Rooibos Tea Can Cause Liver Failure

[@colleensainsbury9022]

Let's get real. Millions of South Africans drink rooibos daily. With no side effects. BUT, they do NOT add buchu, they do NOT drink it with artificial flavourings, they do NOT steep it for 15 minutes, the do NOT use 2 teabags. Moderation is the key.

[@DorothyOfTheWest]

Halleluiah sister, this is the way. Why on earth make the drink 6 times more powerful than its meant to be?

[@mariannelabanane2589]

@@DorothyOfTheWest To make it more potent. I guess most people do that, especially when you have no idea it can be dangerous!

[@chocolatefaerie]

There's 50 million of us drinking 3 to 4 cups a day, never heard anyone with this problem

[@frusia123]

Misleading title. It's not rooibos tea that causes liver damage but appalling standard of food in the US, and big brands being allowed to sell whatever under whatever name, because transparency has been lost to profit.

[@nettierose4915]

Rooibos tea is sold in just about every store in the tea department, along with black tea, green tea and various herbal teas. This is not a Whole Foods exclusive product.

[@vegsource]

Absolutely. That's where the particular one Sabrina got came from, but there are lots of brands that have them.

[@lizhall2961]

This is really interesting. I wonder if there is a source of rooibos that are not grown by those toxic weeds because Rooibos has medicinal properties. Contaminants are also a problem. I don't think you can single out just rooibos tea. Why? PAs have been detected in a range of foodstuffs, including in honey and pollen dietary supplements, salad crops and cereals, herbal products, supplements, teas and products of animal origin. It really depends upon where teas are grown. Soil containments are a problem that can affect any teas, any foods especially where pollution is common.

[@hoptoi]

Wow! I was drinking pots of this. Good thing I stopped

[@hoptoi]

This happened to a cousin of mine who ate a lot of carrots. Her skin turned orange, but I don’t think she was diagnosed with liver damage and I don’t think she even went to the dr. Perhaps she didn’t realize the significance

[@vegsource]

@@hoptoi That’s a different condition, which is harmless. It doesn’t involve the liver. Eating too many carrots or other beta-carotene-rich foods can lead to a condition called carotenemia, where your skin turns an orange color. This happens due to the excess beta-carotene in your blood, which is the pigment found in these foods. It's more noticeable in areas with thicker skin and is more apparent in lighter-skinned people. However, carotenemia is not dangerous and can be resolved by reducing the intake of beta-carotene-rich foods, with skin discoloration fading over time health.clevelandclinic.org/can-eating-too-many-carrots-turn-your-skin-orange

[@glendaarbuckle5570]

My mum is 92 years old and still drinks her Rooibos tea. It’s the only tea she drinks. It is an extremely popular and healthy tea in Africa. Your wife probably had a reaction from something else.

[@teddybearroosevelt1847]

I agree.

[@MitziHart]

💯,… She had to have had compounding factors ⁉️

[@psjasker]

This is a public service. Thank you and I hope your wife makes a full recovery.

[@Xassefras]

Thank you for talking about this. I used to have a few cups of rooibos tea every day and I have had a low platelet count for about a year now. My doctor has no idea what’s causing it, but she has me tested every few months, just to keep an eye on it. When I saw your other video a few weeks ago, with a slide about rooibos tea causing low platelet count, I immediately stopped drinking the stuff. In a week or two I’ll have my next blood test. Hoping for the best. :)

[@vegsource]

Hope you are back to normal soon! It seems there is research documenting that some herbal teas cause low platelets, see: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8988498/

[@Jojo-o6o6w]

all plants have defense chemicals and compounds along with naturally occurring carcinogens (and all the poisonous pesticides!).. Im not surprised by this whatsoever. Hell, it may not even be the tea's fault.. it could be cumulative damage that finally made itself obvious

[@ThroughHisEyes444]

Lol I can’t fucking win.

[@philippe_paradis-cadieux]

Can you report the result? So we can know if rooibos was actually causing it.

[@marilyn48ful]

Thanks for the info, I will avoid that tea because I don’t take chances with my liver.

[@Lieutenant-Dan]

I think it's probably a case of that particular batch of rooibos being contaminated or your wife has a certain sensitivity which can happen with any tea. Millions of people drink rooibos on the regular and have no issues. If it was a case of rooibos being toxic in general, there would be a worldwide epidemic of liver issues, especially in South Africa. That being said, I'm so sorry this happened to your wife and hope she is ok 🙏

[@spandel100]

You can be taking damage without realising it.These things are insidious.

[@Jojo-o6o6w]

@@spandel100 all plants have defense chemicals and compounds along with naturally occurring carcinogens (and all the poisonous pesticides!).. Im not surprised by this whatsoever. Hell, it may not even be the tea's fault.. it could be cumulative damage that finally made itself obvious

[@dawnelder9046]

Look at the damage of seed oils. Twenty years after seed oils enter a populations diet heart attacks and strokes increase. They destroy your pancreas and triple cancer rates in just 6 years. And they are in everything.

