Risks Associated with Consumption of Herbal Teas

Abstract

Plants have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries (Larkin 1983). The writings remaining from the ancient civilizations of Sumer, Assyria, Egypt, Greece, China, and Rome describe the use of plants believed to possess medicinal qualities. The first comprehensive list, or Materia Medica, of all known medicinal herbs dates to the days of the Roman Empire (Larkin 1983). Tea, originating in China, is one of the world’s oldest known prepared beverages. In the early years of the twentieth century, many herbals were tested for activity and eliminated as ineffective or replaced by synthetic products. However, during the past 20 years there has been a resurgence of interest in “natural” products such as herbal teas and supplements with medicinal or nonmedicinal purposes. With concerns about the possible ill effects of consuming beverages containing caffeine, health-oriented individuals are turning to herbal teas as alternatives to traditional low calorie, caffeinated beverages such as coffee, cocoa, and tea. The popularity of herbal tea consumption has acquired such dimensions that during 1985 the sales of herbs and herbal teas in health food stores exceeded $190 million in the United States (Tyler 1987). Hundreds of different herbal teas are sold in health food stores as varied mixtures of roots, leaves, seeds, barks, or other parts of shrubs, vines, or trees.