Watch for Side Effects When Drinking Herbal Tea

Herbal tea side effects warrant caution! Use glass or porcelain brewing vessels when preparing… When consumed consciously, medicinal plants offer numerous health benefits, but unconscious and excessive use can produce adverse effects. Experts emphasize that mixture teas sold openly, whose plant contents are unknown, should not be consumed. They also warn that herbal tea use requires particular care, especially in cases where a chronic condition has been diagnosed and medication is being taken regularly. Experts recommend using glass or porcelain brewing vessels when preparing herbal teas, which can be consumed through steeping, cold infusion, or boiling. Dr. Tuğba Kaman, Program Director of the Medical and Aromatic Plants Program at Üsküdar University School of Health Services, shared important information about the methods of using herbal teas and the precautions that should be taken. Beware of openly sold plants! Dr. Tuğba Kaman stated that herbal teas are the simplest and most commonly preferred method used among the public to benefit from plants, and added: "When consumed consciously, medicinal plants offer numerous health benefits, but unconscious and excessive use can produce undesired adverse effects. Herbal teas must be obtained from a reliable source. It is critical that medicinal plants are collected at the right time in the proper manner, dried using the correct method, and stored appropriately. Otherwise, there can be losses of effective compounds at every stage that could be beneficial, and they can also become harmful. Plants sold openly, whose collection methods, drying, and storage conditions are unknown should not be purchased. Species mixing can occur particularly with plants sold openly in herbal shops. For example, medicinal chamomile can be collected together with non-medicinal chamomile varieties. Not all chamomile has medicinal value, and some can be poisonous. This can result in frequent poisoning cases." Do not purchase mixture teas whose contents are unknown Kaman noted that herbal teas can be prepared from a single plant or from multiple plants, and stated: "Particularly in mixture teas, the specific plants used and their quantities may not be specified. Mixture teas whose ingredient plants and their proportions are unknown should not be purchased. Furthermore, the combined use of plants in mixture teas may not be appropriate." Those with chronic conditions and regular medication users should take care! Noting that demand for herbal teas increases particularly in winter months to prevent illness and support immunity, Kaman said: "Although medicinal plants have many benefits, in some cases they can be risky. Especially if there is a diagnosed chronic condition and regular medication use, this situation requires special care and should not be used without consulting a physician. This is because some plants can affect how medications are metabolized in the body—either increasing or decreasing metabolism. They can have similar or opposite effects to medication, and consequently medication dosage may need to be adjusted. In such cases, the use of certain plants may need to be avoided or consumption limited." These plants require caution when used Dr. Tuğba Kaman said: "For example, echinacea, a plant with strong antiviral and antioxidant effects preferred for supporting immunity, can trigger allergic reactions in some individuals, and those with autoimmune diseases and liver disorders should avoid its use." He continued: "Ginger, which is used for common colds, motion sickness, and stomach complaints, can prolong bleeding time, so care must be taken when using it with blood thinners such as aspirin and warfarin. Sage is also a plant with antimicrobial and antioxidant effects that can provide support for complaints such as oral and throat infections during cold periods; however, its consumption by pregnant and nursing mothers and young children is considered inadvisable. Green tea, which is a good antioxidant and widely consumed with many known benefits, can be risky for individuals taking blood pressure medication as it may prevent the medication's benefit to the body. Those with high blood pressure and palpitations should use it carefully. Thyme, which due to its strong antimicrobial effect can be beneficial for respiratory tract infections, is also a plant requiring careful use, as it can alter the effectiveness of medications used by those with high blood pressure." Brewing method varies depending on the plant! Dr. Tuğba Kaman, describing various methods for preparing herbal tea, continued: "Some of the bioactive compounds in plants pass quickly into hot or boiling water, while others dissolve more easily in cold water. If one wishes to benefit from medicinal plants in the form of tea, one should know how the tea is prepared. For example, if more delicate plant parts such as leaves and flowers are to be used, steeping would be the appropriate method. In this method, the water temperature should be 80 degrees and should be steeped for 5-10 minutes. Harder parts such as roots, bark, rhizomes, and wood should be prepared by boiling. In this method, boiling at 100 degrees for 10-30 minutes is required. For mucilaginous plants such as marshmallow, hibiscus root, and flaxseed, the cold infusion method would be appropriate. Unless specific instructions are given, infusions and decoctions should be prepared using 2-3 grams of plant per 100 ml of water." Glass or porcelain brewing vessels should be used Kaman emphasized that the materials used in preparing herbal tea are also important: "Plants can react with aluminum and metal materials. For this reason, care should be taken to use glass or porcelain brewing vessels. To prevent the loss of fragrant or aromatic compounds in herbal teas, the brewing vessel should be kept covered during steeping, the tea should always be freshly prepared and consumed, and should be consumed within 24 hours at most. Additionally, sugar or artificial sweeteners should not be added when consuming."