[@PETERJOHN101]

​@@spandel100 I've been drinking Rooibos tea for more than ten years without any issues, however my intake is very small, about 2 tsp a day.

[@jankotze1212]

Bullshit, people in South Afrika have been drinking rooibos tea for generations, over at least 500 years and liver damage is not a common thing. The people in the Western Cape, where rooibos tea drinking originated, drink copious amounts of tea. I suspect the popularity of rooibos, world wide and the effect on commercial interrests, is the reason for this smear video.

[@curlew-3592]

I grew up in South Africa where the rooibos tea co ex from. It is drunk regularly by everyone. I have never in my life heard of anyone having their liver damaged, it has been drunk probably for centuries!

[@Kerrigan.le.Awesome]

My thoughts exactly, and greetings fellow Saffa :)

[@Trakehner20]

They are saying it's probably the weed growing near it, and the chemicals to fight it. Yours may not have had it.

[@beehaven2364]

Notice at the end of the article this information from 2013 warns this as a reason to beware of herbal supplements, not the actual contaminated nearby weeds.

[@matthewbattie1022]

Rooibos tea is very healthy and is actually a detoxicate. The cultrate is Pyrrolizidine alkaloids found almost exclusively in two areas in Africa. Pyrrolizidine alkaloid contaminates many foods in these areas. It's not fair to blame rooibos.

[@rayfalciola6163]

May not be fair to blame Rooibos BUT ... as I have said to some people I care about ... "it may not be your fault that you are overweight/diabetic/whatever, but it is your problem. Fair or not it is YOUR problem and only you can do something to try and fix it". Fair has nothing to do with it. A consumer does not care that "Rooibos is not liver toxic if there are Liver toxins in the Rooibos". All the consumer cares about is "get the dam Pyrrolizidine alkaloid out of my Rooibos or I will choose one of the other thousands of available teas to drink." Looks like the Rooibos guys need to be pro-active and start testing for contamination. And yes, not fair to blame the plant, but it is still the plant producer's problem

[@matthewbattie1022]

Maybe the consumer should learn to differentiate between causation and correlation. Almost every food product in the world has, at one time, been contaminated by an outside source. It's not fair to blame Rooibos because it's simply not accurate. If you want to blame someone, blame Jeff Bezos for contracting the cheapest products from the most corrupt countries instead of scaring away from things that are extremely healthy in their unadulterated form. @@rayfalciola6163

[@grahambird1570]

It's the Insecticide the they spray on the plant, I and hundreds of people drink it as an anti oxidant against cancer. I personally know several people in their 100's that drink it every day !

[@grasonicus]

Others say Rooibos has no health benefits that outweigh the risk of drinking it.

[@matthewbattie1022]

I have seen the anti-cancer and anti stroke benefits first hand. I have felt the liver cleansing benefits for myself. I help people find the foods that help their bodies to heal. Never mind boomer, just go take another vaccine. Your generation has destroyed the health of at least two entire generations. And now you all pretend to be health experts while most of you get sick every year, and take more drugs than a Columbian drug lord. @@grasonicus

[@Invitational2]

1:54 “the experts were baffled.” It’s a pandemic of the baffled “experts”

[@zoomby4380]

South Africans have always drunk Rooibos, we grew up drinking this tea, never ever have anyone in South Africa got ill. Maybe bad batch???? 😮

[@nancywolf3786]

how do you know no one ever got sick from it??

[@Emlane09]

How frightening, thanks for spreading awareness!

[@ArrosticiniVore]

Better to drink bone broth...

[@Bytheirfruitsshall]

It makes my tongue slightly swell up hmmm

[@NB-ns3cy]

Don't be so naive

[@mrich9654]

Rooibos is Afrikaans for “red Bush” grown in South Africa. It’s sold everywhere under different brand names and the entire country drinks it regularly.

[@maple9326]

I was a HUGE black tea drinker for years. A couple of years ago I went gluten free, which got rid of many problems I was having. One issue that slowed down was nosebleeds. Several months later I did a bit of an elimination diet and cut out my black tea. It lessened the nosebleeds more and my sinuses weren't so stuffy. Not long ago, I had a cup of rooibos flavoured tea after not having some for awhile, and I noticed that my nose got stuffed up and was bleeding a bit. Once I haven't had it for a couple of days, I feel better. This video just confirms that it isn't such an innocent tea, which is too bad because it's SO good.

[@George97477]

As a South African, I really love Rooibos and basically live on it. This makes me so sad about the weed that's contaminating everything. I'll have to stop drinking this tea and find something else until they find a way of safely growing it without risks of contamination, thanks for the info!

[@theresastewart1279]

Think about all The GMOs plants are now being adultered with so sad.. Farmers who do not use them who have organic the wind blows and a whole next door crop can be ruined :(. The cows in India they tried to feed all died and the farmers refused the seeds and they burned them I saw on a video.

[@theresastewart1279]

Think about all The GMOs plants are now being adultered with so sad.. Farmers who do not use them who have organic the wind blows and a whole next door crop can be ruined :(. The cows in India they tried to feed all died and the farmers refused the seeds and they burned them I saw on a video.

