9 Reasons to Quit Tea on a Carnivore Diet (#7 is a Downer)

Tea Carnivore

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If you have a cup of tea in the morning, you are one of two billion people who do so. After water, tea is the second most popular beverage in the world.

Maybe because it has been here for thousands of years, it’s incredibly versatile, or it became an inherent part of so many cultures like the British and Indian ones. Wars started and disputes ended because of it.

Tea is so important to us; we even have a national day to celebrate it. Who would doubt this drink?

Tea Carnivore

Is it any good?

Tea is rich in caffeine, traditional and not herbal one, antioxidants, and polyphenols. Caffeine gives you that buzz of energy, and antioxidants detoxify your body on a cellular level so they say but they may in fact instead do damage.

Polyphenols are chemical compounds that are celebrated for aiding with digestion, improving brain function, and might protect against heart disease and even cancer. However, human studies are not conclusive and they could be doing more harm than good.

In fact, most studies done on anti-nutrients and polyphenols are based on epidemiology which doesn’t prove anything. Theses types of studies rely on food questionnaires and don’t involve intervention. People that like epidemiology are click bate journalists and those wanting to sell more tea or products.

Most doctors and proponents in the carnivore diet community avoid polyphenols like the plague as they possibly inhibit certain digestive enzymes. As discussed in this study:

Why should you give up your hot cup of joy?

Tea is a plant-based drink, so it’s not really the right fit for carnivores. They chose to live with a simplistic menu that fuels their body with all they need without side effects like contamination associated with pants and plant products.

If one is in need of more energy a carnivore diet free of plant matter may just provide that. Most people that go carnivore report increases of energy after their initial adaptation period.

If you are new to the carnivore diet you can check out our extensive article called:

1. It Decreases Nutrient Absorption

Tea is rich in tannins, a polyphenol. It has a high affinity for iron, so it binds to it. In other words, tannins love iron and hold on to it making it impossible for your body to use it. It decreases iron absorption, and leads to and exacerbates anemia (1).

Therefore, anemic individuals and pregnant ladies should avoid drinking tea especially right after meals, at least that’s what the doctors say.

Moreover, caffeine can flush out calcium in the urine. This increases the risk of osteoporosis. Therefore, older women should avoid it.

2. It’s Linked With Oesophageal Cancer and Research Isn’t Sure If It Decreases The Risk Of Other Cancers

While tea can be served ice-cold or very hot, most people enjoy their cup hot. We brew it and drink immediately. This makes tea an accomplice in oesophageal cancer.

Very hot tea injures the cells lining your esophagus and constant injury forces your body to renew its cells quickly. If errors happen in this hasty regeneration, cancer can happen.

Also…

A meta-analysis of 41 studies with over 3 million participants yielded that drinking tea didn’t decrease the risk of cancer. They studied its effect on the stomach, breast, prostate, liver, and colorectal cancers. In fact, one subdivision analysis found a positive relationship between drinking 3 cups of tea a day and breast cancer (2).

I know that’s a study based on epidemiology but I figured it should have been mentioned.

Green Tea

3. Scientists Aren’t So Sure If It’s Great For Your Heart

According to a Cochrane systematic review, current research on the effects of green and black tea on cardiovascular disease’s risk factors is inconclusive.

Trials done are small, so result analysis should be done very carefully. Until high-quality long-term trials are done, these effects will remain questionable (3).

4. Antioxidant Effect of Tea Can Be Diminished But Does That Help?

Just adding a splash of milk to your tea may substantially decrease antioxidant power. Protein and possibly fat in milk binds to flavonoids, polyphenols, in tea and may inactivate them.

It doesn’t matter if you use whole, half-skimmed, or skimmed milk. They all apparently have the same effect.

But then again this is not totally conclusive. It’s still wise to take tea off your shopping list, especially if you are going to be on the carnivore diet.

