When we think of drinks we know are bad for our health, the first thing we think of is likely alcohol. Then we might think of soda. But none of us would likely think of iced tea, right? I mean, it’s practically a health food.
Unfortunately too much iced tea is actually really, really bad for you. And it’s a lesson a 56-year-old man in Arkansas now knows too well. The man will now likely be on dialysis for life thanks to his 16-cups-of-iced-tea-a-day habit.
Black tea contains a lot of a compound called oxalate, which can harm our kidneys, according to Live Science. That said, this man was drinking a gallon of the stuff a day. So does our typical consumption cause as much of a problem?
Doctors seem to suggest no. That’s comforting, right?
Unfortunately we all are probably consuming more oxalate than we should be anyway. It is found in spinach, chocolate, nuts, wheat bran and many other common foods. The recommendation is 50 milligrams per day, but many of us are consuming more like 152 milligrams to 511 milligrams. Yikes.
Personally, my takeaway is that no matter what the drink, there is nothing that compares to plain old boring water. Water rocks, and it’s usually free. It clears the skin and flushes the system, and so long as you drink the recommended amount, it won’t kill you, hurt you or maim your body.
So yes, let’s drop all other drinks. Except coffee. Let’s not be rash here.
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