When most people see the words ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ it doesn’t actually mean that just anyone can use the product. In the case of herbal teas, there are many teas that are good for you while others should be avoided completely. With this in mind, don’t throw out all of your herbal teas. The best thing to do is to check the types of tea you have on hand. Look at the ingredients of each herbal tea to see if what you are drinking is entirely good for you or are you doing yourself more harm than good?
Side Effects of Tea
Sassafras tea has been around for ages, but is it really fine to drink? Sassafras trees are easily identified by the smell. To me, sassafras smells like licorice while others refer to it as having a root beer type of smell and flavor. Sassafras was actually used as an ingredient in some of the first root beers. The tea comes from the dried root of the sassafras tree. During the Colonial times, sassafras was used as a blood purifier. It has also been used for fever, stomachaches, arthritis, and skin problems.
Sassafras contains nearly 80% of a toxic compound called safrole. Studies have indicated that large amounts of safrole can raise the risk of liver toxicity. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do not consume sassafras tea. If sassafras tea is desired by healthy non-pregnant individuals, it should be used sparingly. Check all tea side effects before using.
Tea Side Effects
The side effects of tea are continually being studied. Take the herb pennyroyal, for example. It is common to hear of people overdosing from drugs, but sometimes overdosing can be a side effect of tea or other herbal supplement. While pennyroyal has been used to treat coughs and menstrual problems, it can be deadly.
When using the herbal supplement in teas, be sure to measure out each dose. It is advised to talk to a health care professional before taking or drinking pennyroyal. Some of the more serious pennyroyal tea side effects are: vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures, fever, and even unconsciousness. Some other pennyroyal tea side effects can be harder to detect such as liver and kidney damage.
Other Tea Side Effects
Coltsfoot has been used for asthma, sore throats, bronchitis, whooping cough, and other lung problems. It is also thought to cause birth defects when taken by pregnant women. Many people will look at what teas are said to be good for and neglect to look at the bad side effects of tea. Containing chemicals that can damage the liver and/or cause cancer, coltsfoot should be avoided by everyone.
Herbal teas such as yohimbe is used to aid in athletic performance, weight loss, exhaustion, and depression among many other uses. One thing that many not be known about the side effects of this tea is death. Yohimbe is known for raising heart rates which can lead to a heart attack. Other yohimbe tea side effects are kidney failure, seizures, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and can also interfere with insulin in diabetics.
Some Good Effects of Tea
When trying to decide on what types of tea to drink for good health, stick with ones that have been used for hundreds of years and have a proven track record. Try drinking green tea. Green tea is one of the healthiest teas you can drink. Green tea has many good side effects such as: helps in preventing some cancers, fights tooth decay and gum disease, aids in weight loss, and so on. Green tea is also available in matcha form.
Green matcha tea is ground up green tea leaves. When drinking green matcha tea, you actually drink the whole tea leaf as it is ground up into a fine powder giving the person drinking it a whole list of good tea side effects. Another good tea to drink is yerba matte tea. Yerba matte good tea side effects include: reducing the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. It is full of vitamin A, B1, B2, C, and the minerals magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and riboflavin that many adults lack in their daily diets.
Things to Keep in Mind
Before drinking herbal teas or beginning herbal supplements talk to a professional who is knowledgeable about tea side effects, good and bad. Always do your own research if in doubt. Never leave herbal supplements where children or animals can get hold of them, as we have learned there are certain types of herbs that can cause death.
Sources:
“Coltsfoot”, WebMD.com
“Herb & Supplement Encyclopedia: Sassafras”, Flora Health.com
“What is Pennyroyal?”, Drugs.com
“Yohimbe”, WebMD.com
