Do you love drinking tea? Do you want to know your tea is alkaline or acidic? Many of us drink tea every day. Some people drink a couple of times a day since they believe that tea can boost alertness and keep them active throughout. You might be one of them who drink tea more than once a day. That is why you want to know tea is alkaline or not. We understand your concern. If tea is acidic, it will affect your digestion and oral health. In this article, we will try to answer all your doubts. Also, we will help you to choose the right tea.
Tea can be both acidic and alkaline. The level will vary depending on the type of tea and some other factors. People find tea helpful for digestion and believe that it is acidic. However, whenever you will consume more tea, you might experience side effects. Instead of improving your digestive system, it can cause an adverse condition and can intervene in the functioning of your digestive system.
Tea Is Acidic or Not?
Yes, your tea is acidic. But the level of acidity will vary significantly. You can say that all the teas are slightly acidic. If you are a regular drinker, you might have realized this. However, you can minimize the impact by following some easy steps. We will explore this later in this article.
Tea is acidic since acids are present in almost all tea leaves. Here, the type of tea leaves is the determining factor. They have different degrees of the alkalinity and acidity. More tender, weak, and older tea leaves are considered more acidic. When the range is between 5.5 and 7, it belongs to the weak acidity. The tenderness of leaves and brewing time will also impact the end result.
The acid that presents in tea leaves is known as tannic acid. You can also find citric acid in herbal teas. Citric acid is available in the herbs and dried fruits.
Herbal teas are considered the least acidic. You can also make your tea less acidic by simply adding more water in your water. Also, you can add milk in your tea. Milk can make any tea less acidic.
How to Know the Acidic Level
Acidity can be easily measured by the pH level scale. The neutral scale is about seven. When the pH level is under four, then the tea will be considered very acidic. In most of the teas, the pH level is neutral and negligible. However, some tests prove that a few types of tea are more acidic with the pH level of the 3 and even below. In that condition, you should always avoid that tea. When the pH is low, the acidity will be high. When the pH level high, then alkaline is stronger. This simple thing can help you to know your tea is acidic or alkaline.
If you are a regular tea drinker, you might have noticed some stains on your teeth. As you are drinking tea and tea is acidic nature, you might be thinking that tea is causing teeth discoloration and staining. However, this is not true always. Some other factors or habits might be the culprit. You should always remember that home-brewed and herbal teas are less acidic than fruit juices. If you are not drinking fruit juice and other acidic drinks and you think that tea is the culprit, then you will have to consider some other factors, instead of blaming your tea only. Here are some other things that can damage your teeth.
- How you prepare your tea
- How you drink your tea
- Steeping time of your tea
- How diluted tea is
- When you drink your tea
- How often do you drink your tea
- What you have added in your tea such as milk, herbs, or flavors
All these things not only cause stains on your teeth, but they can also be responsible for making your tea highly acidic. Therefore, it is important to understand all these factors in addition to the type of tea to make your tea less acidic.
What is the Safe pH Level in Tea?
As stated above, the neutral pH level is the seven. The safe pH level in the tea is considered 5.5. When the level is more than this amount, then your tea is highly alkaline. But when it is lower than this level, then your tea is acid. You can stick to the safe level, 5.5 to balance alkaline and acidity. Generally, with more bitterness, you can make out that your tea is more acidic. Here again, you will also have to pay attention. According to a Turkish study, fruit teas are more acidic. But these are not bitter.
Average pH Level in Different Types of Teas:
- The pH level in the lemon tea is 3
- The pH level in the black tea is 4.99-5.55
- The pH level in the green tea is 7-10
- The Ph level in the herbal tea is 6-7
- The pH level in the blackberry tea is 2-3
From the above, you might have realized that the pH level varies significantly depending on the type of tea. The safest option among the above is black tea. The acidic level is just above the safe choice. You can reduce the level by following the right preparation method.
If you are looking for a more alkaline option, then you should certainly go with green tea. The pH level in the green tea is 7-10. It makes the best option. Many of us prefer lemon tea. However, it is the worst when it comes to acidity. So, take all these things into account to decide your tea.
These are the average pH level present in different types of tea. Some other factors also make a difference such as which type of liquor you are using to prepare your tea and the amount of the liquid.
How Does Brew Time Matter?
The acidity level can also be measured by the soaking time. When you will brew only for five minutes, the acidity level will be the weakest and you will find it nearly neutral. That will not cause any harm to your oral health and digestion. When the brewing time is around fifteen minutes, the acidity level will be increased significantly. You can simply limit the brew time to make your tea less acidic regardless of the type of tea you are using.
What Are The Effects of the High Acidic Level?
The effects will be more on your teeth and stomach. As stated by the American Dental Association (1), a pH level between two and four can be very dangerous to oral health. It can affect your teeth considerably. However, you will not find this pH level range in most of the tea. In fact, the British Dental Journal (2) Trusted Source revealed that the pH level will be restored within two minutes after drinking tea. Two minutes is not enough to cause major damage. Yes, if you have sensitive or damaged teeth, then the impact might be noticeable.
You can also develop some habits to minimize the impact. Change the way you are drinking your tea. Do not hold your tea in your mouth and brush your teeth after half an hour of drinking a high acidic tea. Wait for half an hour since acid will soften the enamel of your teeth. If you brush immediately, you might damage your enamel.
In addition, there will be some impact on your stomach and digestive system. You can drink herbal tea to make it less acidic. Milk will also serve the purpose. The acidic level in the milk is 6.5-6.7. So, if you add milk in your tea, it will make the balance. The same is about water. Water is neutral and will minimize the acidic effect.
Summary
- Tea can be both acidic and alkaline. It is important for users to understand the type of tea to know the acidic level. When the range is between 5.5 and 7, it is less acidic. When it is below four, then your tea is very acidic. In addition to the type of tea, the brewing time and additives will also have a role to decide the level of acidity present in your tea.
- Alkaline and Acidic level is not the same in all types of tea. When the green tea has less acidic level, the lemon tea has the highest range. So, if you are looking for a safe option, you should go with the one that has more pH level. More pH level means less acidic and higher pH levels mean more alkaline. Follow this simple principle to decide on a tea.
- The brewing time can also impact the acidity level of tea. For example, if you brew your tea for about five minutes, then the acidity level will be neutral. After five minutes, tea will start releasing more acid. So, if the steeping time is more than five minutes, then your tea will be more acidic in nature.
- Tenderness also decides the level of acidity. Leaf tea is more acidic than bud tea. With more tenderness, the acidity will be stronger.
Sources:
(2) https://www.nature.com/articles/4800974