# Ice tea consumption **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-tea-consumption/78457 "2001-08-28T02:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-tea-consumption/78457/1 "2001-08-28T02:16:03Z")
Am I putting myself at any risk by drinking over a half a gallon of ice tea every day or is it relativly safe to consume in that quantity? It is sugar free (being type II Diabetic) ---
**Author:** ![gtzaskar00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@gtzaskar00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gtzaskar00)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-tea-consumption/78457/2 "2001-08-28T02:19:40Z")
Does it have the caffeine in it? Is it just regular liptons? A powdered mix, or made with tea bags? ---
**Author:** ![Billy\_Rubin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billy_rubin/32/3622_2.png) [@Billy\_Rubin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Rubin)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-tea-consumption/78457/3 "2001-08-28T02:27:32Z")
Kidneystones. Apparently there’s an acid in tea called Oxalic Acid which reacts with other chemicals in your body to produce kidneystones. My father was plagued with them, and they told him to lay off the coffee and tea. I still drink about a gallon of refrigerator tea every day. It’s pretty weak and I use a little nutra-sweet to give it some sweetness, but I know I’m probably developing stones. Passing a kidneystone is said to be the equivalent, pain wise, of childbirth. I can’t wait. b. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-tea-consumption/78457/4 "2001-08-28T02:37:57Z")
Slightly off the topic… According to my (highly confidential, of course :)) sources, kidney stones are much more painful than childbirth. Children are meant to come out of the human body, and the body is equipped to handle this. A kidney stone, on the other hand, is not a welcome addition to the human body, and it just isn’t meant to pass through the places it passes through. I am not looking forward to getting them myself, but everyone else in my family (including the females) has had them. (I don’t know if they’re more painful for men or women, but it can’t be pleasant for either.) Back on topic, I wonder if the artificial iced tea mixes contain this chemical. If not, maybe that would be something to think about. (Of course, who knows what else might be in there…) ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-tea-consumption/78457/5 "2001-08-28T02:44:25Z")
How long does it take to pass a kidney stone? Hours? Days? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-tea-consumption/78457/6 "2001-08-28T02:50:36Z")
I believe a kidney stone will pass when it is good and ready to and if it doesn’t, you get to look up the word “lithotripter”.