5. It Stains and Erodes Teeth

Tannic acid, a type of tannins, is responsible for the dark color of tea. It also likes to settle in pits and grooves in your teeth. With time, this process will stain your teeth. In some cases, the staining is permanent.

While you may not sweeten your drink, certain tea brands will do that for you. This encourages erosions and dental cavities.


Also, tea is acidic which further contributes to enamel erosion with its complications up to teeth loss. Keep this in mind the next time you have a squeeze of lemon in your tea.

Your dentist is not going to love this article as most people that go on a carnivore diet experience better dental health and now that you may be removing tea your teeth may be set up for improvement.

Tea Drinking Morning

6. Dehydration, Nausea, and Heartburn If You Drink It First Thing In The Morning

Most people enjoy their cup of tea early in the morning, and they shouldn’t. Having tea on an empty stomach is potentially unhealthy.

Tea is a diuretic, and having it after 8 hours of sleep is not smart as it might dehydrate you.

It might also affect your bile juice activity and cause nausea. It is acidic, and an empty stomach has acidic juice in it. Therefore, some people experience heartburn.

7. Not The Fat Burner You Thought It Is

Sorry to burst your bubble but green tea is not going to shed those pounds for you. Another Cochrane systematic review proved that green tea has no significant weight loss effect.

It doesn’t even help in weight maintenance (5). Weight loss needs real work day in day out not quick fixes. Some people have phenomenal weight loss results on a carnivore diet. Check out these testimonials:

  1. MeatRX Testimonials

Also, the magic tea advertisement is a hoax, and these products might even contain harmful substances. They may have side effects like abdominal pain or discomfort, constipation, increased blood pressure, etc.

Totally uncool!

Green Tea Sleep

8. Caffeine Related Side Effects

Different preparations of tea vary wildly in their caffeine content. Caffeine may make you feel more anxious, nervous, and stressed.

Excessive intake may tamper with your biological clock which negatively affects your sleep quality and pattern. This may harm your cognitive abilities like memory and focus.

Headaches are common too if you have intermittent caffeine surges. This is due to caffeine dependence and can happen even with small amounts of tea.

Caffeine has been linked with miscarriages and low infant birth weight (6). Hence, pregnant ladies might want to give up their tea.

Experts suggest a maximum of two cups a day. Carnivores say 0 cups per day.

9. Black Tea Might Act Like Estrogen

Therefore, individuals with estrogen-sensitive conditions like endometriosis, uterine cancer, breast, and uterine cancer should avoid it.

An imbalance in hormones can lead to all sorts of problems. Those of us on a carnivore diet usually experience a proper leveling of hormones and when you take out tea it just gives you a better chance for success.

What to Drink on a Carnivore Diet?

Water is the only drink you truly need. It keeps you well-hydrated and supports all your bodily functions. You can also have a nutrient-rich and carnivore-friendly broth.

We wrote a few articles to help you in the drink department:

Drinking Water

Tea, coffee, and alcohol shouldn’t be part of your diet. However, we all have different backgrounds, and it’s okay if some need more time to quit different habits.

If you are new to the diet, Dr. Shawn Baker, author of, “The Carnivore Diet”, recommends that you wait for at least a month to change your drinking habits and take it gradually. Whatever you choose, be proud of yourself because every change you do matters.

If you are looking for like minded individuals check out the Facebook Group “World Carnivore Tribe”. Here you will find both newbies to the carnivore diet as well as veterans.

If getting a coach interests you check out MeatRX Carnivore Coaching!

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or dietician or nutritionist. Consult with and ask your doctor about any diet or medical-related questions. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition.

Resources

1. The Mechanism of the Inhibition of Iron Absorption by Tea

2. Tea consumption and the risk of five major cancers: a dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies

3. Green and black tea for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease

4. Addition of Whole, Semiskimmed, and Skimmed Bovine Milk Reduces the Total Antioxidant Capacity of Black Tea

5. Green tea for weight loss and weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults

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