Chai Time

Nutritionist Dr. Payal Batra, Hiranandani Hospital says, "It is important to remember that different people will have different cut-offs for 'how much is too much' depending on their health status. However two to three cups a day on an average is okay for a healthy person."

This simply means that while you enjoy you tea daily, you must limit it to a maximum of three cups a day.

Here are some health hazards that you could face, if your drink too much of tea:

• Counting Sheep to Sleep?

If you drink more than three cups of tea, you will have trouble sleeping. And if you continue with your tea habit, it could lead to insomnia. This is because tea contains caffeine.

Remember that insomnia itself can lead to a lot of other physical and mental health problems.

Besides hampering with your sleep, tea is also a very addictive substance.

Sleep Where Art Thou tells you all about insomnia.

• Osteoporosis Knocking

According to Dr. Batra, tea contains tannins which interfere with the absorption of food in the body.

Simply put, if your body does not absorb the necessary calcium and vitamins, you miss out on the much required nutrients.

Another thing to know is that tannins bind or attaches itself to the free calcium in your body. This can lead to the excretion of calcium from your body, which in turn leads to osteoporosis.

Besides this, tea leaves contain fluoride. And excessive fluoride is bad since it eats away at the bone mass. This means that your bones may lose their density and get brittle. This condition may eventually lead to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis itself is a complex condition that could possibly lead to other bone problems like arthritis.

Supplement Your Diet tells you all about what you must have in your daily diet.