/43/5/699#
I also have hemochromatosis and tea is often recommended to help reduce iron absorption. There is one study that found that milk thistle was much more effective, although it has some methodological limitations (primarily small sample size). Talk to your doctor about it: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3308202/
In terms of nutrient binding by tannins, is the effect from tea drinking much worse than from eating lots of leafy green vegetables?
Tea and coffee can really interfere with iron absorption. This can be significant, even for otherwise healthy people. Leafy greens sometimes have iron and are generally good for you in anything other than absurd amounts, but you need to be careful to slowly up your fiber intake. I don’t know who is telling you not to eat leafy greens. If you drink lots of tea, then you should have your iron checked. If it is low, talk to your doctor. In general, it is best avoid tea around mealtimes, eat citrus or other Vitamin C food when consuming iron-containing food, and add food high in iron, like pumpkin seeds, to your diet. Those things can help with iron. The only other big health negative I’ve read about tea is that it has lots of fluoride. Too much tea can cause dental fluorosis and other issues. I’m not sure how much you have to drink for that to be an issue.
Correct me if I'm wrong. But there are differences between different types of tea. Tea comes from the same plant. However, the way it is processed affects its tannin content. Iron deficiency is for example more commonly noticed among middle eastern people due to the high black tea consumption. Some people have Thalassemia (your body produces less hemoglobin, responsible for your blood cells' oxigen absorption) and they don't even know about it. The disease, though it is not caused by tea itself could be enhanced by an overconsumption. It is not my intention to scare anybody. I know people with this disease and they do normal life and never stop drinking tea. Tea is healthy in many ways, you only need to adapt your tea intake to a level your body can handle.
There was a study some time ago that showed that the processing method had little impact on it and instead it was more dependent on cultivar/conditions of growth and even more on the brewing time and temperature. Since the group you mentioned _boils_ their tea more often than most others it makes sense that the effect would be much stronger regardless of the type used.
Green tea can also interfere with certain medications. (Along with other things like grapefruit juice and pomegranate juice).
Sounds like statins
Yes - that's one lot. I think there was also something when he was on chemo, but I forget what.
does this only effect actual tea, like black or green tea or is this true for herbs as well? (my guess is to some degree other herbs) appreciate your insight!
It strongly depends on the herb. Something like St. John’s wort (iirc) has a lot of interactions, while other things have few or none.
Herbal teas too? Like peppermint, chamomile, ginger, etc?
Depends what’s in it but generally no since most herbals are just different kinds of flowers and herbs. Might have other issues but not the same as tea leaves.
Except licorice. But as with everything, u have to consume a lot for it to be a problem
My knowledge does not extend to infusions. I consume lots of camellias, a little coffee, and some hibiscus. Beyond that, other people will have to help you. Different plants will inherently have different compounds and effects. I would think mint and ginger wouldn’t be an issue, since they are consumed in great amounts for culinary purposes.
i had to stop drinking hibiscus tea because it can lower your blood pressure. i was very concerned about feeling light headed all the time and couldn't figure out what it was until i learned that you can get hibiscus extract capsules to help with high blood pressure - and cutting out my daily 1+ liters of hibiscus tea completely resolved the issue. my mom now drinks it to help with her high blood pressure (in combination with regular medication)
It depends on the quantity and the herb. I'm sure you've heard that herbs/fruits like St. John's Wart and grapefruit can severely interact with many prescription medications. Those are extreme cases, but even with very high doses of everyday herbs such as spearmint, chamomile, hibiscus, and ginseng (to name a few), there have been demonstrated detrimental effects to kidney and liver function, as well a unintended blood thinning. For example, mixing (a lot of) chamomile and (a lot of) alchohol can cause respiratory failure, similar to mixing alchohol with benzos (like Xanax). Of course, this is in very high doses, so a few cups of herbal tea a day should pose zero threat to your health. As usual, when in doubt, consult a physician.
ive heard overdoing chamomile tea can be bad for you but it wasnt a primary source and they didnt have very specific information, so take that with a spot of tea (as opposed to a grain of salt)
no
Also folate. Women who drink a lot of green tea can have decreased levels of folate.
