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Regardless of the time of year, iced tea always makes for a delicious and refreshing drink. But, health experts say that sweetened iced tea can actually cause a lot of harm to your body because of the sugar it contains. In fact, it can even lead to a slew of diseases and ailments! Here's why you should find a new go-to drink and ditch the sweetened iced tea:
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1. It can cause kidney failure?!
“Iced tea is full of oxalic acid, which, when taken in excess, deposits in your kidneys and mucks up the work of removing waste from the blood,” says Scott Youngquist, M.D., an emergency physician at University of Utah Health Care. Yikes!
2. There's a lot of sugar in your iced tea
Sweetened iced tea is just that, sweetened. One cup (8 fl oz) of iced tea can have about 33 grams of sugar! That can definitely do some damage to your waistline over time.
3. There are a lot of calories in there, too!
Depending on the brand of iced tea you've chosen, you could be drinking at least 240 calories!
4. All of that sugar isn't doing you any favors
If you enjoy a sugary glass of iced tea every day, you're putting yourself at risk for becoming obese and developing Type 2 diabetes.
5. Too much iced tea can cause stroke
Drinking iced tea increases your sugar intake, which elevates your triglyceride level. When done in excess, this can put you at a higher risk for stroke.
6. The caffeine isn't good for you either
One 8 fl oz cup of iced tea can contain around 47 milligrams of caffeine. When overconsumed, it can have a negative effect on the cardiovascular system.
7. It can cause kidney stones, too!
Since iced tea is high in oxalates, it may make you more prone to kidney stones. This will happen if too many of the oxalates bind with calcium and accumulate in your kidneys.
8. It can cause iron deficiency
The tannins in tea can distrupt the absorption of iron in the body, especially when it comes to the iron that comes from vegetables.
