Highlights
- Green tea supplements may cause liver damage, says EFSA.
- Green tea infusions and brews are still safe for the liver, says EFSA.
- Overdosing on green tea may still cause bloating, mineral deficiency.
For the longest time green tea has been considered a health drink that aids weight loss. Millions of people around the world drink green tea every day in the hope of losing fat around the waist. But even the healthful beverage comes with its share of side effects. A new research by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said that overdosing on green tea supplements may prove to be harmful for the liver. The research results come on the occasion of World Liver Day 2018 and may just turn green tea evangelists astonished and confused.
But hold on! You don't need to stop drinking the tea altogether. The EFSA has said that the green tea brews are still safe for consumption as these are not concentrated in antioxidants like the supplements. While green tea brews contain 90 to 300 mg of antioxidants, the supplements contain between 500 and 1000 mg. Researchers have said that the intake of over 800 mg of antioxidants may cause liver damage. So as long as you are not overdosing on the tea and drinking one too many cups of it, you are probably safe.
Besides this, overdosing on green tea has a number of other side effects. Here are a few more side effects of consuming too much green tea:
1. Acidity: Excessive green tea can upset the stomach by causing acidity and acid reflux. This is because green tea contains caffeine, an excess amount of which may result in bloating and acidity in the stomach.
2. Mineral Deficiency: The tannins in green tea can bind minerals like iron, reducing their absorption in the blood and hence, leading to a deficiency. However, this effect of green tea can be reduced by squeezing just a bit of lemon in your cup of green tea.
3. Dehydration: You may have often noticed that after drinking green tea, you have to use the bathroom quite often. This is because green tea is a natural diuretic and can cause the body to lose water, which, in extreme cases can lead to dehydration.
4. Caffeine Overdose: Although green tea is a healthier caffeine fix than coffee, an overdose of green tea can still lead to caffeine overdose, resulting in health problems related to it. These include headaches, sleep disorders, irritability, anxiety, etc.
It is pertinent to mention that the EFSA has deemed green tea infusions as safe for the liver, even when taken in excessive amounts. So it's safe to say that overdosing on green tea may not have any long term implications, but might affect good health on a day-to-day basis.
(With inputs from Reuters)