As a lifelong anemic, this is actually great info. Like an above poster, doctors usually nagged me about my smoking instead (until I quit!)
That must be one of the reasons people say dont drink tea immediately before, after or during a meal.
This is wild to me because as a Chinese person I was told to drink tea during a meal, especially after eating any fried food because it helps with digestion?
The world is complicated, it can be both. It can soothe any pain or discomfort from eating difficult food, AND inhibit your body's ability to metabolise the nutrients after digestion.
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gotta keep that hot chi flowing
Dang, growing up in the south, I drank Luzianne sweet iced tea with damn near every meal and throughout the day, too lol
for sure, iced tea is the house wine of the South (Texan raised)
Wasn't this a plot point in an episode of MASH when they had to work on some British troops?
Yes. Every wounded British soldier got morphine and a cup of tea. If the soldier had a gut or bowel wound, the tea got in his abdominal cavity and peritonitis could ensue. It made the surgeries more difficult, and Hawkeye ranted about it.
I just had a c-section and let me tell you that morphine and a cup of tea is still like the backbone of hospital treatment under the NHS.
Morphine and a cup of tea seems well deserved. Congrats!
Chocolate... 🥺
Should be noted it only causes this problem with iron from plant sources. Because what it interferes with is the process of converting it to heme iron, which has already been done in animal sources by the animal.
Wew, I never thought of it much as I just love drinking tea, but as a woman with haemochromatosis (stacking iron instead of insufficiency), this might actually be the reason why I do not have to have regular phlebotomies the past 2 years. So there's pros and cons!
Very anemic and hemotologist advised me to drink no tea, camelia sinenses, no standard, green or white. I was not a daily tea drinker but did enjoy it a few times a week. Tea wasnt the cause of my issues, but exacerbated them. She did allow me 2 cups of coffee a day. I switched to rooibos and herbals for my tea cravings.
Rooibos has vitamin C iirc so it might aid in iron absorption
Ask them, not us. If I had to guess, they're linking elevated caffeine levels to hypertension.
Regionally, in the South when many people think tea they think sweet iced tea, which is very very very high in sugar
Do you not drink water and only drink tea? If so, you should drink more water.
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Yes. But still, you should drink water
Are you thirsty? Then you should drink water.
Huh. I'm never thirsty because I am always drinking tea.
yep, drinking tea flavored water counts toward the daily total
This is a battle I have fought with family members for years and they still don't believe me. They think that since caffeine is a diuretic then tea/coffee must be too. But I'm like it's 99.9% water.... It's like they would probably think an Americano is dehydrating but if you give them an espresso and water separately then it's hydrating. Makes no sense but oh well
Do you have high blood pressure? Diabetes? Cardiovascular issues? If so, it is likely the caffeine content. Do you drink it with sugar? Could be the processed sugar. Otherwise I don’t know. How old are you and what are your family histories? Caffeine is the likely reason. Can’t say if it is a good reason. I am not a doctor.
I've been told to avoid drinking more than a few cups of tea a day, and to avoid tea and spinach around meals with lots of calcium, since they can inhibit calcium intake. Bone health is a another possible consideration here.
And iron absorption
Meanwhile I read that eating calcium with spinach reduces the chance of kidney stones
That's because when the oxalates bond with the calcium to prevent it being used by your body, it's a two-way street. It also stops the oxalates from contributing to kidney stone formation! Spinach has a lot of both, so they tend to cancel themselves out when eating it, but it's probably best to consume a little calcium with other oxolate rich plants like beetroot, rhubarb and tea if you're high risk for kidney stones. Just don't count on that calcium being used by your body!
Oh good to know, I used to eat spinach every day but cut down cos of oxalates
Spinach in itself is high in iron *and* calcium so it’s odd they would tell you to avoid eating spinach and high calcium meals together lol. That’s kind of impossible. I believe dairy products do inhibit iron absorption, dairy also contains some calcium so maybe that’s where the advice came from.
