When does lemon tea harm your health? – Dietetics – Articles |

Let’s start with the question of whether adding lemon to tea will alleviate the symptoms of a cold. Most of us will answer: Yes, because it contains vitamin C.

According to the recommendations of the Food and Nutrition Institute, an adult should consume about 70 mg of vitamin C a day. The demand increases, among others precisely during fever and weakness, therefore it is reasonable to increase its supply in the diet during the disease. The more that we know that ascorbic acid alleviates the course of colds. However, contrary to popular belief, vitamin C does not improve immunity, but only reduces the risk of developing the disease in the event of a cold and increased physical exertion. Citrus fruits are not the best source of vitamin C. We can find more of this vitamin, for example, in blackcurrant – an adult’s demand will be covered by a handful of fruit. The second thing: vitamin C is sensitive to high temperatures, so treating it with boiling water will result in significant losses. If we decide to add lemon to tea, let’s wait for the infusion to cool a little.

The tea infusion itself also has health benefits. It is a source of vitamins, minerals and polyphenols. Thanks to these ingredients, it helps in the fight against viruses, but also relaxes and improves mood.

Can a mixture of freshly brewed tea with lemon harm?

It turns out that not necessarily. Tea in its composition has aluminum. It is harmless to us because it is hard to digest. When the tea is brewed, only small amounts of the metal pass into the brew, the rest accumulates in the coffee grounds.

The matter becomes more complicated when we add lemon juice to the hot tea during the brewing process. After adding the acid, aluminum in tea forms available aluminum citrate, which can be very harmful to the body. It is deposited in tissues, including in the brain, it is believed that it may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease (research on this is continuing). There is only one condition for such a reaction to take place – grounds must remain in the tea vessel. Only then can the lemon acid leach the aluminum. After removing the grounds, we are safe.

Where does the clay in tea come from?

Tea grows in soils rich in aluminum, accumulating it in its leaves (especially in young leaves). The ability to accumulate this metal depends, among others, on than the kind of tea – some of them absorb it more easily, others more difficult.

To drink or not to drink?

So if you like to drink tea with lemon, you don’t have to give it up. However, remember to add lemon to the infusion without the coffee grounds and only after it has cooled down. If you don’t care about vitamin C, but only about the taste of the drink, you don’t have to wait for the temperature of the brew to decrease.