CAN YOU OVERDOSE ON GREEN TEA?

We love tea. We are not coffee people and drinking water is just boring as hell. With the benefits our infusions like green tea, drinking these infusions really beats drinking water. We do not like the taste of water. We know that there really isn't a taste for water but there actually is! Water taste of the minerals and they somehow taste different from different sources. Hence we like to drink teas and infusions. That beats drinking plain water as it comes loaded with those wonderful antioxidants. But can one overdose on those goodness? We found this writeup...

Actually, green tea has a number of health benefits (preventing cancer, battling diabetes, fighting cholesterol, boosting the immune system...) and it is recommended to drink 4-5 cups each day to reap the full benefits. According to researchers, it's safe to drink up 10 cups of green tea a day.

In *extreme* amounts, the high amounts of polyphenols can cause liver or kidney damage--green tea *supplements* can have dangerously high levels. This article has a good overview (also read the study it links to):

"Drink green tea! You hear it everywhere. Green tea has been linked to heart health and cancer prevention, and recently even been touted as a possible way to reduce rheumatoid arthritis pain.

But as with nearly everything, too much of a good thing is not a good thing. A review of recent research found that when people ingest too much green tea -- especially in supplement form -- they run the risk of developing liver or kidney damage. Though the polyphenols in tea are beneficial in moderate doses, they can be toxic at high levels. Green tea supplements can contain 50 times more polyphenols than a single cup of green tea.

Experts say that even 10 cups of green tea a day is safe, but that if you're taking supplements you may want to watch your dose because it's easy to go overboard."

So you know, green tea does NOT have more caffeine than coffee. The average cup of coffee can have anywhere from 80-175 mg of caffeine, depending on the method of preparation. By comparison, the average cup of green tea has about 25-30mg of caffeine.

However, some people *are* very sensitive to caffeine; if you do find yourself feeling jittery or having heart palpitations, try cutting back on the tea. Also, tea is a diuretic, which increases urination. I'd say that, aside from frequent bathroom breaks, you should be fine.

(Incidentally, green tea is best brewed at 180 degrees F, which is just under a boil. If you brew your tea at too high a temperature, you lose a lot of the health benefits. It also tastes better at a lower temp.)