Many of you, in watching your calories, enjoy an occasional glass of tea. Here is a case study illustrating why, even in a beverage that is calorie-free, moderation is essential.
A 52 year old woman who reported drinking 1 to 2 gallons of double strength instant tea daily from the time she was 12 years old. She developed osteosclerosis--which is kind of like the opposite of osteoporosis, in that it is a condition of increased bone density. In this case, calcification had spread to her joints and ligaments; she had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia at age 35, which perhaps was the wrong name for what was going on.
It was suggested that the instant tea, containing fluoride, and used in a double-strength fashion, caused the condition.
Moral of the story, if you drink instant tea, follow the directions and vary it with other beverages.
Whyte MP, Totty WG, Lim VT, Whitford GM. Skeletal fluorosis from instant tea. J Bone Miner Res. 2008 May;23(5):759-69.