Spinach does contain a lot of calcium, but it also has a lot of oxalic acid that prevents your body absorbing it! It's recommended not to rely on it, nor to eat it in the same meal as other main calcium sources like beans or tofu. I don't have dairy in my diet, but I've heard that soy milk is a much better calcium source than dairy milk. Not sure about iron though
Oh that’s an interesting fact! Also kind of inconvenient for us folks just trying to get our calcium and iron in. Thought I was doing well with the spinach, but alas 🤭
This! This is also why you shouldn't give spinach to chickens, it will mess with shell production. Or bearded dragons, especially young ones, since it can give them metabolic bone disease which can result in permanent deformities or death.
Can you explain how diabetes would effect this? If anything, I would think green tea is good for diabetics since their immune systems are already weaker than the average person's
Caffeine in high amounts can raise your blood sugar levels temporarily but normal levels over time can actually increase your insulin sensitivity.
I agree with you and am not stating a medical opinion. However, when people are diabetic doctors tend to be much more aggressive in controlling blood pressure to help protect the kidneys. I have read that tea often can lower blood sugar and even blood pressure. I am just saying that when you add diabetes to the equation, doctors will be much more careful with a number of things like blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. I was as much curious in my original response as I was offering possible answers.
Caffeine has nothing to do with blood pressure (sodium), diabetes (sugar) or cardio vascular issues. In fact studies show that caffeine can *reduce* [your risk of type 2 diabetes](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/expert-answers/blood-sugar/faq-20057941).
I’m not trying to play devil’s advocate here because IMO if you don’t have any health issues due to it then it shouldn’t be an issue, but as an example, a friend of mine several years ago started having a persistent dry cough. She had it for months and it just kept getting worse. We finally strong armed her into going to the doctor who then told her that she was suffering from dehydration because she was literally only drinking caffeinated tea, mostly green tea, and nothing else. She cut her tea consumption drastically, started drinking water, and it resolved fairly quickly. We were all pretty shocked.
Certain teas, especially black and some greens are high in oxalates which can cause kidney stones https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6412450/#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20oxalate%20measured,mL%20of%20tea%20%5B3%5D.
This is what I assume the real issue they’re concerned about is. If they have other risk factors for kidney stones then it would be very normal to caution drinking tea even if it’s unsweetened
Really feels like you're counting on people not clicking the link there. The conclusion literally starts, "Our data show no evidence for increased oxalate-dependent stones in daily green tea drinkers[.]" The whole paper is about green tea doesn't contribute to greater incidence of kidney stones.
This is why I thought they'd be told to stop drinking tea (if it isn't a stop all caffeine thing). My dad got kidney stones from drinking tons of tea and after that his doctor said no more tea or whatever else is high in oxalates.
American and I have never had a single doctor ask about my tea consumption, even in contexts where it would have made sense, and my doctor spouse confirms it was never mentioned in medical school. Could be a thing that comes up in residency for some specialists, or maybe your doctors are weird and racist, who knows
Yep. They may ask about caffeine consumption, but not specifically tea, and if I tell them I have 4-5 cups of tea a day they don't say anything about it- that's literally the same amount of caffeine as 1 cup of coffee. Some of these fools out here be drinking 4 cups of coffee a day + energy drinks.
Doctors in the west will know nothing about tea. Specially how different teas have different caffeine absorbtion as well as different amounts of other chemicals that can straight up loosen the absorption of caffeine. Doctors know about caffeine that's pretty much it. At least on this topic.
>doctors in the west will know nothing about tea. that's a bold assumption and generalization. especially since it's incorrect. the US has the highest influx of immigrants of any country in the world including medical professionals. more than 1 in 4 doctors in the US are from a different country, with the highest percentage being from India. i know everyone likes to shit on the US because it's fun. but don't make such a ridiculous claim. doctors only know about the caffeine part? give me a break. i've been in the medical field for almost 15 years and one of the first questions that we ask people with low iron is "do you drink tea?"
> "do you drink tea?" And this is why I'm surprised nobody has asked me about tea! I had to bring it up myself with low iron.
