Thai Iced Tea During Pregnancy: Can I Drink It And Is It Safe?

You may be wondering about drinking Thai iced tea during pregnancy and thinking if it is safe for you or not. This post has the answers to your questions, just make sure you read to the end.

We know pregnancy comes with a lot of do’s and don’ts. From diet to the way you eat, work, your posture, and even what you wear. Pregnant women are told to avoid a lot of foods and beverages or to consume them in moderation.

If you are a fan of Thai iced tea, you will be wondering if you can take this or not because careless consumption of some food items can cause harm to your baby and even affect your health.

If you are new to this delicacy and wondering what Thai iced tea is; it is a mixture of black tea, sugar, spices, evaporated, and sweetened condensed milk.

Thai iced tea is loved by a lot of people worldwide; it is a refreshing and energizing drink. But the question remains: is it safe to take Thai iced tea during pregnancy?

Also Read: Reasons for Vomiting During Pregnancy

 

Is Thai Iced Tea Safe For Pregnancy?

Thai iced tea contains a lot of sugar and caffeine. Generally speaking, packaged or bottled ice tea are not even good for pregnant women because they contain a lot of sugar.

Pregnancy can increase your cravings for Thai iced tea if you have been a lover of this drink all your life. If you are addicted to this drink, you can take it in moderation (like one cup daily) and also take the low-sugar version.

When taken in moderation with little sugar, (that means the caffeine and sugar contents are low), Thai iced tea offers some benefits to the body.

Tea is a healthy beverage and a lot of people benefit from drinking tea including pregnant women when taken in moderation.

Some of the health benefits of iced teas are: 

  • It refreshes the body, especially during summer. Pregnancy during summer is not easy, and Thai Iced tea also relieves morning sickness. The caffeine in the drink will even boost your energy level almost instantly. 
  • Thai iced tea contains antioxidants from the herbs and spices added. These antioxidants help pregnant women cope with the hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy. They also eliminate free radicals caused by hormonal imbalance and protect the DNA from damage. 
  • Some common symptoms that come with pregnancy are being clumsy and forgetful. Thai iced tea can help keep your brain active. 
  • Iced teas prevent cavities and this is good during pregnancy because there is a risk of your oral health going for a toss. 
  • Home-made iced tea is good for pregnant women with gestational diabetes. Store bought iced teas are loaded with sugar which can worsen this condition.

These are some of the benefits of drinking Thai iced tea in moderation during pregnancy.

Also Read: Lipton Tea During Pregnancy – Is It Safe Or harmful

 

How Much Caffeine Is In Thai Iced Tea?

There is a high content of caffeine in Thai iced tea but the levels of caffeine in each brand and flavor differs. However, one serving of Thai iced tea is said to contain about 12 to 18 mg of caffeine.

It is not advisable for a pregnant woman to take more than 200 mg of caffeine in a day. So if you can reduce your intake of Thai tea during pregnancy to one cup daily, there will be no harm to you and your baby.

Also, go for the low-sugar version or the home-made iced teas with less sugar if you cannot completely avoid Thai iced tea during pregnancy.

 

Can Pregnant Women Drink Thai Iced Tea?

From what is stated above, a pregnant woman can drink Thai iced tea in moderation, excessive intake is not advised because of the high content of sugar and caffeine.

Excess sugar and caffeine can affect the development and health of the fetus and even your own health.

Some of the harmful side effects of drinking excessive amount of Thai iced tea during pregnancy are:

  • It can cause miscarriage. High amounts of caffeine during pregnancy can cause this. 
  • It increases the risks of neural tube defects like spina bifida by caffeine interfering with the absorption of folate. 
  • Excessive intake of caffeine during pregnancy can cause low birth weight. 
  • Excess caffeine reduces the absorption of iron in the body and pregnant women need a lot of iron. Taking an excess amount of Thai iced tea during pregnancy can cause iron deficiency and anemia in pregnancy. 
  • Excess caffeine causes insomnia during pregnancy and a good sleep is needed for a healthy pregnancy. If you must take Thai iced tea during pregnancy, make sure you take it in the morning and not towards the end of your day. 
  • Excessive tea can cause dehydration because it acts like a diuretic. It increases your urination and also makes you lose important minerals and salt that are highly needed during pregnancy. 
  • High intake of drinks and beverages containing caffeine during pregnancy can cause stillbirth. 

To avoid all these adverse side effects, try and consume Thai iced tea within the prescribed limit during pregnancy if you cannot avoid it totally.

Also Read: Can a Pregnant Woman Go to The Beach During pregnancy? Safety Tips

 

How To Make Your Own Thai Iced Tea During Pregnancy

Apart from the high content of sugar and caffeine in commercial Thai teas, some manufacturers add synthetic food colorings to give it a red or yellow color, mimicking the original color of crushed tamarind seed in order to make the tea attractive.

You may be allergic to food coloring; you should avoid drinking Thai tea during pregnancy or you should make your own at home so that you have control over what goes into your body.

Here’s how to make your own Thai tea in the comfort of your home.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons of loose-leaf black tea 
  • 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk. (You can also use whole milk or coconut milk in place of this)
  • 1 pod star anise 
  • 1 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk 
  • 2 pods cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon of honey 
  • Half cinnamon stick (optional) 
  • 1 cup of boiling water 
  • 1/8 vanilla bean (optional) 
  • ¼ teaspoon of almond extract (optional) 
  • Tamarind powder for taste (optional) 

Procedure:

Gather all the ingredients in one place. Add the black tea, cinnamon stick, cardamom, star anise, almond extract, tamarind powder, and vanilla bean to the cup of boiling water and steep for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, strain the tea and stir in the honey and sweetened condensed milk. Stir until these two ingredients dissolve completely in the tea.

Fill 2 tall glasses with ice and pour the tea you just made over the ice. Leave an inch of space at the top for the evaporated milk.

You can add more ice if needed. Then drizzle the teaspoon of evaporated milk into each glass of tea.

If you are vegan, you can replace the milk (both sweetened condensed milk and the evaporated milk) with coconut cream and coconut milk respectively. This recipe is not as overpowering sweet like those sold but you can adjust the sweetness by increasing the quantity of honey used.

 

Conclusion

If you have been a lover of Thai iced tea or iced tea generally, you will have to reduce your intake to the barest minimum during pregnancy. An alternative you can go for is the home-made iced tea with honey in place of sugar.

But the conclusion is that Thai iced tea does offer some health benefits to pregnant women when taken moderately.