What to do if tea causes heart palpitations? Drinking tea is part of daily life for many people, whether it’s a cup in the morning or afternoon to unwind or boost alertness. However, drinking tea sometimes leads to palpitations. Why does tea make your heart beat faster or cause palpitations? How can you prevent it?
Why Does Drinking Tea Make Your Heart Race and Cause Palpitations?
This is because tea leaves contain caffeine and theophylline. Theophylline can cause “tea drunkenness,” leading to symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, a rapid heartbeat, and palpitations. This is especially common when drinking tea on an empty stomach, or after consuming strong tea or large amounts of tea. Drinking tea on an empty stomach stimulates stomach acid production, causing stomach discomfort and even triggering nausea and dizziness. Strong tea, being higher in theophylline and caffeine, is even more likely to cause tea drunkenness.
What to Do If Tea Causes Heart Palpitations?
Stop drinking tea and consume a little sugar to help relieve the symptoms of tea drunkenness. You can also eat sugary foods, fruit, sugar water, juice, or milk. Generally, if symptoms are mild, tea drunkenness will subside within 6 hours. However, please note that if symptoms are severe or you are unsure whether the palpitations or discomfort are caused by tea, you should seek medical attention first.
How to Prevent Tea-Induced Palpitations
1. Avoid drinking tea on an empty stomach, especially strong tea. 2. Freshly made tea, green tea, and lightly fermented oolong tea have higher theophylline content and are best avoided. 3. Opt for black tea, heavily fermented oolong, or Pu-erh tea, which contain less theophylline.
If heart palpitations from drinking tea happen frequently or persist, you may have a low tolerance for theophylline and caffeine. It is recommended to drink less tea or switch to other beverages to avoid experiencing tea-induced palpitations and a racing heart again. If these symptoms occur while drinking tea and are severe, it is advisable to consult a healthcare professional to rule out other health concerns.