Tea and acid gut...: Just some info. I've a... - Thyroid UK

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Tea and acid gut...

vajra profile image
22 Replies

Just some info.

I've a longstanding tendency to develop an acid stomach after eating certain foods. It's never been quite clear what the cause is - but lots of blood pressure and thyroid medication for sure don't help.

Tea however (the mainstream budget tea bag variety sold in the supermarkets) was definitely one culprit. I'd always put it down to naturally occurring tannic acid.

Whatever the case we bought some good quality loose leaf tea (the ordinary black variety) the other day and lo and behold - the tendency to trigger an acid stomach is gone.

It's not impossible that the problem was down to the bags containing something, but in retrospect tea bags also tend to contain the scruffiest of powdered tea.

Maybe it's worth a try if you're experiencing problems...

Ian

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vajra profile image
vajra
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22 Replies
greygoose profile image
greygoose

Are you sure about that? I've heard that tea bags have to contain good tea or they would not work.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to greygoose

Not meaning to disagree for decent tea bags - but if you consider (very, very briefly :-) ) "Tesco Everyday Value 80 Teabags 250G" at 27 pence - works out at £1.08 per kilogram. I simply don't believe that can qualify as "good tea"! :-)

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to helvella

Well, it all tastes the same to me, anyway! lol

I would agree mostly.

I get an upset gut from drinking tea, have done for many years, I'm ok with an occasional cup. Dosnt matter if it was the range or the gold label range, branded or shops own

Recently bought a well known better brand of earl grey t bags, and low and behold no gut problems when drinking it. Now either this particular company uses better quality bags or the tea is just better, or the fact that its earl grey instead of bog standard flavour, but I can drink it regardless

Unlike Grey goose, it doesnt all taste the same to me :P

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

Well, bully for you! Some of us have had our taste buds destroyed by years and years of untreated hypo and cannot taste much at all. I was only talking about myself. It wasn't up for discussion.

Grey Goose.

in reply to greygoose

I was joking, hence the silly face. no need to take it that way.

Shall refrain from bothering to post in future. Quite frankly Ive had more than I can take from some of the ridiculous attitudes on this forum recently.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

Well, yes, I know what you mean. And the reason I bridled was because of other not so nice remarks made about me in posts for no valid reason. I've said I'm going to stop posting a thousand times, but I carry on. Must be a glutton for punishment! lol Sorry, Susie, feeling a bit raw at the moment. x

rimington profile image
rimington in reply to greygoose

Hi grey just to say don't stop posting. You helped me with a query the answer which I dropped into conversation with my G.P who told me my blood levels were normal range even though I was experiencing a return of hypo symptoms when reduced to Levo 50 . He agreed that perhaps my levels needed to be higher for me. I went back on 75 and feel so much better. He also agreed to a T3 test so thank you.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to rimington

Thank you for that, Rimington. That makes it all worthwhile.

Grey x

My daughter buys unbleached tea bags, I don't know any difference as never drank tea, although I can't taste stuff, I can tell if the teaspoon has been in tea first before my coffee! I can't describe how, it just is wrong - like it puts my teeth on edge. And cheap coffee is a no no too! :D x

in reply to

The bags twinnings use are very different looking to normal bog standard bags, no idea if they are bleached or not but they are much thinner and finer. Could well be the actual bags, I always felt there was too much tannin in the tea, but it tasted chemically to me before,

I'm with you on the coffee!!!! :D

in reply to

I haven't used Twinnings since rumours that they'd changed their 'Everyday Tea'. Did they - could you tell? And for better or worse? The rumours said *much* worse.

galathea profile image
galathea

Do you have milk in the tea? If you are short of acid ( as is common with hypothyrodism) then it could be causing , what feels like acid reflux........

Have you read about low acid on the dr Myhill web site?

G x

Hashoo profile image
Hashoo in reply to galathea

Weird (on a completely different note, sorry to stray) I was getting acid reflux all the time until recently and the only thing that was helping was a pint of milk!...go figure?! :)

vajra profile image
vajra

Thanks G - I've not read about low acid and will have a look at Dr. Myhill's site.

