To Linda Pohl and lactnetters,
   Like Linda, I am "leery" of herbal substances, including teas.  Just
because they are "natural" doesn't mean they are weak and harmless -
some are, some aren't. (After all, oleander is "natural", but every part
is highly toxic!)
   We need to remember that a few teas are hepatotoxic (can damage or
destroy the liver), e.g. comfrey and coltsfoot. Some are diuretic.
   However, even teas we suppose to be safe, because they appear to be
pharmacologically safe, may not have the quality control which is in
place for regular pharmaceuticals, and *contamination* is an issue. It
is no use being pharmaceutically okay if the product has too many bugs.
Low-growing herbs used in teas and "natural" medicines may be
contaminated with foreign matter (other plant material, animal faeces)
or spores (which may indeed be *activated* into multiplying by the
addition of boiling water - which is exactly what we do with teas).
Some of the teas with this sort of contamination in state government
microbiological reports I read recently include peppermint (surprise!)
and nettle.  Pawpaw ointment samples tested at the same time also had
microbiological contamination.  One would hope that more recent batches
are cleaner ....  The thing is, batches vary and who is to know about
the batch your client is buying?  Some countries or states have more
stringent quality control than others; I believe Germany has stringent
controls to give reliable products.


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