How Safe Is Iced Tea During Pregnancy?
5 min readWritten by Pradeep
Once you are pregnant, you have to be very careful as to what you eat or drink. You cannot indulge in anything without giving it a second thought. Your diet undergoes a lot of changes and you are forever scrutinized for what you eat and drink. Having said that, there are a lot of foods and beverages that you should avoid during pregnancy. Is iced tea one of them? Is it safe to drink iced tea during pregnancy?
Tea, be it hot or cold, contains caffeine. Caffeine intake is not encouraged during pregnancy. So moderation is the key here. Read on to find out more on this.
In This Article
- Caffeine Content in Iced Tea
- Is it Safe to Drink Iced Tea During Pregnancy?
- Top 5 Benefits of Iced Tea During Pregnancy
- 7 Major Problems With Drinking Iced Tea During Pregnancy
- Iced Tea Recipe
- FAQ’s
Caffeine Content in Iced Tea
When it comes to iced tea, the caffeine content varies with flavors and brands. Generally, a glass of iced tea contains less than 20mg (normally varies from12 to 18mg) of caffeine.
So as long as you don’t exceed 200 mg of your daily caffeine intake, you should be okay. Tea is generally better than coffee as tea contains less caffeine than coffee.
Is it Safe to Drink Iced Tea During Pregnancy?
If you are an iced tea lover, pregnancy may increase your urge to have it more frequently. Drinking packaged or bottled iced tea is not recommended during pregnancy as it contains a high amount of sugar.
On the other hand, having a couple of cups of homemade iced tea (with less sugar or you can add honey instead of sugar) will not do any harm to your pregnancy or your baby. Remember, moderation is the key here.
[Read : Are Herbal Teas Safe During Pregnancy?]
Top 5 Benefits of Iced Tea During Pregnancy
Iced tea is considered to be one of the healthiest drinks out there. Why? Just check out the list of benefits it has to offer:
1. Very Refreshing
If morning sickness is bothering you or if you are pregnant during the hot summer and the unbearable heat is killing you, all you need is a glass of Iced Tea. You can add flavors like ginger, mint, and lemon to your iced tea.
These fresh flavors and the taste will not only beat the heat, but also help to keep morning sickness at bay. It can be an instant energy booster too, thanks to the caffeine content in it.
2. Contains Antioxidants
Tea, be it hot or iced, contains good quantities of antioxidants so it helps to keep away the free radicals in your body which may increase due to a lot of hormonal changes happening in your body once you are pregnant. It also helps to prevent DNA damage.
3. Keeps the Brain Healthy
Being forgetful or clumsy are common signs of pregnancy. Tea helps to keep your brain active and healthy and this is something you really need while you are pregnant.
4. Prevents Cavities
Surprised, isn’t it?? While you are pregnant, your oral health can go for a toss. So Iced teas can help to prevent cavities.
5. Women With Gestational Diabetes Can Have it Too
If you have gestational diabetes, it may be better to have tea than coffee as unlike coffee, tea does not increase the risk of gestational diabetes during pregnancy. But make sure you have homemade iced tea only as store-bought iced teas are loaded with sugar and may not be for you.
7 Major Problems With Drinking Iced Tea During Pregnancy
As we mentioned earlier, tea does contain caffeine and too much caffeine can have harmful effects on you and your unborn baby. Some of the adverse effects of having excessive iced tea are:
1. Miscarriage
If you consume a high amount of tea, it can increase your chances of miscarriage as consuming more tea means intake of an excessive amount of caffeine. Caffeine is known to cause miscarriage during pregnancy.
2. Can Lead to Low Birth Weight
Excessive caffeine intake can be a cause of low birth weight in babies. Too much intake of iced tea pumps in a lot of caffeine.
3. Can Cause Stillbirth
In many studies that have been conducted, it has shown that excessive amounts of caffeine can cause stillbirth.
4. Increases Insomnia
One of the problems associated with pregnancy is loss of sleep. A pregnant woman can develop insomnia and if you are fond of having tea, then the caffeine content can increase insomnia and you will have to say goodbye to your sleep.
5. Can Cause Dehydration
Tea acts as a diuretic, increasing the frequency of urination can result in dehydration and unnecessary loss of certain minerals and salt.
6. Can Cause Anemia
Iced tea can hinder iron absorption in the body, triggering anemia in pregnant women.
7. Increase the Chances of Neural Tube Defects
It can hinder folic acid absorption, thereby, increasing the chances of neural tube defects like spina bifida.
[Read : What Causes Anencephaly During Pregnancy?]
Iced Tea Recipe
Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, and even berries can be used to make iced tea. On a hot summer day, ice teas are the best way to quench your thirst.
- Make a cup of your favorite black tea. Loose tea will be good. Bagged tea is acceptable as well. Allow it to cool. You can add ice cubes or chill them in the refrigerator.
- After you’ve made your simple syrup, all that’s left to do is stir it into the chilled black tea. In any case, the main flavor here will be that of the syrup you used, but the quality of the tea will be preserved.
So, it is best to practice moderation. It is okay to have a glass or two of iced tea during pregnancy without any harm and definitely it is a better option than coffee.
[Read : Drinking Green Tea In Pregnancy]
FAQ’s
1. Can Drinking Iced Tea During Pregnancy Cause a Miscarriage?
No it cannot unless you over load on iced teas. Iced teas have caffeine in them. An overload of caffeine can cause trouble during pregnancy.
2. Can I Drink Iced Tea at Night?
We would not recommend it. It has caffeine in it. This can keep you up at nights.
3. Can Drinking Iced Tea During Pregnancy Harm my Baby?
It is generally safe. Sometimes, over consumption of this can interfere with the body’s absorption of folic acid. Low folic acid might cause defects in the baby.
4. What Flavor Iced Tea Can I Drink When Pregnant?
You can have any flavor. The flavoring agent used is very little and can’t cause any harm. If you are allergic to some flavor, please avoid it.
Pradeep,
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