True or false: will herbal tea affect blood tests? What you should know about it before drinking tea when you need to undergo a certain blood examination?
Will Herbal Tea Affect Blood Tests?
If you need to undergo certain blood tests as advised by your doctor, you may need to fast for 8 to 12 hours, depending on the instructions.
The reason for the fast is that some of the nutrients in the food and drink can influence the test results.
In some tests, stimulation of digestion enzymes can interfere with the results. In that case, you should avoid drinking herbal tea or other drinks as they can affect your blood tests.
To prepare for your blood test, you may have to avoid drinking anything, including herbal tea. In that case, you should only drink water.
Then again, it still depends on the blood tests requested. For example, if you’re going to undergo, blood cholesterol test, you shouldn’t drink water at all while fasting.
It may affect your blood test. In that case, herbal tea is also a no-no.
Read: Will Intermittent Fasting Give Me Abs?
However, if you’re fasting for a blood glucose exam, water may be okay but not herbal tea.
Make sure that you talk to your doctor about what food and beverage to drink during your fasting period. Essentially, when undergoing a blood test, the instruction is always non per orem (NPO) or nothing by mouth.
Drinking Herbal Tea Before Blood Tests
Your doctor may advise you not to drink herbal tea 24 hours before your blood test. The reason for this is that some of the properties of tea can influence your blood test.
The test can change your blood sugar levels in anyways. In that case, if you’re not a diabetic, your test result will show an increased blood sugar level.
Preparation is the Key
To ensure that you’re getting an accurate result from your blood test, you need to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions.
If your provider instructs you not to drink or eat anything for a certain period, you must follow it.
If you don’t properly fast, it can lead to inaccurate results and misdiagnosis.
On the other hand, if you have difficulty fasting for a blood test, you should talk to your doctor. Other tests can be ordered that may not need fasting.
However, other blood tests may not be affected if you drink herbal tea. Just remember that if the test requires fasting, it means that you can’t drink tea and other beverages. You also can’t eat anything.
If you have practiced intermittent fasting, fasting will be easier for you. You won’t get tired or anything because you’re used to not eating anything for a longer period.
Conclusion
Will herbal tea affect blood tests? It may affect your blood test results. But it depends on the type of test you undergo. You should follow your doctor’s instructions on how to prepare for it. If it requires fasting, then you should not eat or drink anything. That’s why it’s called NPO.
Find out here if herbal tea breaks a fast.
Janey Danes started her career as a part-time article writer, editor and proofreader in 2008. She specializes in topics related to health, travel, technology, family, and spiritual life. Danes is a licensed medical technologist and she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology. She is also a contributor to Travel Philippines | Entertainment and Medical Technology Avenue. You can also find her on Google+.
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