Does Tea Make You Pee? Here’s Why It Happens

Tea is a beloved drink for many of us. But a lot of us also know that familiar side effect that comes with enjoying our favourite hot drink: the need to pee. And often.

But why exactly does this happen? Is the problem with tea itself, or is there an underlying factor that makes us need to use the loo more often?

The truth is yes, tea does make you need to pee. However, there are a few reasons for this phenomenon. It may seem quite self-explanatory as peeing is a natural result of fluid intake but there are other factors to consider too.

So, if you're wondering about the correlation between tea and the effect it has on your bladder, you've come to the right place. Let's take a closer look at why your morning cup of tea makes you need to pee more often than usual.

Why Does Tea Make You Pee?

As we've mentioned, tea is a liquid, and drinking any liquid is going to increase your need to pee. But tea also has an added ingredient that sets it apart from other types of liquid—caffeine.

Usually found in black, green, and oolong teas, caffeine is a mild diuretic. That means that it encourages your body to produce more urine and leads to more frequent urination. It does this by blocking the reabsorption of salts in your kidneys. In turn, more water is excreted from your body as urine.

It's important to remember that the diuretic effect of tea is extremely mild, especially compared to other caffeine-heavy drinks like energy drinks or coffee. So, tea is much gentler on your bladder than these drinks.

With that being said, women who are already sensitive to the effects of caffeine or have any existing bladder problems (like an overactive bladder or urinary incontinence) may notice that drinking tea still impacts their bladder control.

Hydration vs. dehydration

Since tea is a diuretic that contains caffeine, another common worry is that drinking too much tea will dehydrate you.

Despite its diuretic properties, tea still helps contribute to your overall daily hydration. In fact, studies have shown that the water content in tea outweighs the slight dehydrating effect of the caffeine. It can even be a good way to stay hydrated (which is particularly true if you're sipping on herbal blends that don't contain any caffeine).

Still, if you find yourself peeing more often than is comfortable after drinking tea, it may be worthwhile to switch to decaffeinated tea or herbal teas like chamomile. Plus, if you're experiencing urgent or frequent urination that feels abnormal, it's important to watch your caffeine intake and speak to your GP or a women's health specialist.

Types Of Tea And Their Caffeine Content

Although tea generally contains caffeine, not all teas are created equal when it comes to how much caffeine they contain and their effect on our bladders.

Here's what you need to know about the different types of tea and how they can influence your bathroom habits:

Black tea

Black tea has the highest caffeine content among teas, with around 40 to 70 mg per 250 ml cup. That means this tea is the most likely to have a diuretic effect on your bladder and cause more frequent urination.

Although its strong flavour makes it a go-to for many of us, if you notice you take more trips to the loo after drinking black tea, it may be time to reconsider how much you're drinking.

Green tea

Green tea typically has a moderate amount of caffeine, around 30 to 50 mg per cup.

Although this amount of caffeine can irritate the bladder and influence how much you pee, the effects are extremely slight. Plus, heading to the loo more often may be worth it for the health benefits of green tea alone. For example, green tea has strong antioxidant properties that reduce your risk for common health problems.

Still, if you're sensitive to caffeine, you may want to limit the amount of green tea you have.

Oolong tea

If you love oolong but find it irritates your bladder, there's a reason for that. Unfortunately, oolong has a similar caffeine content to green tea, which means it can increase sensitivity in your bladder and urinary tract. However, oolong can usually be re-steeped multiple times, meaning the caffeine content will decrease every time you make a new brew.

White tea

White tea has a relatively small amount of caffeine when you compare it to black or green tea, with only around 20 to 40 mg per cup.

Since its diuretic effect is milder, you can usually drink more of this type of tea before you notice its effects on your bladder. It's actually a great way to up your fluid intake and stay hydrated throughout the day.

But, it's still a good idea to monitor your caffeine intake if you're sensitive to its effects.

Herbal tea

Most herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free, which makes them the ideal choice if you want to avoid caffeine altogether.

However, some teas—like dandelion tea—contain other compounds that have diuretic properties. For that reason, it's always best to check out the ingredients in your favourite herbal teas to ensure you're drinking the one that's right for you.

Other Factors That Influence Urination After Tea

Drinking tea can make you need to pee more often because of its ingredients and composition. However, there are some other factors to take note of that may also contribute to your more frequent trips to the loo.

Sensitivity to caffeine

Caffeine sensitivity can impact how often tea makes you need to pee. If you're more sensitive to caffeine, even a moderate cup of green or black tea can stimulate your bladder much more than it might for someone less sensitive.

The key factor here is your body's ability to metabolise caffeine, which is influenced by things like your genetics and lifestyle. This makes it important to listen to your body when you experience anything abnormal after drinking tea.

Age and health

As we start to age, our bladder and pelvic floor muscles can get weaker. In turn, this increases urination frequency and urgency. But gender can also play a role here.

For example, women are more likely to experience bladder issues like urge incontinence. This is simply because of certain life events like pregnancy, giving birth, and menopause. Generally, this is a result of weaker pelvic floor muscles and declining oestrogen levels.

Still, certain health conditions like a urinary tract infection (UTI) or diabetes can also make the effects of tea on your bladder much worse.

To help combat these side effects, you could consider taking a bladder care supplement to support your bladder after menopause.

Fluid intake

The more tea you drink, the more fluids your body will need to process. Naturally, this will lead to more frequent urination. Plus, if you're combining tea with other liquids throughout the day, it will only amplify the effect on your bladder.

While it's important to stay hydrated, excessive hydration may cause you a bit of discomfort. Not only will you find yourself running to the loo more often, but peeing more frequently can irritate your bladder and cause major sensitivity.

FAQs

Is tea good for your bladder?

Tea can be both beneficial and bothersome to your bladder, depending on how much and how frequently you drink it. Typically, most herbal teas are considered bladder-friendly since they don't contain any caffeine.

Can tea cause bladder problems?

In some cases, tea can make existing bladder issues feel even worse. For example, if you struggle with urge incontinence.. But with that being said, tea is unlikely to be the root cause of potential bladder issues on its own unless you are drinking high quantities or high-caffeine-content tea.

Is there tea that doesn't make you pee?

Ensuring you do not drink excessive amounts of fluids is important and caffeine free herbal teas are less likely to make you pee as often (as long as you watch how much you're drinking).

Final Thoughts

If you're worried about how your daily cup of tea is affecting your bladder, then it's best to consult your GP. There may be other underlying issues that are causing your need to empty your bladder more frequently. But, in general, you don't have to worry about a (normal) increase in your urine output.

Just because drinking tea makes you need to pee more often, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy a hot cup of tea in the mornings or throughout the day. Instead, it's about controlling how much and the type of tea you're drinking.