Drinking tea prevents iron from being absorbed from foods resulting in iron deficiency?
Drinking tea will not result in iron deficiency for healthy individuals who are consuming a varied and balanced diet.

The absorption of iron is influenced by a number of factors including the amount of iron consumed, the chemical form (haem – animal sources including meat, eggs, fish, etc versus non-haem –vegetable sources including cereals, pulses, dried fruit, etc), interaction with other dietary factors and an individual's physiological condition (status of iron stores, period of growth, menstruation or pregnancy).

It has been suggested that certain compounds found in tea, called polyphenols, could reduce the absorption of non-haem iron from foods. However, studies looking at whether tea affects the actual iron status of individuals have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that drinking tea causes problems in healthy people.

In the mean time it is advised that those who have a poor iron status or are at risk of iron deficiency should avoid drinking tea with meals, and instead to wait one hour after the end of a meal before enjoying a cup of tea. Those not at risk of iron deficiency can enjoy drinking tea at any time of the day.


The high level of fluoride in tea is harmful?
No, fluoride is known to protect teeth from dental caries. The tea plant accumulates fluoride from the soil and for this reason a cup of tea is a natural source of fluoride.


Drinking tea is not good for the bones?
No. In the past it was thought that certain constituents found in tea, such as caffeine and fluoride, may weaken the bones. However, recent research is now suggesting that drinking tea can actually have a positive effect on bones. Studies among older women have found that women who drank four or more cups of tea a day had improved bone density compared to women who were non-tea drinkers. Furthermore, the milk that is added to tea, as enjoyed by the majority of the UK population, is a source of Calcium, which is important for bone health. In fact, the milk in four cups of tea a day provides 21% of an adult’s daily calcium requirements.


Tea contains nearly as much caffeine as coffee?
The idea that tea contains as much caffeine as coffee is erroneous. A cup of tea contains about a third of the caffeine in an average cup of filtered coffee and proportionately much less compared to an espresso.


Does tea count to your 8 cups of fluid a day?
Tea contains aproximately 99% water. It is an important source of fluid and can count towards your daily intake of 8 cups of fluid. Both the Food Standards Agency and the British Dietetic Association advise that tea can help to meeting daily fluid requirements.
- Tea consumption does not produce a diuretic effect unless the amount of tea consumed at one sitting contained
more than 300mg of caffeine. This is equivalent to six or seven cups of tea at one sitting.
- Single servings of caffeine at doses exceeding 300mg may have a diuretic effect.
- However, a tolerance to caffeine develops so in the unlikely event of there being any diuretic effect, this effect is diminished in people who regularly drink tea.


Tea and Sleep
Anecdotally, many people avoid drinking tea in the evening as they are concerned that caffeine may adversely affect their sleep. Emerging evidence around L-theanine's possible effect on sleep quality suggests that this concern may be unwarranted. The study undertaken suggests that L-theanine may have positive effects on sleep quality.


Tea and Stress
Putting the kettle on and having a cup of tea at moments of stress is less of an old wives tale than previously thought.

A study by UCL (University College London) and Unilever found that people who drank tea were able to manage their stressors more quickly than those who drank a fake tea substitute. Furthermore, the study participants, who drank black tea four times a day for six weeks, were found to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood after stressful events, compared with a control group who drank the fake or placebo tea for the same period of time.


Tea comes in many varieties.
False! Only one plant gives us tea leaves—the Camellia sinensis. The differences in color and flavor among the three basic types—black, green and oolong—depend on how the leaves are processed. For black tea, the most popular type of tea in the U.S., the tea leaves are exposed to air, or allowed to oxidize. Green teas are less processed to preserve the green color and delicate flavor. Oolong tea is between black and green.



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Sources:
http://www.tea.co.uk
http://www.femail.com.au/tea-myths-exposed.htm
http://www.chicagotribune.com/