In a recent study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors said that an Arkansas man suffered kidney failure after drinking a gallon of iced tea per day. Last year, the 56 year old man was hospitalized after suffering from weakness, nausea, aches, fatigue.

Doctors were surprised to find that even with no history of kidney stone in his life, the man's urine had huge amount of Ca salts. Doctors, after further questioning, revealed that the reason can be the huge intake of ice tea by him.

Doctors found that the patient's kidney was clogged and inflamed with oxalate, a chemical which is found in food.

An average American generally intakes 150 mg of oxalate per day but the person took 1500 mg of oxalate with 16 glasses of ice tea. It was 10 times more than the average person's intake.

Tea is beneficial only if taken in little amounts. Excessive consumption of tea can increase the levels of oxalate, leading to kidney failure. Spinach, strawberries and rhubarb also have Oxalates in them.

According to a study, intake of black tea in moderation could lead to the reduction of the risk of kidney stones. Thus, moderation is the key and less consumption will benefit.

As per the federal studies, Americans drink ten to twelve beverages a day like water, tea and caffeinated beverages. But the chemical found in tea can cause concern.

Tiffany Lockhart, a registered clinical dietitian in Huntington, WV, said, "Tea is high in oxalates so that's what gave him the kidney trouble, that's a chemical found in tea and other foods".

Doctors recommend people to monitor how much tea they are consuming, in case they have kidney problems or are diabetic.