THE RIGHT QUESTION.– Tea is full of benefits but excessive consumption carries risks for the body. Two specialists tell us that the amount should not be more than every day.
Green, black, white… The aromatic palette of tea has something to delight all palates. If the benefits of this drink are widely acclaimed, excessive consumption carries risks. What is the limit that should not be exceeded? Bernard Srour, researcher at the National Research Institute for Agriculture (INRAE) and Nina Cohen-Koubi, nutritionist doctor, enlighten us.
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4 to 5 mugs a day
Notice to drinkers of the drink: reasonable daily consumption should not exceed 4 to 5 cups (cups of 25 cl) of tea, that is, “400 mg of tea throughout the day, with a spoonful of tea in each cup,” specifies researcher Bernard Srour. , which cites the recommendations of the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES).
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And for good reason, tea contains caffeine (50 mg for a cup of tea and 80 mg for a cup of coffee), and excessive consumption can cause unwanted effects such as “nervousness, increased heart rate or even redness in the face,” says Dr. Nina Cohen-Koubi. Without forgetting that the tannins contained in the drink can interfere with the iron in the food consumed and thus limit its absorption by the body. Ultimately, excessive consumption can cause anemia, or “a drop in hemoglobin levels, the molecules that contain iron and that are responsible for the oxygenation of body tissues,” adds the nutritionist. To protect yourself from this, it is better to drink your cup outside of meals and let it cool before ingestion. “The consumption of hot drinks over 65 degrees can increase the risk of cancer of the esophagus,” warns Bernard Srour, researcher at Inrae.
Excessive consumption of tea can cause nervousness, increased heart rate or facial flushing.
Dr. Nina Cohen-Koubi, nutritionist
A health ally
Respecting these amounts, we can therefore fully enjoy the health benefits of tea. The latter contains polyphenols, “antioxidants that neutralize free radicals”, specifies Dr. Nina Cohen-Koubi, at the origin of the aging of the body.
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These antioxidants also promote fat metabolism, understand the use of lipids to create energy and therefore help reduce the presence of fatty substances in the body. Finally, “polyphenols contribute to the maintenance of a healthy intestinal microbiota”, adds the doctor. In addition, theanine, a molecule naturally present in tea, acts on the mood. “This substance has a relaxing action,” informs the doctor. It increases serotonin and dopamine (the so-called hormones of happiness and immediate pleasure) and therefore helps fight stress.