It should be said that (a) the tea is just an observation and could very likely be at east partly due to my own situation, and (b) whatever effect it may or may not have seems unlikely to be a big deal for most. :)

I don't take milk or sugar in my tea or anything else when I can avoid them. White flour too. I stopped them back when I was seriously hypo because they seemed to be worsening my symptoms. (i had e.g. chronic sinus infections and lots of gut seemingly candida related gut trouble)

They seem less of an issue these days now my replacement if not perfect is working pretty well.

ian

kavidacat profile image
kavidacat

Too many cups of tea also give me reflux. I believe it is the caffeine, which is an irritant, that causes it. Peppermint tea is good for the gut - but it`s not the same as a nice cup if tea!

Kaz1234 profile image
Kaz1234

I have been on thyroxine now for almost 32 years having being diagnosed by a doctor at the age of 12. I have really coped well and have always remained well and very active, yes I was very overweight at first but through a balanced diet soon got my weight back under control. My grandson was diagnosed at only 2 days old and has been on thyroxine since, and through him I have started taking more notice and wanting to find out more. I am now realising that the symptoms I have, reflux, feeling very cold, muscle aches to name but a few could be linked to my thyroid condition and wonder why I have never been told about any of this by my GP !!! Will keep on reading as I am finally starting to understand more about the condition so thank you everyone....

dogtired profile image
dogtired

Luaka organic UNBLEACHED teabags are very good......read an article awhile ago about the amount of leaching chlorine people take into their systems from ordinary bags.......no need to go swimming!!!!!

vajra profile image
vajra

Hi Kaz. When you have had much worse symptoms, or even when it's just that we have had minor symptoms for a long time it's a bit scary how easily a very sub-normal level of energy and/or fatigue can become 'normal' for us. Our perceptions are so relative....

It's not helped that medicine often seems to think it's done it's job if you don't actually die in the next few years in a manner which can be pinned on the care you have received, or present with the grossest of myxedema symptoms. There's a subscript that seems to suggest that we are being excessively demanding if we seek to feel fully normal - or even if we expect subtler symptoms to be picked up.

My experience is similar, in that after 15 years of worsening hypothyroidism even the moderately good health and energy levels that followed getting on to a basic T3 containing regime (which worked for me, but will not be the same for everybody) felt like a reprieve. It was a huge step forward, but it wasn't normality.

I've been blogging elsewhere on this site in recent days of getting a very nice improvement in energy, mood and well being in recent weeks as a result of upping the proportion of T3 in my replacement hormone.

The insight that it's triggered is much like yours - that I've been getting on with life and not doing too badly - but that at the same time my work has been significantly hampered by a lethargy and lack of 'bounce' that had become so normal that I was almost unaware of it.

The other insight (which is by no means original) is that progress - despite the fact that there may be all sorts of transitory secondary/related conditions we have to get on top of by various means along the way, especially if we have been long term hypothyroid - and even at the stage when it's about fine tuning for normality rather than basic survival seems always in the end to boil down to getting our replacement truly sorted out and finely dialled in.

The pity is actually that it's not that hard to do this while being guided by our own responses if we have access to the various forms of hormone etc to try out and some help.

The far greater issue for most of us is that getting a change in a prescription - never mind one to enable a trial - can as a result of the enormous costs and other obstacles the system has built in be such a mountain to climb that we often settle for second best....

ian

Danifox6 profile image
Danifox6

I use Twinnings Organic Decaf, have done for years as discovered my so called IBS was actually an allergy to caffeine. It's an Assam tea, not strong but tasty and the bags are unbleached. Worth a try :)

HowCome profile image
HowCome in reply to Danifox6

Wow, never heard that mentioned before!!!

Thanks for posting!

MaryMary profile image
MaryMary

I've been weaning myself off tea and caffeinated coffee as the private homeopathic dr thinks I'm sensitive to salicylates found in them and fruit, wine and cider (sigh), so have been trying red tea - rooibos which isn't really tea and naturally caffeine free. I've got used to it now and it's really lovely and refreshing to drink. I take it without milk.

Hope this helps!

Mary

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