ask: Why is Iced Tea and not Hot Tea bad for kidney stones?
I just read the EmpowHer News article that says ice tea is the worst thing that someone is who is prone to kidney stones can drink (which is my husband), due to the oxalates in the iced tea.
Why is it specifically ice tea and not hot tea? Aren't they made from the same thing? Is it actually more about the quantity of tea? (it is easier to drink a large quantity of iced tea than hot tea). Is there any such thing as tea without oxalates? As the article says, we drink tea because we thought it was healthier than soda, and we get tired of drinking water.
(you can read article here: http://empowher.com/news/kidneys-and-urinary-system/2008/07/25/iced-teas...)
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Interesting question. We have forwarded your question to a tea expert who may be able to supply us with an answer on this one.
We also found a little bit of information that addresses why tea may be an issue in terms of kidney stones, but does not distinguish between hot and iced teas.
"Two large prospective studies found that the risk of developing symptomatic kidney stones decreased by 8% in women (61) and 14% in men (62) for each 8-ounce (235 mL) mug of tea consumed daily. A study in rats concluded that the antioxidants in green tea may be involved in inhibiting calcium oxalate precipitation and thus kidney stone formation (63). The implications of these findings for individuals with a previous history of calcium oxalate stone formation are unclear. High fluid intake, including tea intake, is generally considered the most effective and economical means of preventing kidney stones (64). However, tea consumption has been found to increase urinary oxalate levels in healthy individuals (65), and some experts continue to advise people with a history of calcium oxalate stones to limit tea consumption."
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/tea/
Details to come.
July 28, 2008 - 10:14amThis Comment
In other words the science does not support the hypothesis that drinking tea increased your chance of kidney stones. In fact the opposite is true.
April 24, 2009 - 9:19amYeah, in fact, drinking tea increased your chance of kidney stones. Otherwise, I think you should avoid caffeine and carbonated beverages which can make urine. Similarly, high sugar intake is associated with increased risk of kidney stones, so you can cut hundreds of calories and prevent future kidney stones by staying away from sugary drinks and foods. Keeping this step, you will pass your stones through your urine more effective.
February 19, 2010 - 8:58pm(Link removed by EmpowHER moderator.)
mrsmaria, no no no. The evidence on tea is mixed. The large study showed a modest decrease in kidney stones upon tea drinking. Nonetheless, tea, specifically black tea, is quite high in oxalates, which are responsible for most kidney stones. One suggestion is to be sure that the tea is either Green, Oolong or herbal, thus decreasing the oxalate content. Another is to go British, and add an ounce or so of cow's milk to each cup of (hot) tea. The calcium in the milk prevents the intestinal uptake of the oxalates. finally, in general, it's beneficial to keep fluid intake high. Water is recommended. So long as the kidneys have plenty of water, it's less likely that calcium oxalates will precipitate.
May 19, 2010 - 2:21pmIt was said that iced tea is healthier when brewed.
February 9, 2011 - 1:20pmAlso iced has too much fluoride and it can hurt in much bigger doses than that of tooth decay prevention.
You can read more about it here http://cherrey.110mb.com/index.php/risks-of-drinking-too-much-iced-tea/
The linked article specifically states that, "...they eventually found out that she drank an immense amount of iced tea every day. Tests of different brands of instant iced tea showed that some contained potentially harmful levels of fluoride. " This was a specific brand of instant tea (Yuck), not brewed tea in general. And this was 1-2 GALLONS of double-strength tea a day.
May 25, 2011 - 1:04pmI've written an article titled Risks of Drinking Too Much Iced Tea, you might want to read it.
May 26, 2011 - 11:44amhttp://cherrey.110mb.com/index.php/risks-of-drinking-too-much-iced-tea/