Tea may be seen as a healthy and pleasant beverage to drink. Many people will have a cup of tea when they wake up, go to work, want to warm up on a cold day, or simply just because they fancy it.
However, there is a basic ingredient in tea that could be damaging to your intestines and brain. While this might not happen to everyone, it is hazardous if you are pregnant—to both yourself and your unborn child.
Many Items Contain Toxic Chemicals
Many everyday items that most people use and consume can contain toxic chemicals without any of us even realizing. One study revealed that the receipts used at most major stores actually contain harmful chemicals.
Around 80% of the receipts studied contained bisphenol A, or BPA and BPS. These were found in well-known stores like McDonald’s, Costco, Shell Gas Stations and Walmart.
Baby Products With Fatal Bacteria Recalled
One of the most worrying things about being a parent is giving your baby something that could be harmful to them. This nightmare turned real for parents in Texas when some baby products with potentially fatal bacteria inside them were recalled.
The bacteria was Cronobacter sakazakii, which can cause fatal infections in babies. Throughout 2023, at least four recalls were made for baby products that were believed to include this bacteria.
Pet Food Is Being Recalled
It’s not just human food being recalled due to its toxic chemicals. Pet food has also been subject to this. Most notably, this is due to dog treats that were found to contain metal objects inside them.
This comes after an increasing number of pet foods and treats have been recalled in the last few years, which increases the concern for pet owners worried about their pets consuming something that was meant to be harmless and healthy.
Ancient Times and Promoting Health
If you go back as far as ancient times, tea was considered medicinal, which many people have continued to believe throughout the years.
Scientific evidence now supports the notion that drinking tea can help promote health. However, this isn’t the case for every person who drinks tea.
Drinking Tea Is Tradition
Tea is considered a tradition in some countries, such as the United Kingdom and China. People living in these countries drink tea in all circumstances and in many varieties.
However, while this can be seen as a mostly safe activity, tea does contain some ingredients that even the most avid tea drinkers don’t know about, and they could be causing more harm to themselves than they realize.
Caffeine Is Dangerous in Pregnancy
You might see many pregnant people turning down the offer of coffee because it is known to contain caffeine, which is dangerous in pregnancy. However, people should also be aware that caffeine is also present in tea, so it can be hazardous for both the mother and her unborn baby.
While small amounts of caffeine are generally considered okay, consuming more than 300mg of caffeine in one day is considered dangerous.
The Dangers of Caffeine for Pregnant People
Caffeine has long been seen as a danger to someone pregnant, but not many people are clear why they can’t have caffeine during pregnancy—they just make sure to steer clear of it.
Caffeine can easily pass through the placenta, and the fetus’s immature liver struggles to process it. It also leads to a higher risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, birth defects and miscarriage.
Difference in Healthy and Vulnerable Adults
It’s important not to panic too much. If you are a healthy adult who doesn’t have any health problems or isn’t considered vulnerable, then consuming caffeine is considered perfectly safe (as long as you don’t consume too much).
However, if you are considered to be vulnerable, such as when you’re pregnant, caffeine consumption is harmful. It can cause issues with cardiovascular function and sleep, too.
The Ability to Absorb Iron
One of the dangers of consuming caffeine is that it can affect your body’s ability to absorb iron in the intestinal tract. This can lead to serious health issues, such as issues with blood circulation and the brain.
This issue is increased if you are a vegetarian. This is due to tannin being more active in plant nutrients than animals, which can increase your risk of iron deficiency. To decrease this risk, less than three cups of tea should be consumed per day.
Increase in Stress and Psychological Pressure
It is important in life to keep your body as calm and stress-free as possible. This isn’t possible if you consume a lot of tea because it increases the amount of stress and psychological pressure your body is under.
It is recommended in this case not to consume more than 200mg of caffeine per day. Any more than this, and you are prone to experiencing more stress and anxiety than usual.
Tea Does Have Some Benefits
It’s important not to worry too much about the side effects of tea. If it is consumed in regular amounts, you shouldn’t experience any worrying health effects the tea will have caused.
Instead, some of its benefits include preventing bloating, constipation, indigestion and fatigue. It can even offer some relief if you have a cold. However, if you are in one of the vulnerable categories, you are at an increased risk of one of the side effects that could be severe, so it might be best to move away from tea and caffeine for the time being.
