Customer Inquiry: I’ve recently gotten into drinking green tea, but I often experience stomach aches, stomach pain, and diarrhea afterward, which is really frustrating. Is it normal to have diarrhea after drinking green tea? Is there any way to improve this condition?
Diarrhea After Drinking Green Tea
Liao Chang Xing: Experiencing diarrhea after drinking green tea is a common headache for many people. Sometimes, shortly after drinking it, stomach cramps and pain set in, followed by a series of bouts of diarrhea. Some people think it’s due to poor tea quality, but that’s rarely the case. More often than not, it’s because the tea doesn’t suit an individual’s constitution.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, people have different constitutions ranging from hot to cold, and tea properties can be cooling or warming. People with different constitutions should choose their tea accordingly. Those with a warm or heat-prone constitution should drink cooling teas, while those with a weak and cold digestive system should drink neutral or warming teas. Green tea is a cooling tea, so people with cold-sensitive stomachs are prone to diarrhea after drinking it.
To solve the issue of diarrhea after drinking green tea, the first rule is never to drink tea on an empty stomach. Many people like to have a cup of green tea on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, which is not a good habit. The best way to improve this is to drink it after a meal. Additionally, some people brew their tea lighter at first and gradually make it stronger to let their bodies adapt to the tea’s properties. If this doesn’t help, green tea simply might not be right for your constitution, and you can switch to herbal tea or other beverages depending on your preference.