Every morning, millions in India wake up and reach straight for a cup of bed tea — a ritual passed down generations, seen as comforting, even necessary. But according to biochemist and an IITian Manish Bhagwani, this simple act may be harming more than helping.
“Why Morning Bed Tea concept need to go away from India? I don’t know why you guys are falling for it,” he writes.
What follows is a sharp takedown of a habit many don’t question — but perhaps should.
“This bad habit will backfire soon because you do not understand your body's metabolism,” Bhagwani warns. His reasoning is rooted in how the body prepares itself at dawn.
“Before you wake up, your body naturally increases cortisol production,” he explains. “This surge in cortisol increases blood glucose and with increased glucose comes a little bit increased insulin in your body too.”
He clarifies that this is a natural and beneficial process — it gives you the energy to start your day. But if you’re dealing with obesity or abdominal fat, that glucose-insulin response may be exaggerated.
“If you have obesity or just abdominal obesity... chances are you have insulin resistance... more than 50% of urban Indians now have insulin resistance,” he notes.
He urges people to track their HOMA-IR levels — a marker calculated by multiplying fasting insulin (mIU/L) with fasting glucose (mg/dL), then dividing by 405. “If the value is above 1.8, then you have clinical insulin resistance.”
Through the night, your muscles and liver convert glycogen into glucose, keeping your blood sugar steady. “By the time you wake up, your brain, muscle cells, and tissue cells are all still well fed,” he writes.
So what do they really need in the morning? “Movement,” says Bhagwani. “When you exercise, your muscles' glucose consumption increases... which makes them insulin sensitive.”
“After 30–60 mins of moderate exercise makes your body switch its energy source from Glycogen to Fat burning. Which is blessings in today's time.”
But what does morning bed tea do? “It puts a hold on this whole process. Its sugar elevates glucose in blood and then insulin... which makes you crave more sugar soon and then you are part of a vicious cycle.”
His verdict is direct: “Science is clear. You don’t need tea/coffee upon waking up. You need Water, You need movement.”