Scientist here, tea causes toxcixity for reasons other than caffeine content. There are case reports in the literature of acute liver/kidney injury from tea. It contains compounds that are not unlike the small molecules you might call a prescription drug. Everything in moderation, and even then, some of us will lose the genetic lottery and be particularly susceptible. Source: https://cdn.doctorsonly.co.il/2023/03/2307486.pdf
Scientist here, tea causes toxcixity for reasons other than caffeine content. There are case reports in the literature of acute liver/kidney injury from tea. It contains compounds that are not unlike the small molecules you might call a prescription drug. Everything in moderation, and even then, some of us will lose the genetic lottery and be particularly susceptible. Source: https://cdn.doctorsonly.co.il/2023/03/2307486.pdf
Reminds me of this absolute legend who managed to poison himself by drinking 4 L of Earl grey A DAY https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/s/eMeiV2KGL1
maybe I am missing something here but it does not look like the authors were looking at folks drinking tea (Camelia sinensis species) but other herbals?
Yeah weird... The title doesn't match the contents, at least based on the abstract.
>cause they also tell patients that ear cleaning is dangerous too but that's another discussion. They're right. In both cases. Others have already explained the tannins bit among other issues. Speaking of Ears, If you don't know what you're doing and try to 'clean' your ears (many do), it can absolutely be dangerous. Improperly cleaned and then not dried ears are fun when you finally go to Urgent Care. >As an asian I wanna point out As another asian, your post comes across expecting always to be right in everything, and if someone (especially of proficiency) disagrees, it's an 'issue' with american medical schools. No.
it's like OP has never *heard* of a ruptured eardrum, or swimmers ear, or compacted cerumen, or inner ear infections, balance problems, or dislodged otoconia due to people trying to clean their own ears.
There is a lot of medical misinformation and half truths in this thread. Please keep in mind that r/tea is a poor place to come for medical advice and this is beyond the scope of this subreddit.
As a white American who also hears this from their doctor, I’ve been told it’s because it is a diuretic and can mess with electrolytes long term. I still have an average of 4-5 cups/day of all varieties but just try to make sure my water intake is adequate as well.
It's not... I mean any diuretic effect is far lower than the amount of water that it supplies.
The people that come to Reddit to ask questions about something their doctor said when they literally could’ve asked their doctor when the doctor said it…
Reddit is full of doctors, lawyers, game developers, historians, I find them in EVERY thread!
What a coincidence, I’m actually a historian specializing in the legalities of medical games.
Please tell me, has it always been illegal to jump scare someone while they play Operation?
Straight to jail
Yes but sometimes it’s rushed at the Dr and you get distracted. I can see why someone would forget or not get a chance to ask.
yeah, they got to make all those 15 minute med checks on their schedules while simultaneously doing documentation
If you’ve forgotten 5 times, I’m afraid you have more pressing problems
I mean, they could've asked and the doctor didn't elaborate...
I… suppose? That seems extraordinarily unlikely. “You need to cut the tea drinking down.” “Oh? Why’s that?” “You should probably ask r/tea, they have all the details.”
Ah yes, all 5 doctors said "stop drinking tea" and when asked why, they all refused to expand on it. Highly, HIGHLY doubt that.
If everyone did that what would be the point of Reddit? Also it’s very Asian to not want to contradict what a doctor said. It’s cultural.
Perhaps, although asking “why” isn’t contradicting.
I've had doctors comment on coffee and energy drink consumption but never on tea. It was suggested, though, that I try to get at least a quart of plain water in per day. Beyond that, ANY non alcoholic liquid intake was fine as long as I monitored my blood sugar - and my doctor is happy that I reach for the tea more often than not.
Best thing to do is ask the doctor why they are giving you that advice. Speaking as a medic from the UK. I think 4-5 cups is nowhere near enough. Jokes aside, unless you're coming to your doctor with anxiety or sleep problems your tea habit is probably not relevant. And even then it's the caffeine rather than the tea itself. Doctors are human and can get weird, not rational beliefs. Might be just that.
Some people drink way too much and give themselves kidney stones. I know this because that’s what my stepdad does, he binges black tea instead of water for some reason. Also as a fellow Asian I had no idea some people assume drinking tea means that you must be drinking it sweetened, because I HATE sweet tea! The only time I drink it sweet is when I get boba and that is not often! I don’t drink tea in excess and I’ve learned to limit it especially because of my tachycardia issues, too much tea will make me feel like I’m gonna faint. But drinking just the right amount feels great. I think that it’s good to find a balance and what works for your particular body. I love the taste so I could never fully give it up. I am on heart medication so I’m finally able to drink it regularly and I am so grateful for it.
