There is nothing on a hot summer day like sitting on the porch after a hard day’s work and being able to enjoy a nice glass of cold iced tea. For years I’ve enjoyed this refreshing drink.
I never imagined the impact I might be having on my health, both for good and evil.
The United States is having a booming culture of tea, on any given day, more than half of the American population drinks tea.
But here’s the twist: 85 percent of the tea served is cold.
While iced tea is too sugary, it cannot really be considered a healthy food, even if present some benefits.
A recent study showed that a man who drinks 16 glasses of iced tea a day experiences adverse side effects on health.
According to BBC World, a 56-year-old man began presenting symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and pain throughout the body.
When they were about to give up trying to find the reason for their illness.
The man confessed that he used to drink 16 glasses of iced black tea a day.
It turns out that this type of tea contains oxalate, a substance that damages the kidneys when consumed in excess.
Our kidneys can discard oxalate, but when the amounts are too high, then it becomes stones.
It is not dangerous to drink tea once or twice a day, so you should not stop taking it but moderate your consumption.
In response to my question, Is Iced Tea Good for You? The key is not to drink it in excess, but you can draw your conclusions.
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Benefits of Drinking Iced Tea.
Improves skin.
By having a glass of sugar-free iced tea we would be doing our body a huge favor as the tea is packed with antioxidants.
Antioxidants are excellent at slowing down the progression of old age as well as being incredibly good for the skin.
With responsible consumption of this drink, we will be able to see ourselves and feel younger without realizing it.
Strengthens bones.
While excess caffeine can reduce the strength of our bones, a moderate amount of Green tea strengthens our bone system.
According to WebMD, “A new study in England shows that tea helps strengthen bones to the point where it comes to protecting women from osteoporosis.
It acts as an antioxidant.
Berries such as blackberries, blueberries, and currants have antioxidant properties, capable of blocking the action of “free radicals”, those substances that cause cellular damage and are involved in the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Provides vitamins.
Iced tea provides us with important nutrients such as vitamin B, C, and D, as well as minerals such as potassium, magnesium, niacin, and folic acid, which will help us improve our health at various levels.
Tropical, cold tea is a good choice that gathers these nutrients and minerals thanks to fruits such as orange, red fruits, coconut, or pineapple.
It helps your digestion.
Iced tea prevents stomach problems.
Some cold teas, such as green tea with lemon, stimulate circulation thanks to their antioxidant properties that contribute to better digestion of food.
In addition, the essential oils present in green tea increase the flow of gastric juices, making digestion easier.
Good for your brain.
A UK lab study suggests black and green tea may slow down the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease.
A German lab study suggests green tea may prevent the inflammation and neural damage correlated with the advancement of multiple sclerosis.
Reduces the risk of heart attacks.
A study in which it relates Green tea with a decrease in the likelihood of a heart attack.
Researchers believe that the protection afforded to us by tea may be related to the number of flavonoids it contains.
Reduces blood pressure.
Some types of iced tea, especially hibiscus, have a very positive effect on blood pressure.
Drinking hibiscus tea can significantly lower your blood pressure, especially when you’re a little high.
Helps burn calories.
Caffeine and tea catechins have an effect that speeds up metabolism, causing more calories to burn in the same amount of time.
In addition, it captures fats and promotes elimination.
Ideally, take it sugar-free, so it stays calorie-free.
The most natural complement to slimming and taking care of your figure!
Related article: Iced Tea, What is It, Benefits, Side Effects.
Consequences of drinking Iced Tea in excess.
It can produce kidney stones.
Drinking iced tea in excess can harm the kidneys.
Black tea contains a chemical that causes kidney stones or kidney failure in extreme cases.
Obesity.
Those people who want to lose a few extra kilos also often resort to iced tea, thinking that this refreshing drink will find the solution; however, excessive consumption of it only produces a weight gain.
According to the experts, “the most popular brands of iced tea contain more sugar than you would expect to find in most sodas.”
Cardiovascular problems.
Drinking large amounts of iced tea means ingesting large amounts of caffeine that can hurt the cardiovascular system.
Generally, all Black teas contain caffeine, a non-healthy substance if you have high blood pressure or heart rate.
It’s not very common, but exceptionally these drinks could trigger arrhythmias in some patients.
Diabetes.
One of the biggest mistakes that are most commonly committed is substituting soda drinks sweetened with iced tea, thinking it is healthier, although the latter is loaded with sweeteners equally.
Stop consuming carbonated beverages is a significant step that will help us to achieve our goal as long as we do not change it for a drink with the same amount of sugar.
Enjoying a glass of iced tea without sweetening a couple of times a week or even once a day should not pose any kind of danger to our organism.
Is tea in a can good for you?
The amount of sugar in tea in a can is way too high, which is associated with having an increased risk of diabetes mellitus in the medium and long term and the proportion of artificial additives is also high.
Consuming sugary drinks is a high risk, direct associations have been seen between high consumption of sugary drinks and conditions such as obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome
It is not worth exposing the body to receive some damage through the intake of such drinks, being that there are totally viable and much cheaper alternatives
Related posts: 7 Good reasons to drink iced tea.
Is iced tea as healthy as hot tea?
Yes. If brewed, iced tea (85 percent of tea consumed in America) has the same amount of antioxidants, catechins, and flavonoids as hot tea.
However, instant iced tea contains negligible amounts of catechins.
In the cold season, tea helps thermoregulation of the body. Being a hot drink helps us warm up.
However, it is not exclusive to the winter season.
Teas can also be taken cold and are a good option to keep us hydrated in summer.
The key to being able to enjoy this refreshing drink without worrying about the adverse effects it brings is to drink it sparingly.
Enjoying a glass of iced tea without sweetening once a day should not pose any danger to our organism.
Consuming it sparingly brings a lot of benefits to our health.
Word of advice.
When preparing cold tea, it is necessary to take into account a fundamental aspect, which is cooling.
Freshly infused ice tea should be lowered as soon as possible because if left to cool slowly or in a fridge, it will tend to pick up some stale flavor.
Ideally, cold infusions should be prepared on the spot and slightly more concentrated than those made to consume hot ones because adding ice loses some of their flavors.
No wonder this drink has become one of the healthiest options of summer, and essential in eastern countries where they are well aware of its healthy properties.
Related posts: How to make iced matcha green tea latte.
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Thanks a million.
Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your doctor for more information. MYTEASHACK.COM does not claim responsibility for this information.