How Does Over-boiled Milk Tea Harm Your Health? Know Its Possible Side Effects

The mornings in the Indian household begin with the strong aroma of tea in the house. The smell starts to smear in the house as the tea leaves start to boil in the mixture of water and milk along with the ginger and cardamom, giving it a subtle flavour. Milk tea is a staple in India and they say that it tastes best when tea leaves are properly boiled. However, do you think this over-boiled milk tea is good for your health? 

Recently, ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) came up with new guidelines warning that excessive consumption of milk tea can hinder iron absorption in our bodies. This shows that milk tea anyway isn’t very good for health but what hazard does over-boiled tea cause to our health? 

To understand how over boiling of tea can harm our health, OnlyMyHealth team spoke to Pooja Shah Bhave, Consultant  Dietician and Diabetes Educator, Mumbai.

Tea offers several benefits, however, it can have some side effects as well. First let’s look at its benefits. According to a study, black tea contains polyphenolic compounds like tannins, catechins, theaflavins and flavonoids which are natural antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight against harmful free radicals in the body and prevent diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Explaining the benefits of tannins, Bhave said, “Tannins promote release of nitric oxide which is a natural vasodilator i.e. it helps in expansion of blood vessels thus increasing blood circulation to the body. So this helps in controlling blood pressure if the tea is taken in moderation.”

Side Effects of Having Over-boiled tea

Although tannins have several advantages, excess tannins according to Bhave can have side effects. When we over-boil black tea or milk tea it releases excess tannins. 

Lowers Iron and Calcium

“Excess tannins compromise with nutrient absorption, especially Iron and calcium. So tea should preferably not be taken along with meals or nutrient supplements as they hamper the nutrient absorption. It is often seen that people taking excess tannins from several cups of strong tea get anaemia that is low haemoglobin concentration in the blood due to iron deficiency anaemia,” explained Bhave. 

Also read: Does Drinking Tea Help With Headaches? What Every Chai-Lover Needs To Know

Increases Blood Pressure

Excess tannins coming from several cups i.e. 7-8 cups of tea can increase your blood pressure. According to Bhave, the same effect can be seen in just 4 cups of tea if the tea is over-boiled every time or reheated several times to become over-boiled making it very strong and intense in tannins content.

Stomach Issues

Excess tannins also increase acidity and can cause stomach distress and pain. It can also lead to constipation, Bhave said. 

Caffeine Overdose

Tea also contains caffeine in small amounts. “When tea is over-boiled and taking several cups of tea in a day may cause caffeine overdose causing headache, insomnia and may hamper iron absorption,” said Bhave. It can also cause nausea, acidity causing heartburn,  bloating and may also become addictive. It may even lead to dehydration and dizziness. It may also produce carcinogens.

Also read: White Tea Vs Green Tea: Expert Shares Which Is Better For Your Health

Conclusion

So how much to boil the tea? It depends on the quantity also. As the water containing the tea, ginger, sugar and other herbs starts to boil, just reduce the flame and let the tea simmer for 2-5 minutes. It should not be more than this. Then once the milk is added, it should not be boiled for over a minute. Reheating the cold tea again and again is discouraged. Keep these side effects in mind and think twice before over-boiling your favourite adrak wali chai.