Tea and Health

Tea and Health

Hydration

We all know that it is vital to drink enough fluids as not drinking enough can lead to dehydration – this can cause tiredness, weakness, headaches, constipation and even harm your kidneys.

Many of us force ourselves to drink 8 glasses of water a day not realizing that tea, like water, is hydrating and counts towards the daily fluid intake. This is because tea is 99.5% water.

It is a common misconception that tea causes dehydration and this myth has largely been related to the confusion surrounding caffeine. We know that a very high caffeine intake can make you pass more water. However the amount of caffeine in tea is relatively low and up to six cups of tea (300mg of caffeine) can be drunk daily with no danger of causing any diuretic effect.

So, the message is clear – Tetley is a delicious way to help you stay hydrated.

Caffeine and pregnancy

When you're pregnant, the Food Standards Authority (FSA) advise 200mg/day as the maximum daily caffeine intake.

That's because according to the British Medical Journal in November 2008, too much caffeine can lead to a lower birth weight and an increased risk of miscarriage. Caffeine stays in your system for longer when you are pregnant and passes easily into your growing baby who cannot readily metabolise it.

Now if you enjoy a cuppa, cutting down may seem difficult. But it doesn't have to be. At Tetley we want you to enjoy your pregnancy without it being stressful.

So to help you to reduce your caffeine intake, we've got a range of tasty hot drink options that are caffeine free, including Tetley Redbush and Tetley Decaf, as well as our herbal infusions Peppermint and Camomile.

For more information on tea and health, visit the UK Tea Council website.