The recommended maximum intake of caffeinated teas is no more than five 1-cup servings per day. However, choosing decaffeinated or caffeine-free teas, such as herbal teas, is a safe way of drinking six to eight cups of tea per day.
The total caffeine content of tea can vary but usually falls between 20–60 mg per cup (240 ml). Thus, to err on the side of caution, it's best not to drink more than about 3 cups (710 ml) per day ( 4 ).
Drinking more than 4 cups of black tea daily is possibly unsafe. Drinking large amounts might cause side effects due to the caffeine content. These side effects can range from mild to serious and include headache and irregular heartbeat.
After consuming about six mugs in a day, you might experience some anxiety. If you down between eight and 10 daily mugs, you are at greater risk of caffeine intoxication, with effects ranging from restlessness and nervousness to digestive distress and increased heart rate.
You can opt for decaffeinated drinks, and thereby avoid reeling under the side effects of tea addiction. You can also physically limit yourself to just a cup or two per day, and no more than that. This too should help prevent any caffeine addiction.
The Eatwell Guide says we should drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day. Water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count.
Best for Overall Health: Green Tea
When it comes to tea, green tea gets the gold. “Green tea is the champ when it comes to offering health benefits,” says Czerwony. “It's the Swiss Army knife of teas.
The side effects of drinking too much black tea include difficulty sleeping, headaches, nervousness, diarrhea, irritability, irregular heart rate, confusion, heartburn, tremors in your extremities and possibly convulsions. These side effects are all a result of the caffeine content in black tea.
New research suggests drinking black tea regularly may enable you to live longer and decrease your risk of dying from heart disease. If you drink tea—even up to 10 cups a day—new research suggests you may live longer.
Studies show tea may help prevent cavities by reducing the bacteria and decay-causing acid produced in your mouth. Both green and black tea also contain fluoride that can help ward off tooth decay. Using fluoridated tap water in your tea can add to the fluoride you're getting with each sip.
In this battle over health benefits, coffee comes out on top. Coffee drinkers can raise a mug to fiber, microbiome health and lowering risk for cancer and diabetes. But tea drinkers, do not despair. Tea is undoubtedly good for your blood pressure, cholesterol, stress levels, mental health and productivity.
Numerous studies have shown that a variety of teas may boost your immune system, fight off inflammation, and even ward off cancer and heart disease. While some brews provide more health advantages than others, there's plenty of evidence that regularly drinking tea can have a lasting impact on your wellness.
Water and tea are both healthy options, but if you struggle to reach the recommended fluid intake by drinking water alone, try adding healthy teas to your diet. Tea may be more beneficial to your health, and unless you're anemic or have a low caffeine tolerance, there isn't much harm.
Drinking tea before bed has been shown to help aid in a better night's sleep and high quality of sleep. This is pretty significant because so many Americans struggle with sleep issues like insomnia. Additionally, sleep issues can become worsened when you've had too much screen time and not enough exercise.
Squeezing Out Tea Bags
Because of the high levels of tannic acid in tea, you're actually making the tea more bitter. It's not only weakening the taste, but it's also wearing the strength of the tea bags itself. By squeezing it, you run the risk of tearing the bag and releasing some of the tea leaves into your cup.
Tea can aggravate digestive or stomach problems such as ulcers or acid reflux. People used to drinking higher-oxidized teas such as black, oolong, and pu-erh can experience these effects in greater amounts when they switch to tea of a much lower oxidation level, such as green or white teas.
Earl Grey is most widely defined as a black tea that has been flavored with the oil of bergamot.
If you're a regular tea drinker, you can continue drinking tea and it will contribute to your overall hydration level. It shouldn't replace water, though, especially if you're drinking more than six or seven cups of black tea per day. It's important to incorporate some water into your daily fluid intake.
The Bottom Line. Many types of tea contain caffeine, a diuretic compound that can cause you to urinate more frequently. However, the caffeine content of most teas is very low. Drinking normal amounts — less than 3.5–8 cups (840–1,920 ml) of tea at once — is unlikely to have any dehydrating effects.
Research shows that milk is one of the best beverages for hydration, even better than water or sports drinks. Researchers credit milk's natural electrolytes, carbohydrates, and protein for its effectiveness.
“Iced tea is full of oxalic acid, which, when taken in excess, deposits in your kidneys and mucks up the work of removing waste from the blood,” says Scott Youngquist, MD, an emergency physician at University of Utah Health.
Research has shown that Earl Grey Tea works to improve cholesterol and blood pressure. A study in Preventative Medicine showed that enjoying three cups of Earl Grey a day encourages the production of HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol, and triglycerides in your body.
In general, black and pu-erh teas have the highest amount of caffeine, followed by oolong teas, green teas, white teas, and purple teas.
Experimental studies in humans show that ingestion of tea can cause a transient increase in blood pressure, an effect due primarily to caffeine (8,14).