How Black Tea Can Negatively Affect Your Kidneys

Black tea is widely known as a very healthy drink that increases focus and protects our cardiovascular health. However, everything should be consumed in moderation. 

Excessive consumption of black tea can lead to kidney failure, according to a specialist in The New England Journal of Medicine. An example is an elderly patient who had damaged her kidney due to overdrinking this beverage. According to this physician, black tea contains a lot of oxalates —natural compounds that work as an anti-nutrient for the body and can form crystals— which can be a hidden source of renal failure.

A Real Example 

The patient mentioned previously had symptoms of fatigue, and his body ached. Also, his serum creatinine level had doubled the milligrams compared to the last level he had recorded. Furthermore, the urine test he did showed a high level of calcium oxalate crystals, and the patient had never had illnesses or conditions related to kidney failure beforehand, nor a family history showing any indication of it. He did, however, comment that he drank more than fifteen glasses of iced tea every day.

It is estimated that almost 85% of the tea consumed in the U.S. is black tea. Knowing its richness in oxalates, it is deemed obvious what the source of the patient’s kidney failure was. According to the Journal, the patient was getting 30 times more milligrams of oxalate daily than the average recommended by professionals. The patient was put on dialysis when treated by a team of experts.

Other Risky Foods

There are also some foods that can put you at a higher risk of kidney damage due to high oxalate levels, such as star fruit, peanuts, and cucumber tree fruit.

The Bottom Line

Black tea is considered a healthy beverage worldwide. However, your kidneys’ health may be negatively affected if this popular drink is consumed in large amounts because of its high levels of oxalate.