Hi ! 

Every month we explore the who, what, where, when and why of an important topic so by the end of the month, you’ll have more information and confidence to make meaningful changes to eat and live better with IBD.

This month’s theme: Teas & Herbal Teas

You tea connoisseurs know that herbal “teas” aren’t technically “teas” but “infusions”. However, for our purposes, we’re grouping herbal infusions with our tea series. 

This week we’ll talk about true teas from the tea plant. Next week we’ll address popular gut-soothing herbal teas. 

Green, black, white and oolong teas all come from the Camellia sinensis plant, an evergreen bush native to both China and India. Whether the tea becomes “green” or “black” depends on how long the leaves are exposed to air to dry after they’re removed from the plant. This process is called oxidation, and it contributes to the tea’s color, flavor, and strength. As tea leaves oxidize, they darken. Black tea is fully oxidized, hence its dark color. To make green tea, plucked leaves are quickly heated and dried to minimize oxidation. So green teas remain green.   

Next to water, tea is the most widely drank beverage in the world. Its rich history dates back thousands of years. Obviously there’s much to write about, but our focus is on its health benefits and what to consider when drinking tea with IBD.

General Health Benefits of Tea

There is evidence to suggest that regular tea drinking may protect against the following conditions: 

• Cancers, digestive: gastric, esophageal, colorectal
• Cancers, other: breast, lung, oral, ovarian, prostate, skin
• Cardiovascular disease: heart attack, stroke 
• Diabetes Type 2
• Inflammatory bowel disease 
• Neurological diseases: dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis 
• Periodontal disease

Researchers credit most of tea’s health benefits to its polyphenolic compounds — notably catechins in green tea and theaflavins in black tea.

Polyphenols are powerful anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants. Antioxidants protect cells from by-products of everyday metabolism and toxins in our environment. Without antioxidants, these by-products can damage cells and lead to a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer.

Among other benefits, research suggests that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a catechin in green tea, and theaflavins in black tea strengthen the intestinal barrier, protect against chronic gastrointestinal inflammation, and inhibit proteins closely associated with tumor growth and metastasis. Findings from large studies link these compounds to reduced risk of colon and rectal cancers. 

You might wonder how much tea you need to drink to reap tea’s digestive health benefits. The research is inconclusive, but some studies suggest as little as 1 1/2 cups per day can help.

Tea & IBD: Other considerations

While we have more to learn about tea and IBD, there’s considerable research to support drinking it.

However, consider these potential drawbacks.

Caffeine

Both green and black tea contain caffeine, which can trigger GI upset, particularly diarrhea and fecal urgency, among some individuals. If you suspect caffeine worsens your symptoms, tea may or may not work for you.

Here’s what you need to know about tea and caffeine…

Many factors influence caffeine levels in tea, including where it’s from, how it’s processed and how it’s prepared. Black tea generally has more caffeine than green tea because it’s fully oxidized, and steeped longer and at hotter temperatures. Outside of a laboratory, it’s impossible to determine exactly how much caffeine is in a single cup of tea, but black tea usually has about 1/2 the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee whereas green tea has closer to 1/4th the caffeine as a cup of coffee. Some will have more, some will have less.

So, if you want to try tea but you’re nervous about where to start, your best bet is to begin with a cup of weak green tea. If you’re using loose tea, that means you should use less than 1 teaspoon tea leaves per 6 ounces water. 

Tannins

Green and black tea have tannins. Although tannins are good for us, they can inhibit the absorption of nutrients, including iron. If you have or you’re at risk for an iron deficiency, drink your tea separately from iron-rich meals by at least 30 minutes.

Coming up later in the month

Over the next few weeks we’ll identify GI benefits of herbal teas, review practical tea drinking tips and share a special recipe to help you enjoy and tolerate tea as part of your IBD-friendly diet. 

As always, send us your questions and feedback!

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Did you know that smoothies are one of the simplest and tastiest ways for people with inflammatory bowel disease to consume wholesome foods, including fruits, vegetables and other high-fiber foods, like nuts and seeds EVEN while following a “low-fiber” diet.

Learn everything you ever wanted to know in our book Smoothies to the Rescue!  

Check it out

Do you have a question about these topics, or something else? Just reply with your question to this email and it may appear in an upcoming newsletter.

In good health,

Colleen, Bertina & Scott

This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is in no way intended as medical counseling or medical advice. Results may vary