By Adam
When it comes to protecting the kidneys, most people correctly believe the more water you drink and the healthier you eat, the better your kidneys will fare.
These simple truths are grounded in solid science, and while eating well is generally a surefire way to help keep your kidneys functioning…
The University of Utah recently observed that kidney failure might result when consuming high amounts of this healthy drink.
As you know, the kidneys act as the body’s filtration system.
When we don’t drink enough fluids, or alternately, we abuse our kidneys by subjecting them to high amounts of chemicals and toxins, kidney function may become compromised, and eventual failure may result.
This is why doctors admonish patients to ramp up the number of healthy beverages and detoxification agents they consume.
Sadly, one of the most popular beverages in America, one that is generally regarded as healthy for most of the population, may cause issues for people who are worried about kidney failure.
Apparently, unsweetened iced tea could injure the kidneys thanks to a chemical compound hidden inside.
Iced tea is a black tea generally regarded to be safe for large consumption.
But as an Arkansas man discovered, drinking copious amounts of it has the capacity to ruin kidney function.
Back in May of 2014, a 56-year-old gentleman checked into the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System after he discovered that he was feeling weak and fatigued.
The medical staff ran a battery of tests on him while assessing his diet.
That’s when they discovered the gentleman drank the equivalent of 1-gallon of iced tea daily.
The excessive consumption strained his kidneys to the max and was causing them to fail.
The reason the black tea harmed kidney function had little to do with caffeine content, but how the black tea he drank was loaded with a chemical known as oxalic acid.
And oxalic acid can seriously impede kidney function.
Scott Youngquist, MD, an emergency physician at the University of Utah Health said the following on a blog post warning about iced tea consumption and kidney failure.
“Iced tea is full of oxalic acid, which, when taken in excess, deposits in your kidneys and mucks up the work of removing waste from the blood.”
He continued, “this patient was drinking 16 8-ounce glasses of iced tea per day for an unknown period of time. This created a load of oxalic acid that his kidneys couldn’t handle, leading to renal failure.”
If this is alarming, consider this; most people don’t need to worry about consuming the amount of oxalic acid as this gentleman did.
It’s estimated he was consuming 1,500mg of oxalic daily by way of tea consumption. On average, the typical American diet only delivers 150-500mg of oxalic acid daily.
If, on the other hand, you do drink tea in excess, consider limiting how much you drink. Additionally, beware of the fact that tea isn’t the only source of oxalic acid you need to worry about.
Youngquist warned that “this kind of kidney failure has also been reported due to excessive consumption of star fruit, cucumber fruit, rhubarb and peanuts.”