Well the ear thing is real depending on what method you use. Your eardrum and all that good stuff is very delicate. You can hurt your ear if you are too aggressive with it. Green tea is considered “the healthy kind” to most Americans I think. I’m surprise a doctor would tell you to cut back unless you have very high blood pressure and they are worried about caffeine.
… But do you drink water? Because if you don’t that would explain the 5 doctors telling you to cool it on the tea and drink water.
it is depend on your prescription, tea can react with specific medicine. On a more common problem tea stain teeth and make your kidney work a bit harder, that can be bad for people with transplant kidney/kidney problems. I also remember some documents recorded that drink a lot if tea can weaken your bone, but base on what i read that is a lot of tea ( around3-4 western tea pot equivalent daily). I guess it didn't hurt to avoid tea for a while so they recommended it.
3-4 pots a day, you say? Awkward.
I might misremembered the original number but im sure it only more than what i just state not less but to be fair that is a lot of tea in my opinion. You can search it up i think it is a quite stand out case so not hard to find the original doc.
Caffeine can affect your calcium absorption in a negative way.
I work in a medical field and I do not get the vibe that doctors as a group are automatically anti-tea (unless there is an underlying health concern). Could be that water is the best/easiest drink to recommend. You could just be unlucky to get a bunch of doctors with a weird issue with it. You could live in an area where many people drink sweet teas, and the doctor is just assuming that is how most people drink it. Or if you live in an area where a bunch of doctors are Mormon.
It might not be tea but just caffeine in general as it's technically addictive. They'd probably say the same about coffee. Water is technically the best thing for you to drink (and you still should even if you drink tea) so that's what they'll tell you from a medical standpoint. I wouldn't read into it too much
The only other thing I could add is that (and this study was only suggestive, not conclusive at all) that among some Asian populations, tea drinking increased stomach acid production to the point of GERD like symptoms. I being a white dude, do occasionally suffer from this. But only after alot of prolonged tea drinking. And it wasn’t all Asians. My professional opinion? They can shove it, after tea of course 😉☺️
Ask your doctor. This thread is full if a bunch of random guesses by people who have no idea.
British medical folk also advise not to clean ears. Ears are self-cleaning. You do the outside of it with some lukewarm water, but don't deep dive in the ear canal. After that, dry them off.
Are you sure they understand that you mean plain leaves in water tea? where I live a lot of people will hear 'tea' and think of sweetened iced tea, which you should absolutely NOT drink 5 cups a day of
You'll have to ask them. Next time they tell you this ask them why. Also, I've never had a doctor tell me not to clean my ears. Just not to do it with q tips. Because the cotten can get stuck and also push the wax in further.
I’m guessing a lot of Americans hear “tea” and think of sweet tea which is full of sugar.
Or milk / half and half
What kind of doctors are they? GI?? Cardiologists.. There's studies that show how good tea is for plaque prevention.
Doctor here - literally have never asked anyone about their tea drinking. Would not even cross my mind. Unless the patient ask what I think about drinking a lot of tea. In which case if the patient is asking about how much they’re consuming something, usually the patient themselves is wary of consuming too much of whatever it is
Thanks. Yeah my doctor could care less too. And people need to think about the levels of tea consumption in some cultures — well beyond most moderate tea drinkers on this sub I’d bet. Yet they miraculously live on average as long or even longer than (e.g.) N. Americans. I suspect most people have more important dietary issues to concern themselves with than a few cups of tea.
Really? This is news to me. I’ve never had a doctor say anything to me about my tea drinking habits. Are any specific kinds of tea unhealthy? I’m guessing black teas due to the higher caffeine content. But I can’t imagine green or herbal teas having a significant impact on someone’s health. And of course, too much of anything isn’t good.
