# Why is Tea allowed in a low-carb diet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370 "2005-03-26T17:24:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/1 "2005-03-26T17:24:07Z")
A diet book I’m reading, not atkins but it is low-carb, says that coffee is restricted except if it’s decaf, but elsewhere it mentions that Tea is included without restriction on quantity. It doesn’t even mention the caffeine. Surely a cup of Tea has roughly the same caffeine content as a cup of coffee. So why isn’t it restricted? ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/2 "2005-03-26T17:36:25Z")
Not all coffee and tea is created equal, so a cup of tea can actually have more caffiene than a cup of coffee. I’d wager the reason one is restricted and the other isn’t is due to the author (and/or editor) not having a clue what they’re talking about… just handing out a bunch of dietary rules willy-nilly, some of which make sense, some of which don’t, all of them chosen with a few arbitrary guiding principles (and almost no scientific training) which, taken as a whole, may help you lose weight if coupled with vigorous daily exercise (imagine that). Though I will say this, keeping well hydrated is pretty important to not feeling like crap on any weight-loss geared diet change. I’m not sure how coffee and tea stack up against each other as diuretics, but the caffiene could be the bit that pushes coffee into Not Good territory. I’m still inclined to favor the “Author is a snake oil salesman” explanation, though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/3 "2005-03-26T18:07:33Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > A diet book I’m reading, not atkins but it is low-carb, says that coffee is restricted except if it’s decaf, but elsewhere it mentions that Tea is included without restriction on quantity. It doesn’t even mention the caffeine. > > Surely a cup of Tea has roughly the same caffeine content as a cup of coffee. So why isn’t it restricted? In general, a cup of tea normally has half to a third of the caffeine content of drip coffee. There are stronger teas, and there are weaker coffees, but your bog standard supermarket instant teas have about 40-60 mg of caffeine per 8 oz. service, while your drip coffee has about 120-160 mg per serving. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/4 "2005-03-26T18:34:57Z")
It has nothing whatsoever to do with “low-carbs”, but Coffee is one of those things like white sugar and white bread that some nuts claim are **EVIL** , while other things such as Honey or tea are **GOOD**. Of course, too much caffiene can be bad for you- no matter the source. White sugar and white bread (plain white bread that is, there are some “white” breads with plenty of nutirtion and fiber added back) are more or less just empty calories. But honey is really just sugar. It is not really better for you nutritionally than plain sucrose. However, many nuts tout honey, while claiming white sugar is the work of satan. :rolleyes: Tea has some antioxidants, so i suppose it is a bit better way for you to get your caffiene. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/5 "2005-03-26T18:38:25Z")
There are quite a few herbal teas which do not contain caffeine, perhaps that is what the author is trying to refer to? I have one that seems to be some mixture of ginger and grass clippings, for example. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/6 "2005-03-26T22:14:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > But honey is really just sugar. It is not really better for you nutritionally than plain sucrose. However, many nuts tout honey, while claiming white sugar is the work of satan. :rolleyes: Well, not quite: [http://www.nhb.org/download/factsht/honey-nutrition.pdf](http://www.nhb.org/download/factsht/honey-nutrition.pdf) > [@](#): > > Honey is composed primarily of carbohydrates and water, and also contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins > and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, > potassium and zinc. > Of recent interest is the antioxidant content of honey. > Honey contains a variety of flavonoids and phenolic acids > which act as antioxidants, scavenging and eliminating free > radicals. Generally, darker honeys have higher antioxidant > content than lighter honeys. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/7 "2005-03-27T02:06:58Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Well, not quite: [http://www.nhb.org/download/factsht/honey-nutrition.pdf](http://www.nhb.org/download/factsht/honey-nutrition.pdf) All of which are present in such low amounts they are not nutritionally significant. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/8 "2005-03-27T02:43:16Z")
