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Health Hazard Plant toxins detected in herbal teas
Although herbal teas are usually considered to be soothing and are sometimes used as a home remedy for some ailments, but of some varieties apparently also poses a potential health hazard. Research by the NDR revealed that some products are heavily contaminated with plant toxins.
Products from renowned manufacturers contaminated with plant toxins
Health experts are often advised to drink various herbal teas to help them feel well or to help with stomach aches or other ailments as a home remedy. Especially mint is known as a medicinal plant, which has an antispasmodic effect and provides relief for conditions such as headaches or indigestion.
Herbal tea contaminated with plant poison. Image: cirquedesprit - fotolia Ironically, peppermint tea is often contaminated with plant toxins. As reported by "ndr.de", research conducted by the economic and consumer magazine "Markt" on NDR television shows that herbal teas from well-known manufacturers are so heavily contaminated with plant toxins that their intake is classified as hazardous to health.
Even the smallest amounts could cause cancer
According to a laboratory analysis commissioned by Markt, four out of six peppermint and herbal teas were used to identify so-called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) in a random sample. These substances can cause liver damage and liver cancer. "There is a possibility that the smallest amounts are enough to cause cancer," said the toxicologist Prof. Edmund Maser of the Kiel Christian Albrechts University in an interview with "market". The expert demands that all food, including teas, should be free of PA.
Some plants, such as the ragwort, produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) to protect against predators and pests. When the tea weeds are harvested by machine, the poisonous plants that grow between the tea plants as weeds get into the crop. Again and again, health threats to humans and animals are warned by poison in ragwort.
No statutory limits
As reported by "ndr.de", there is no statutory limit for PA, but the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has calculated a maximum intake for this substance. For an adult, this is 0.42 micrograms per day. According to the report, the lab found a PA amount of 0.67 micrograms per cup for a REWE brand mint tea. Extensive measures to minimize the contents are already being carried out, the company informed NDR on request. A herbal tea of Edeka's own brand contained 0.36 micrograms per cup. According to Maser, this quantity is suitable for quickly reaching the maximum intake recommended by the BfR. Edeka pointed out to "Markt" that there was no legal threshold.
However, the company still wants to implement a minimization concept with its supplier. The lab was also found in the peppermint tea by Aldi and the herbal tea of the manufacturer Messmer - but to a lesser extent. Thus Aldi's tea contained 0.02 micrograms of PA per cup and the product of Meßmer 0.005 micrograms. Both companies have indicated that they have taken action to reduce PA levels.
High loads were also found in earlier investigations
In the peppermint tea of teapot and in the herbal tea Lord Nelson von Lidl no plant poison was detectable. The broadcast "Markt" will be broadcasted on Monday, 11.01.2016, at 20:15 on NDR television. In previous studies of other experts, enormous amounts of plant toxins were found in different teas. For example, the Stiftung Warentest found that green tea is often contaminated with high concentrations of pollutants. And the ZDF consumer magazine "WISO" reported in the penultimate year that carcinogenic plant toxin could be detected in organic baby tea. (Ad)