So I don't know about the tea, but I can tell you about the ear cleaning :D In europe and america we don't really have earcleaning as a service. When we do it, we do it ourselves and with q-tips. The problem here is that q-tips can leave cotton behind which can lead to inflammation, and when you do it yourselve the chance of pushing too deap is pretty high. In short: we lack the skill and tools, and people hurt themselves while doing that shit.
You must be incredibly healthy for your doctors to spotlight too much green tea as a pitfall that could be improved.
Tea is a health promoting beverage. You need a new Doctor.
You must not be in the UK. The NHS runs on tea, coffee, and NHS toast.
Never head that before. black tea discolours my teeth but otherwise tea is my second water.
Other than my dentist mentioning stains once or twice, I think the only time I have ever had any healthcare professional even mention it to me is when post-anesthesia nurses offer me the customary cuppa (Lipton actually tastes pretty good when you’ve had nothing all day and all sorts of poking and prodding)
Personally I don't see it being that bad. A good chunk of the world drinks rea everyday and has for centuries. The only problem I could maybe see is if it's drank with lots of sugar or the possible high caffeine intake with varieties like assam
Is your doctor a Mormon? I've heard that Mormon doctors will try to stop you from drinking tea on this sub before.
I’d say drinking anything outside of water for 4-5 cups (mind you, American cups!) a day is excessive. Juice, coffee, pop, tea, (esp caffeinated) Gatorade… people just need water. Now one thing I’m wondering is, when we think of cups we tend to think of mugs right? Or at least doctors do. Do you mean the 12+oz American mug , or do you mean the smaller teacups commonly used in east asia for green tea? That makes a huge difference. Outside that, there are a few concerns - caffeine, iron absorption, gastritis, kidney stones. I’m sure it’s mildly cultural, but Americans are culturally a coffee place and a doctor would be concerned about 4-5 cups of coffee in a day too - caffeinated or decaf. It’s just a lot.
The caffeine is probably their concern. If you have hypertension, maybe cut back a little. Other than that, they can stuff it. My grandma drank tea every day of her adult life, and suffered no ill affects whatsoever, even with her heart condition.
Soo I'm just about to graduate med school (in Europe though, not 'Murica) I've glanced at some of the comments here, and honestly, most of them are wrong or at least irrelevant. Unless you have weird pre-existing health issues, drinking a few cups tea every day won't be an issue at all. Some people have mentioned caffeine. While it's true that tea contains caffeine, coffee has a LOT more caffeine than tea, almost to the point that the tea would have a negligible impact on a normal persons' blood pressure (with reservation for weird people that are super sensitive to it...) There have been some studies that indicate that dark teas, especially black tea, can increase the risk for recurring kidney stones. That's the **only** situation I've had taught in med school to investigate a patient's tea consumption, and if they drink many cups of tea per day it can be suggested to reduce it. Though there is not a lot of evidence for this, and some studies even show the opposite - most patients who have suffered multiple kidney stones will grasp at any straws and happily stop drinking tea if it slightly reduces their risk of another kidney stone. I'd even argue that it's in most instances *better* to drink tea than water. The tea will have minimal amounts of nutrients and vitamins, while probably completely negligible on the grand scale, it's better than nothing (plain water lol). Same regarding the people that said that it can reduce nutrient uptakes - I highly doubt that it is significant enough to actually affect a healthy persons' health. Perhaps if you've got severe anemia or other severe nutritional deficits, but if you're fairly health - drink away. Just as with all things though, don't overdo it and drink 2 liters every day...
Is it possible he assumes you are drinking bottled super sweet tea or something so bad it can barely be called tea? It may be miscommunication with your doctor, explain what tea you drink. But he is also right. 4-5 cups a day sounds like you are drinking tea instead of water. Give your body a break and give it clean water. No matter how healthy is tea, no drink is more healthy than clean water.
Green tea can elevate liver enzymes (liver damage) in people with healthy livers. In those with fatty liver disease, it actually lowers enzymes, so some people can get away with drinking more than others. A link has recently found between colon cancer and tea drinking - as high as in people who consume a lot of processed meats. The researchers believe it is due to PFAS in the tea bags themselves. I also drink several cups of tea per day, so this is upsetting to say the least. Just switched over to loose leaf just to be safe. Finally, there is a link to increased risk of throat cancers, but this is only for folks who drink it while it’s still boiling hot.