Now, surely you wouldn’t doubt the word of the National Honey Board? Nutrition isn’t really a black and white subject, so crackpots abound. Ultimately, a diet must do more than provide you with calories. If you exercise, you need what carbohydrates offer. Tea has some proven health benefits; although it has antioxidant problems recent studies have shown a lot of problems with people who take too much of these. (Taking extra vitamin E in particular may be problematic; most people only get half the recommended amount intheir diet, but taking one 400 IU tablet probably INCREASES cardiac mortality perhaps since having too many antioxidants displaces other antioxidants and/or leads to increased oxidative agents). Tea generally has less caffeine than coffee. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/9 "2005-03-27T04:03:40Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Now, surely you wouldn’t doubt the word of the National Honey Board? The source is subjective, but the sentence appears to be true. Many nutrients are micronutrients, but honey does not appear to have those. Personally, I don’t use it, but prefer blackstrap molasses. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/10 "2005-03-27T05:01:44Z")
I was being a bit facetious – pay no mind. I have no trouble believing honey is a source of all those things. And whether the amounts are significant or not might depend on how much honey you eat. DrDeth claims the amounts are insignificant, but a grizzly bear might disagree. I’ll be sure to ask one the next time I go camping. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/11 "2005-03-27T07:26:19Z")
Here is a site that lists the [caffeine content](http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html) of various food and drink. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/12 "2005-03-27T08:16:37Z")
Atkins says that during the Induction phase, > [@](#): > > Excessive caffeine may cause unstable blood sugar and should be avoided by those who suspect they are caffeine dependent. Everyone should try to avoid caffeine. But otherwise, [Have a Nice Cup of Tea](http://atkins.com/Archive/2003/3/18-636346.html). ---
**Author:** ![Skellington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Skellington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skellington)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/13 "2005-03-27T13:47:00Z")
Another question: I drink tea and coffee (no decaf). The caffine can make me very ill (at least I think it’s the caffine). I have my tea very strong, I can drink 10 cups of it then fall asleep (yes, I’ve tried this), but if I drink more than 3/4 of a cup of coffee I get sick (and don’t sleep for several hours). What’s the deal? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/14 "2005-03-27T16:05:04Z")
> [@Skellington](#): > > Another question: > > I drink tea and coffee (no decaf). The caffine can make me very ill (at least I think it’s the caffine). I have my tea very strong, I can drink 10 cups of it then fall asleep (yes, I’ve tried this), but if I drink more than 3/4 of a cup of coffee I get sick (and don’t sleep for several hours). What’s the deal? Then it’s not the caffeine (assuming you are referring to real tea, not herbal tea); maybe you’re allergic to something in coffee? ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/15 "2005-03-27T18:23:16Z")
There is a notion out there that coffee stimulates the appetite and tea satiates it. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/16 "2005-03-27T18:46:22Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > There is a notion out there that coffee stimulates the appetite and tea satiates it. :dubious: Out where? Real gourmets never drink coffee with their meals, but always after their meals, with or without dessert. I’ve found that tea actually stimulates my appetite, but not coffee. Just for the record, tea also contains theophylline, in addition to the small amount of caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/17 "2005-03-28T01:53:39Z")
Getting back to the OP, I’d guess the author is just doing a bit of theory spinning in order to fill up the book. My experience is that the average diet can be explained in about on to four pages, but it’s real hard to get a publisher interested in a project like that. I did very well with the Perricone stuff, but it’s amazing how much filler garbage he gets away with. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/18 "2005-03-28T01:58:25Z")
Are you sure it said “tea is okay” and not “herbal tea is okay?” Chamomile, mint, etc teas do not contain any caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/19 "2005-03-28T06:48:01Z")
According to various calorie calculators floating around on the Internet and elsewhere, black tea with no sugar has 0 calories, while black instant coffee with no sugar has about 4 or 5 calories. Which makes sense when you think that black coffee has the dissolved coffee grains in it, while black tea merely has the flavour and chemicals of the tea-leaves in it. That could be why. It could also be that the Atkins people realised that if people are required to cut out ALL caffeine, there would be a lot of grumpy, murderous carb-avoiders out there - not good for society! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-tea-allowed-in-a-low-carb-diet/296370/20 "2005-03-28T06:51:45Z")
> [@Sarah Woodruff](#): > > It could also be that the Atkins people :smack: Sorry, you’re not on Atkins, you’re on another low-carb plan.