Handbook of Medicinal Herbs

(Dana P.) #1

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PNC; WO2); Dyspepsia (f; PH2); Edema (f; DAA; WO2); Emphysema (1; DAA); Encephalosis
(f; WO2); Enterosis (1; APA; PH2); Enterovirus (1; WO2); Epilepsy (f; DAA; JNU); Escher-
ichia (1; PH2); Esophagosis (1; APA); Fatigue (f; DAA; PH2); Fever (f; PH2; WO2); Gastrosis
(f; PHR; PH2); Gingivosis (1; SKY); Goiter (1; WO2); Gout (f; WO2); Hangover (f; DAA);
Headache (1; APA; PH2); Hepatosis (f; PH2; WO2); Herpes (1; AKT); High Blood Pressure
(f; SKY); High Cholesterol (1; AKT; APA; SKY; WO2); High Triglyceride (1; SKY); Hyper-
dipsia (f; PH2); Hyperthyroidism (1; WO2); Immunodepression (1; AKT; FNF; SKY); Infection
(1; SKY); Inflammation (1; APA; COX; FNF; PH2); Kidney Stone (f; WO2); Lethargy (1;
JNU); Leukemia (1; WO2); Malaria (f; PH2); Melanoma (f; JNU); Metastasis (f; JNU);
Migraine (f; DAA; JNU; PH2); Nausea (f; PHR; PH2); Nephrosis (f; WO2); Obesity (1; APA;
FNF; JNU); Odontorrhagia (1; APA); Ophthalmia (f; DAA); Pain (1; JAD; PH2); Paralysis (f;
JNU); Plaque (2; PH2); Polyp (1; APA); Shingle (1; AKT); Smallpox (f; DAA); Stone (f;
JNU); Streptococcus (1; PH2); Stroke (1; APA; JNU); Sunburn (1; APA); Swelling (f; DAA);
Toxemia (f; DAA); Tuberculosis (f; JNU); Ulcer (1; AKT; APA); Vertigo (f; JNU); Virus (1;
AKT; FNF; WO2); Vomiting (f; PH2); Water Retention (1; APA; PH2); Wrinkle (1; APA).
(Not covered by Commission E (KOM)).

Dosages (Green or Black Tea) — 1–2 tsp dry leaf/cup water 1–3 ×/day (APA); 50–100 mg green
tea polyphenols (APA); 100–200 mg StX (50% polyphenols) (APA); three 333-mg green tea
capsules, each containing 50 mg polyphenols/day (APA).

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Green or Black Tea) — Class 2d.
Fermented black tea not recommended for excess or long-term use (AHP). In excess can cause
GI distress and nervous irritability (due to caffeine) (PNC). Caffeine syndrome in overindul-
gence, as with coffee, etc. (SKY). All things in moderation. One woman who consumed the
equivalent of 65 g tea leaves/day for 5 years exhibited liver dysfunction. Ascites and splenom-
egaly resolved after tea was discontinued (SHT). Pedersen, who does not cover conventional
tea, says that peppermint leaf contains much astringent tannin, which can damage the liver
and intestine with prolonged use (Pedersen, 1998). Since the more widely used tea (Camellia
sinensis) often contains twice as much tannin as peppermint, this recommendation should be
doubly pertinent under tea, or maybe we should call these tannins by the more attractive names
“OPCs, polyphenols, and pycnogenols” and declare them useful antioxidant good guys instead
of hepatotoxic bad guys (JAD). Regarding caffeine, “Pregnant women should under no cir-
cumstances exceed a dosage of 300 mg/day (5 cups of tea spread out over the course of a
day). Infants whose nursing mothers consume beverage containing caffeine could suffer from
sleep disorders” (APA).

Extracts (Green or Black Tea) — Both the polphenols (OPCs, tannins) and xanthines (caffeine)
have their good and bad sides. As a major source of the major COX-2 Inhibitor ([+]-catechin),
this might be viewed by enthusiasts as another herbal miracle aspirin (COX). See FNF. Muroi
and Kubo (1993) demonstrated synergies for antibacterial activity in compounds from tea (Camel-
lia sinensis), “... green tea extract is effective in the prevention of dental caries because of the
antibacterial activity of flavor compounds together with the antiplaque activity of polyphenols....
Synergism was found in the combination of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (delta-cadinene and
beta-caryophyllene) with indole; their bactericidal activities increased from 128-fold to 256-
fold ... the combination of 25 μg/mL delta-cadinene and 400 μg/mL indole reduced the number
of viable (bacterial) cells at any stage of growth.” Translation: The mixture (“herbal shotgun”)
of three bactericidal compounds that might help prevent plaque was more than 100 times more
potent than the isolated individual compounds (“magic bullet”). And then there is the natural
fluoride (130–160 ppm) (PDR).
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