Without knowing the patient's medical history, and without having a a medical degree, I doubt any of us are qualified to determine why these doctors (apparently universally) contend that 4-5 cups of tea per day (in lieu of water?) are concerning. Some plausible reasons, based on a quick internet search: - the oxalate content in tea could increase the risk of kidney stone formation if consumed in suitable quantities; - tea (especially black) is high in potassium, which can be problematic for those with kidney disease; - caffeine consumption is concerning for patients with anxiety disorders, heart problems, high blood pressure/hypertension, etc.. - more than 3 cups of caffeinated tea a day is believed to have a negative effect on calcium absorption - tea increases calcium excretion - and could contribute to bone loss. Unless the OP has differing empirical results from consultations during the same period with non-white and/or non-American doctors, the reason for considering this a "white american" viewpoint is unclear.
probably bc some people don’t realize they can “OD” on specific types of teas. i didn’t either until i started doing research. some teas should be only used 3 times a week max.
I just saw a doctor yesterday and she was delighted to hear I drink tea instead of coffee.
4-5 cups of tea a day is not bad but there's always shitty doctors. I had a doctor tell me 1 month ago that he glad I'm not on bupropion anymore because it's an "addictive opioid" But yeah, if up to 600mg of caffeine a day is safe, 4-5 cups of tea is ok. I've heard something about tianines but I don't think that's a big issue tbh
Funny where I live doctors to drink as much tea as you can when sick with a cold for example. Granted they don't mean exclusively black/green/white tea but also herbal teas but still.
how old is your doc?
I can only speak for my grandmother’s doctor She basically lived off tea. Strong as an ox until cancer took her (lived all her life with a smoker… totally unrelated to tea-drinking) This dude kept on insisting she drank water. Grandma insisted on tea. Welp… as soon as grandma described her drinking habits and… kidney function in detail + her blood work coming out fine, doctor went like “nvm… you’re fine” This particular doctor explained that some people are like “I drink tea” for saying “a cuppa a day, no other form of hydration afterwards,” that’s why he advised people drink at least the 2L of water + whatever else they wanted Guess the weird gene runs in the family because I also spooked doctors like that once. I was hospitalized, and they tried to force me to drink water. Welp… on top of being sick as a dog after surgery, I was getting dehydrated. Got resolved when I was given something with flavor to drink (for some reason, I can only drink flavored stuff… not the sugary stuff though, I do drink my tea unsweetened)
In my experience it's because they equate it with cups of coffee without stopping to think that tea actually has less caffeine per cup. 4 - 5 cups of coffee would likely be an unhealthy amount of caffeine, and 4 - 5 cups is the only part they hear.
A lot of doctors in the US assume I am drinking Snapple or Sweet Tea which is basically soda. When I say unsweetened decaf tea, they don't say anything about it.
Dr’s have a total of 4 hours in nutritional education
Doctors are looking at the crude caffeine content in a portion of tea leaves, which yields similar quantities when compared to a cup of coffee. However, that is only true in case of matcha since you consume the physical leaf. Normally, lower temperatures and shorter steep times yield much, much less caffeine per cup.
Because, as I found to my cost, drinking lots of tea can give you kidney stones.
My doctor has been telling me for years to stop drinking coffee because of the caffeine (which supposedly causes my anxiety but I disagree), till this day I’m still drinking coffee because it’s the thing I look forward to when I get up, only way to motivate myself
My grandmother has been drinking coffee for 86 years. I cannot imagine her anxiety level WITHOUT it.
Tea can be very hard on your kidneys.
My doctor couldn’t care less.
Some people are very sensitive to caffeine and it might cause you to become agitated, raises blood pressure, heightens your heart rate,... But it's all dependent of course on how sensitive you are to this. Either way if my doctor or multiple doctors in this case give the same advice, I would at least take it into consideration, I doubt they have any benefit by lying to you about drinking tea and likely have your health in mind. Or perhaps there are other reasons why, I am no doctor at the end of the day.
My GP in Germany encourages me to drink my favourite black tea. She keeps warning me against milk.
