After Sugar, Here's The New Dietary Guidelines For Tea, Coffee And Alcohol Consumption
ICMR in its latest guidelines, has said that consumption of tea and coffee should be limited and daily intake shouldn't exceed 300mg/day.
Avoid tea and coffee for at least one hour before and after meals as it interferes with iron absorption and puts one at risk of developing anaemia.
Revised 'Dietary Guidelines for Indians (DGIs)' issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research have advised people to keep a check on the timings of their tea and coffee consumption as tannin present in both beverages is known to interfere with iron absorption.
Tea And Coffee's Impact on Health
Both tea and coffee contain caffeine, a stimulant known to affect the central nervous system and induce psychological dependence.
A cup (150ml) of brewed coffee contains 80–120mg of caffeine, instant coffee contains 50–65mg and tea contains 30–65mg of caffeine.
As per the report, consumption of these beverages should be limited, with the recommended daily intake not exceeding 300mg/day.
Skip The Milk, Choose Green Tea Or Black Tea
The report advises consuming green and black tea without milk for optimal health benefits.
"Tea contains theobromine and theophylline which are known to relax arteries and thereby promote blood circulation. They also contain flavonoids and other antioxidant polyphenols, which may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stomach cancer. These benefits can be best obtained if milk is not added to tea and if it is taken in moderation," it said.
Excessive coffee intake has been linked to increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and elevated levels of total and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), contributing to heart disease risk.
'Avoid Alcoholic Beverages'
Alcoholic beverages contain ethyl alcohol in varying proportions. Beer contains 2–5% and wine 8–10% of alcohol, while brandy, rum and whisky contain much higher concentrations (30–40%).
Alcohol provides higher calories (7 Kcal/g) than carbohydrates and proteins and thus, can contribute to abdominal obesity.
"Ironically, excessive intake of alcohol is known to suppress appetite and interfere with absorption and metabolism of nutrients, leading to various nutritional deficiencies," the guidelines stated.
People who regularly consume more than two measures (containing 30ml of ethyl alcohol in each measure) are at a higher risk for hypertension and stroke.
Alcohol also increases serum triglyceride levels. Alcohol intake has also been shown to increase the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx, oesophagus, prostate and of the breast in women.
Excessive alcohol intake weakens the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) and also causes fatty liver, damages the liver (cirrhosis), brain and peripheral nerves.
