Can Tea Cause
Heartburn?
Heartburn is the painful and burning sensation that comes along with a condition known
as acid reflux. It is one of the most common symptoms experienced by
about ten percent of the world’s population. At some point in our lives, this condition may
happen, but the good thing is that it can be treated.
Acid reflux is a condition during which the gastric acids
and some of the stomach’s content rise back up into the esophagus, leaving the patient with
severe pain and discomfort in the abdominal area, within the chest, and spreading even to the neck and
throat.
This symptom, though commonly
known as heartburn, does not have any connection to heart problems.
However, if it is becoming
recurrent, the person suffering from it may have greater problems, as it may be a symptom of GERD of Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease. Another term for
heartburn is Pyrosis, defined as non-cardiac chest pain.
What are the Common Causes of Heartburn?
When food enters the stomach, the LES or the
Lower Esophageal Sphincter, a band of muscles that connects the upper stomach and the esophagus,
closes to prevent reflux. When the LES weakens and fails to close, some of the stomach’s content flow back and may
irritate the esophagus. This partially digested food is acidic, which is why the
person experiencing reflux will feel a burning sensation within the chest, rising up to the
throat.
Heartburn can also be aggravated by natural conditions such as
pregnancy, or other diseases such as obesity and asthma. Studies
also showed that a lot of foods can also contribute to the cause of the
condition, including those which are high in fat and caffeine content. Processed tea is one of the
products that are found to be high in caffeine and other ingredients which can definitely add to
the cause of heartburn.
What You Need to Know About Tea
Tea is a popular in providing a lot of health
benefits. Like coffee, tea is full of antioxidants that
target free radical molecules, help fight cancer and help slow down aging. It is also an effective and natural way
in treating a number of diseases within the body.
A study showed that tea drinkers have lower risks in developing
certain diseases such as heart disorders and high blood pressure, compared to
non-tea drinkers. This drink has also been proven to increase HDL or good
cholesterol. However, a lot of people claimed that tea also has negative effects to our
health and that it is one of the major causes of acid reflux and heartburn.
Tea and Heartburn
Like coffee, tea is also rich in caffeine.
This ingredient can cause indigestion in some individuals, and also leads to stomach irritation. This usually happens when you drink it on an empty
stomach. Another ingredient found in tea are Polyphenols. These compounds can also cause
indigestion and heartburn. They are known to be stimulators of gastric acids which largely
contribute to the causes of acid reflux.
One common misconception involves switching
from black tea to green tea as a way to alleviate the problem. This usually doesn’t help, since both types have
caffeine in them.
However, not all types of tea share the same negative effect.
Herbal teas which do not contain caffeine can actually help relieve indigestion and heartburn.
These are types which are boiled directly from the leaves and roots of plants,
such as peppermint and dandelion.
If you are a tea-person, suffering from heartburn and
indigestion, you don’t need to totally eliminate tea from your diet. You just have to try it in the
herbal (caffeine free) loose leaf form. As it really does help in
achieving a healthier body, there’s no need to completely eliminate it from your diet.
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