Attention to people who brew and drink barley tea instead of water... Is there any health concern?

It is common to see people boiling barley tea at home and using it as drinking water. In addition, many people drink various other types of tea as if they were drinking water. Is it really safe for health to drink tea instead of regular drinking water?

◇Recommendation of Grain Tea as a Water Substitute… Some Teas Including Barley Tea Are Not a Major Problem Even if Drunk as Drinking Water if Kidney Health is Poor To get straight to the point, some teas made from grains, including barley tea, do not cause significant issues even if consumed as water. Huh Jeong-yeon, a nutritionist at Gachon University Gil Medical Center, said, "Teas made from grains such as barley tea and brown rice tea do not cause problems when consumed as water because they have no special side effects." Grain teas like barley tea are rich in dietary fiber, making them good for dieting and diabetes prevention, and they are also effective in improving gut health. Additionally, they contain minerals such as sodium and potassium, which help maintain electrolyte balance in the body.

However, people with impaired kidney function should avoid grain tea. This is because the potassium in grain tea may not be properly excreted, potentially causing issues such as heart attacks, muscle paralysis, and arrhythmias. Huh Jeong-yeon, the head of nutrition, said, "Grain tea contains a lot of soluble mineral potassium, but people with kidney problems who cannot properly excrete calcium should not drink it," and she added, "In fact, we often recommend chronic kidney disease patients to drink plain water instead of tea."

◇Avoid teas containing caffeine; even omija tea can be problematic. Teas such as green tea, black tea, and others containing caffeine are not suitable as water substitutes. According to the Korea Food & Drug Administration, the caffeine content per 100ml of beverages is ▲green tea 25-50mg ▲black tea 20-60mg ▲oolong tea 20-60mg. Drinking just a few cups can easily exceed the recommended daily caffeine intake of 400mg. Excessive caffeine intake can cause various side effects. Nutritionist Heo Jeong-yeon stated, “Caffeine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which can induce anxiety and insomnia,” and “Caffeine also promotes diuretic effects, which can lead to dehydration.”

Some people with poor liver health drink houttuynia cordata tea instead of water. However, those with high liver enzyme levels or existing liver disease should avoid it. The compounds in houttuynia cordata, such as ampelopsin and hovenin, can become highly concentrated in tea and may cause liver problems. In fact, a research team at Seoul Asan Medical Center analyzed patients who underwent liver transplants due to acute toxic hepatitis over 15 years and found houttuynia cordata to be one of the main causes. Many people also consume houttuynia juice for health benefits, but caution is needed as it can also burden those with poor liver function.

In addition, corn silk tea and cassia seed tea should also be consumed with caution over a long period of time instead of water, as side effects may occur. Director Heo Jeong-yeon said, "There is no absolute standard for intake amount, but other teas besides grain tea should be limited to about one or two cups a day."

<Source: Health Chosun>