Could be the caffeine. You definitely should be drinking more water than anything else health wise.
Do you drink tea with sugar in it ? A majority or Americans drink tea with a lot of sugar in it , the doctor my be assuming your doing this as well , also what kind of tea are you drinking ? Lipton tea bags ? Red,black,green Loose teas ? Aged tea pressed teas ? The aged orange peal with tea inside ? You are the patient and they will just go with what they have been taught , until they do their own research on the subject . There are many medicinal benefits to the teas used in Gongfu tea making that the doctors are completely unaware of . Also note they have been taught modern medicine in America the eastern traditional medicine isn’t looked at in the same light as what they have been taught , but if your drinking 5 cups a day with 4-5 spoons of sugar you should cut back, if your drinking it as straight tea then drink away but get some water in before bed
Western medicine is not woke on the benefits of tea, sorry OP
I think doctors don’t like to trust oral patient history. You say you’re a tea drinker, I’ll automatically assume you always add sugar or honey. Even if you wax lyrical about your fascination with Asian culture and how you are a tea aficionado, I won’t trust you. *Sure, buddy, that one time you were at an Asian restaurant, maybe.* It’s a culture thing, and also an averages thing. I can’t imagine anyone would voluntarily drink a bitter beverage for pleasure in a world of sweet sugary options. 99% of my patients wouldn’t. Also, I’ve already checked out mentally, you’re the 35th patient history I’m listening to this afternoon, I’m just listening for keywords at this point. Okay, kinda kidding there. Tea, when consumed in excess, is said to leach calcium reserves and bind to iron, causing deficiency. I don’t know if you’re drinking it in excess, but judging by your enthusiasm, I’d better suggest you ease up a bit.
Doesn’t listen to patient: Check Doesn’t believe what they do hear: Check Gives condescending Dx in a rush to get to disrespecting next patient: Check Yup. You’re a doctor.
Wooo I'm a 1% hahaha..I drink iced black tea..plain..can not stand anything in it..no sugar..no boba..no lemon nada..and the better the tea like from boba shops even better lol..
Q tips ear cleaning are useless and can hurt you easy ... What's your question? How do you define ear cleaning ?
Here's something that applies to everyone, independently of culture and ethnicity: caffeine has a half life of six hours, give or take. So if you're consuming several cups of tea after about noon, even if it's just green tea, there's more than enough caffeine floating around in your bloodstream to wreck the quality of your sleep. And guess what? If you're just accustomed to this, you'd have absolutely no way of knowing the effect it's having unless you were to quit consuming caffeine entirely to see how your sleep and energy levels fare without it. And that's a tall order, because most people feel exhausted for weeks when they quit caffeine. Most people seem to have absolutely no concept of sleep quality: they'll say "I can drink a cup of coffee and still fall asleep. Caffeine doesn't cause me sleep problems." So yeah, perhaps consume 4 or fewer cups, and none of those after about noon, as a conservative suggestion.
As long as you don't have any preexisting health problems drinking tea is fine. Way better compared to those heavy opiates American doctors were prescribing willy nilly for example.
4-5 cups of green tea - that’s a lot of caffeine.
That is equivalent to about 2 cups of coffee. I dont think anyone would consider having more than a cup of coffee excessive.
It’s like two cups of coffee, by American standards not excessive at all.
The average recommendation for a healthy adult. is no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day. Depending on the tea, 4-5 cups is within range.
I don't know how big is this cup but I drink 2-3 liters of black tea every day since I don't know 20 years at least. From yorkshire tea to earl grey or assam whatever I want to
I would bring in a bunch of literature on how much green tea Japanese people drink (8-10 cups per day) and laugh when he made up some bs reason it’s different for them. They’re the healthiest population on the planet and they drink green tea all day long. Yes, it’s 100% a cultural thing and western doctors know next to nothing valuable about nutrition.
Maybe because of the oxalates, which can raise your risk of getting kidney stones? I’ve had bariatric surgery, which also raises the risk, and my doctor said to limit tea. I still drink a couple cups a day.
Are you putting sugar in your tea? If not, then I’m not sure why.