Reader Question: What happens if you drink green tea frequently? I really love green tea and drink more than a dozen cups every day to stay alert. Some people say green tea has many benefits, while others say it’s bad for your health—which is correct? Is drinking green tea frequently good or bad for your health overall?
Chang Hsing Tea: Green tea is a healthy and delicious beverage. When consumed properly and in moderation, it offers a wealth of health benefits. However, drinking it in excess can still have some negative effects. The great advantages of regular green tea consumption include helping you stay alert, burning and converting fat, boosting immunity, and supporting cardiovascular health. But if you drink too much, you may run into issues like insomnia, jitteriness, and poor iron absorption, so it’s best to keep an eye on your intake.
The most obvious drawback of frequent green tea consumption is the tendency to cause insomnia. This is because green tea contains caffeine. A little helps you stay alert, but drinking too much easily leads to insomnia, overexcitement, and other issues. The daily caffeine limit is 300 mg. Given that a 200 ml cup of green tea contains about 20 to 30 mg of caffeine, drinking a dozen cups or more could easily exceed that limit, so moderation is key.
Additionally, pregnant women and children should avoid drinking green tea too often. Since green tea can hinder the absorption of nutrients like iron, and pregnant women and children require ample nutrition, it is best for them to reduce their green tea intake.
▲ Drinking too much green tea can easily lead to insomnia.