Here’s what too many cups of Chai can do to your body in winter

We are in the middle of the winter season when we crave all the hot & warm beverages. In India, nothing matters more than a cup of hot tea with some snacks to go along with it. We swear by Adrak wali chai, Gud wali chai, Masala chai, etc. The love for tea is so much that sometimes we don’t realise the number of cups that we consume in a day in the winter season. However, have you ever realised how much caffeine is going into your body having so many cups of tea? Well, we don’t and it certainly affects our health in a negative manner. The types of teas that we mentioned are good for health but should be consumed in a limited quantity. Here’s why you must limit the number of cups in a day… (Images courtesy: iStock)

Many of you might not have realised this, but drinking more than 2-3 cups of tea can give you constipation. Tea is loaded with Theophylline, which is a chemical that can lead to dehydration effect during digestion, which can cause constipation in your body. This is for those, who believe that early morning cuppa helps them have a clear bowel movement, which is completely the opposite.

It contains caffeine, and an excessive intake of which directly interferes with the melatonin hormone that sends your brain the signal to sleep. Studies suggest that excessive caffeine can inhibit the production of the melatonin hormone which results in poor sleep.

Let’s accept it, caffeine is a mood-enhancing drug and this is why we either feel relaxed after a cup of hot tea. However, when we consume too much caffeine, it can lead to heart palpitations, restlessness and sleep disruption. All this can lead to anxiety in a person.

It has been argued many times that one should not consume tea first thing in the morning, as that can lead to a huge acidity in the body. The same goes when you consume more than 2-3 cups of tea in the whole day. Too much caffeine in the day can produce stomach acid, which can give you nightmares.

This is especially for men, as research has shown that men who are heavy tea drinkers may be at higher risk for prostate cancer than those who don't.