Did you know? Beverages labeled with "tea" aren't necessarily tea. As living standards rise, health-conscious eating habits gain prominence. Tea-based beverages, marketed as health-focused, are increasingly popular.Tea leaves are rich in natural tea polyphenols, caffeine, and other beneficial compounds, offering both nutritional and health benefits. But do the myriad varieties of tea-based beverages—like milk tea drinks and fruit-infused teas—possess these same properties? What precautions should consumers take when drinking them?
Most commercially available tea beverages use tea as a base to which other ingredients are added.
For instance, fruit tea beverages are products made by mixing tea water with pure fruit juice (or concentrated juice), sugar syrup, acidulants, etc.; milk tea beverages involve adding fresh milk or dairy products to tea water.
Fujian Tea Portal Wang reminds consumers: When other substances are added to tea, preservatives and food additives must be incorporated into the beverage.The primary preservative used is sorbic acid, currently the least toxic among common preservatives. However, it should be approached rationally, as it remains a chemical compound.
Additionally, for tea beverages containing fresh fruit juice, whether the added ingredients conflict with tea components or trigger chemical reactions remains unpredictable and warrants observation."If circumstances permit, we encourage everyone to take the time and effort to brew tea at home. This is the healthiest way to enjoy tea," said Fang Shi.
Contraindications
Same as drinking plain tea
Tea beverages with added ingredients offer a refreshingly sweet taste, making them popular among many young people. However, it's important to remember that their base ingredient is tea leaves. While retaining nutritional benefits, certain contraindications still apply when consuming them.Fang Shi explained that tea beverages primarily composed of tea leaves retain the original components of tea. Therefore, the contraindications associated with drinking tea also apply to consuming various tea beverages.
Avoid drinking before bedtime
The caffeine and aromatic compounds in tea act as stimulants. Excessive or overly strong tea consumption can excite the nerves and brain, accelerating heart rate and blood flow, making it difficult to fall asleep. How much causes insomnia? Fang Shi notes there's no fixed rule—it depends on the amount consumed, tea strength, and individual tolerance. Different tea beverage types or brands also vary in their tea content.
Limit consumption if uric acid is high
Individuals with elevated uric acid levels, such as those with gout, should restrict tea intake. The tannic acid in tea competitively displaces uric acid during excretion, impairing its elimination. Therefore, strong tea is particularly unsuitable for gout sufferers.
Tea May Inactivate Medications
Tannic acid in tea can chemically react with many drugs, significantly reducing or completely nullifying their efficacy. Numerous traditional Chinese medicines—such as ginseng, coptis, phellodendron, and corydalis—should not be taken with tea to prevent diminished potency.When unsure which medications may react with tea components, it is safest to avoid using tea beverages to take any medication or herbal remedy to prevent unexpected outcomes.
Drinks with "tea" in their name aren't necessarily tea. We've covered this topic for you here. We trust you now have a better understanding. Finally, we sincerely wish you good health and happiness in life.