What’s The Deal With Loaded Teas?

This trendy beverage has become widely popular on social media over the years. It promotes more energy and even weight loss. But is it a good idea? What’s the deal with loaded teas?

What is a loaded tea?

A loaded tea is a brightly colored tea with caffeine, vitamins, minerals, typically an artificial sweetener and colors. It may have add-ins like aloe or collagen. The thing of it is there isn’t a standard way of making a loaded tea, which also means there isn’t a nutritional profile that fits across the board. It varies according to how the tea is made and this isn’t always transparent to the person buying the drink. 

Caffeine

It is safe for most healthy adults to consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day. That can be 2-4 cups of homebrewed coffee. If you’re grabbing a coffee from Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts then the amount can be more or less for just one cup especially if you consider the size of the coffee. 

Generally speaking below are some amounts of caffeine in beverages:

• 12-ounce can of cola: 35-45 mg
• 8-ounce energy drink: 70-100 mg
• 8-ounce cup of tea: up to 70 mg

Is it a bad thing to have too much caffeine? Well, it can be depending on the person and the side effects that they experience. Drinking too much caffeine can cause:

• Anxiety
• Fast heart rate
• Dehydration
• Dizziness
• Restlessness
• Dependency

Caffeine can also cause an upset stomach because it produces stomach acids. This is why drinking caffeinated beverages (a loaded tea would count in this example) on an empty stomach may not be a good idea for someone who experiences this. 

Tea concentrate

Herbalife is a popular tea concentrate used in loaded teas, but there are others that can be used. You may find them promoted on social media, in nutrition clubs or on a digital platform (like a website or digital storefront). What exactly is in the tea concentrate will vary based on the concentrate being used. One of Herbalife’s tea concentrate has minimal calories, caffeine (85 mg per serving) and a blend of black, orange and green tea. A serving size will make 6-8 ounces of tea, if the person making it is sticking to that serving size. 

Are loaded teas healthy?

If you look at the ingredients individually, they are not harmful. The problem is with the amounts and the combination of ingredients together. 

Stimulants have to be used with caution and not necessarily in large doses all at once. People can react differently to caffeine, as well as other ingredients in a loaded tea. Some are more sensitive to caffeine than others. Energy drinks like these can also promote headaches, digestive concerns and jitters.

For someone consuming too many of these in a day it can start to affect quality of sleep at night, which in turn affects food choices the following day. When you are tired you don’t make the best food choices. This starts to create a cycle of low energy, probably the very reason why you even turned to the loaded tea in the first place. 

Instead of relying on a loaded tea to “fix” some issues you might be experiencing, it could be helpful to get to the root cause of the problem. In other words, let’s learn “why” you need more energy. This might require looking at lifestyle choices and seeing where you can make changes. One on one nutrition counseling with a Registered Dietitian can help you dig through some challenges you are having with nutrition and food choices. 

Who should be careful about drinking a loaded tea?

Energy drinks have been a rising concern for teens and young adults. The number of energy drink related emergency rooms visits between 2007 and 2011. In 2011, 10% of these emergency room visits had to be hospitalized. Whoa! Here’s another interesting fact: almost 30% of teens between the ages of 12-17 drink them regularly. 

There can be some serious side effects for teens and young adults who consume large doses of caffeine from energy drinks. It can harm a child’s still developing cardiovascular and nervous systems. For young adults who drink them alongside alcohol it can interfere with a person being able to tell how intoxicated they are. 

All of this means to proceed with caution when drinking a loaded tea and be smart about your choices so that you aren’t harming yourself or anyone else! 

What’s a better way to make my own loaded tea?

Make it yourself at home with ingredients you are familiar with. Better yet, instead of figuring it out on your own have you seen my Revitalizing Super Energy Drink? It’s made with some of my favorite fruits/veggies and has no added sugar! Check out more of my beverage recipes:

• Simple Honey Mint Green Iced Tea is a refreshing and revitalizing beverage! It’s naturally sweetened and packed with antioxidants!
• Green Apple & Ginger Iced Tea is a delicious combination of pure natural flavors with no artificial sweeteners or colors
• Immune-Boosting Green Juice Shots are packed with a variety of nutrients like vitamin C and antioxidants