Just because it's healthy doesn't always make it so

I had been sick for the past couple of weeks. Well, not exactly sick, but in lots of pain! I had an ulcer a few years ago and it reared its ugly head recently, bringing with it pain that was at times excruciating. My husband wanted to take me to the ER on numerous occasions because of the pain I was experiencing. And nothing helped to relieve it.

Initially, I wrote it off to stress. After all taxes were due on the 15th and then I was teaching not one, but two, workshops at a writers' conference on the 24th. A stressful time indeed. But normally, I don't react to stress this way. I became a nervous wreck...literally. I was having panic attacks as I missed a couple of deadlines with clients, tried to figure out how to legally pay less taxes, and research and prepare my two workshops. I wasn't myself at all. Sleep was eluding me between the pain and the panic.

And then one sleepless night as I lay in bed contemplating my current state, I realized I'd changed something in my diet about six weeks ago. In addition to drinking green tea, I added green tea supplements to my breakfast every day. After all, green tea was supposed to be good for you. It's known to lower cholesterol, regulate glucose and even help you lose belly fat. A wonder tea! Woo hoo!


What I didn't know, until the next morning when I started a Google search, was that people with stomach ulcers and any kind of anxiety issues should avoid green tea at all costs! Who knew? While I don't normally have problems with anxiety, I am very sensitive to hormone-altering concoctions (like birth control pills), as they make me extremely edgy and even suicidal. Well, welcome the green trea into the front door of my life and watch sensibility exit by the back door. Within two days of stopping the supplements, the pain and anxiety disappeared. I was able to attend the conference and teach my workshops without even a hint of nervousness or stomach pain. Thank God I discovered the cause of all the trouble when I did!

The ulcer has not completely healed, of course, and I have to avoid caffeine if I don't want a flare-up. I must say, though, that I'm little miffed over the whole situation. Here I was doing something that was supposed to improve my health and look what it did to me! Why are there no warnings?

Even more disturbing than what happened to me is the fact that pregnant and nursing mothers should never drink green tea. Did you know that? As a matter of fact, drinking a fair amount of green tea while pregnant can lead to miscarriage, low birth weight and growth retardation. It can also lead to birth defects because it interfers with the body's use of folate.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center website: "People with heart problems, kidney disorders, stomach ulcers, and psychological disorders (particularly anxiety) should not take green tea. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also avoid green tea."

Of course, others dismiss the connection between green tea and ulcer flare-ups and state just the opposite. Same with anxiety. While some use it to help with mental clarity, others get so jittery and anxious on it they can barely stand it. But I can only go with what my experience tells me...and that is that green tea almost did me in and I'll never touch it again.

So what's my conclusion? We're all different. Our body chemistries vary greatly. What may be beneficial for some (and green tea has proven to be just that to many), can be detrimental to others. But if you find you're unusually anxious or are having alot of stomach pain, acid reflux, etc. and you're drinking green tea or taking a supplement, try going off it for a little while and see if makes a difference.

That's my good-for-you/bad-for-me story. What's yours? Have you had a similar bad experience with something you ate or drank or a supplement you took that was supposed to improve your health and did just the opposite? Post a comment. I'd love to hear your stories.

Keeping it healthy (or at least trying to),

Hana

Photo courtesy of Petr Kratochvil