High blood pressure means that your blood pressure is consistently too high and your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body. If precautions are not taken for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, it can increase the risk of heart and circulatory diseases. You can take precautions against hypertension by paying attention to your diet. Herbal teas are also widely promoted as safe and beneficial, but this is not always the case.
A study published in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association found that licorice tea is a significant contributor to hypertension. Licorice tea has been traditionally used to relieve digestive problems and nausea, as well as to soothe stomach upset.
MAY HAVE HARMFUL SIDE EFFECTS
“Excessive amounts of some herbal products can have harmful side effects,” said Jean-Pierre Falet, PhD, of the Department of Neurology at McGill University in Montréal, Quebec.
If products containing licorice extract are consumed in excess, they can raise blood pressure, cause edema, and lower potassium levels.
LIQUID ROOT TEA HOSPITALIZED
An 84-year-old man in Canada applied to the emergency room with a complaint of high blood pressure. The patient also complained of headache, sensitivity to light, chest pain, fatigue, and edema in the calves. As a result of the examinations of the doctors, it was revealed that the patient drank 1-2 cups of licorice root tea every day at home for his blood pressure. Doctors warned against unconsciously consumed herbal teas.