[@holymonke5165]

Rooibos could have been poisoned like they do other foods. I have exclusively drank only Rooibos tea for 4 years, and know of others who drink it twice a day and no problems. Rooibos make you calm and sleep like a baby. This is news.

[@shenellaster5562]

I always drink plenty of water before drinking tea.

[@garydaslug3025]

rooibos should be typically brewed with only one bag, with one leaving it in for at max five minutes… i dont know why youd use two bags and then tripple the max recommended time??? its like brewing a black tea for 15-20 minutes which will too probably cause stomach upset or whatever

[@RJT11]

Thank you for posting this informative video, Jeff. I always look forward to your terrific content. A channel like yours should have 10 million subscribers!

[@Equinox1.5]

I love (loved) rooibos tea, drinking it on and off over the years. I was going to start drinking it again as an alternative to caffeinated beverages when I saw your video about your wife's liver failure. So scary. I also preferred it strong - two tea bags with soya milk - so I'm surprised I did not suffer the same fate. I hope your wife has fully recovered now. As an aside, a few years ago a local coffee chain started selling rooibos espresso-style drinks - briefly. I remember drinking one and not feeling great after it. The chain stopped selling it. I don't know if it was simply a poor seller, or if they came to know something the public didn't! Thank you so much for drawing attention to this issue.

[@alexcarter8807]

Postum is still sold, there are also various roasted Asian teas, from Pu-erh to various teas that are toasted to be kind of brown and have other roasted grains in them like rice etc. What I'm saying is, there are alternatives to roiboos tea.

[@tondematongo32]

I'm here in South Africa..... rooibos is sold everyshop... people drink it everyday......are u sure your wife didn't take anything else? Or the brand she bought wasn't tainted with a chemical or something?

[@vegsource]

She wasn't taking anything else . It seems to me plausible that she got a bad batch. When the Senecio plant/weed is growing near the Rooibos plants, they apparently try to make certain they don't harvest that Senecio because it's toxic. But we know that the toxins can leech through the soil from the Senecio and into the Rooibos leaves. So maybe only the batch she got was affected (hopefully), and since she drank it everyday for a month, she had a problem.

[@chocolatefaerie]

The patients seem to be very unlucky as 50 million others didn't get this problem over years of consumption

[@AereForst]

Strange. Rooibos has been drunk for decades in South Africa. It’s very popular there. I would expect a very high incidence of liver failure there on account of this.

[@creativesolutionsart-h3o]

Sometimes a population can get used to a local toxin and develop an adaptation to it. For example, the people in China have grown very used to the pollution and when outsiders visit, they are very sensitive to it. My husband used to travel there for work, and him and his coworkers were always advised to use milk thistle to combat the pollution while there for three months.

[@ayupmeduck5708]

Natural immunity from the sun perhaps? UV light is used in medicine to help cure jaundice.

[@creativesolutionsart-h3o]

@@ayupmeduck5708 That is very plausible!

[@sensorymats8544]

and no liver failure here in SA to speak of.

[@LynaGalliara]

And there I was, thinking that that time when my main drink had been roobois tea had been better than when my main drink became beer. Seriously though, thank you for alerting us about this. Recently I’ve been thinking about switching to drinking more tea, as I have genuinely become too much of a beer drinker, so it's good to know that I should steer clear of roobois, when that had been an old favourite of mine. Wishing your wife a speedy recovery. I respect your ability to go through the information and sort fact from fiction. Years ago I watched your series on nuts and DHA and was so impressed and grateful for your efforts to inform us. Thank you Jeff.

[@scoobysnax8127]

Steeping the bags for 15 mins is excessive. A lot of teas will become harmful if you are letting them steep too long. My mother taught me this years ago.

[@wanderinlife68]

I call bullshit. Tea is tested regularly and has been around for years in South Africa.

[@rahrjiyanin8072]

The title is deceiving! Adults make choices & should not blame others for poor choices. Your wife should take accountability & I hope she gets well soon.

[@DeannaLee]

You should report this to the FDA in order to have regulatory action taken so that the public at large can be safe.

[@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307]

Maybe its just from the sickly vegan diet! He looks like an apprentice mortician did his face!

[@alexgordon951]

FDA keeps people safe? How about Advil? How about the clot shots?ozempic? Klonopin? Cymbalta? The FDA is not in the business of keeping you safe

[@GeorgeSukFuk]

Hahaha

[@rubenestrada7095]

FDA😂🤣 yeah right don't hold your breath.

[@lana7422]

One thing to give attention to in our society is that Quality Control is sadly deficient in the production of so many products, such as airplanes, cars, medicines, supplements, foods, etc. Do your research!!!

[@tuckercarlsonrules4972]

Unfortunately, some farmers are probably not only taking Senecio by accident, but to increase their harvest just to get by. South African economy and infrastructure is very much on a down turn

[@alexcarter8807]

I'm reflecting here on how the tea being toxic might not matter in a country where the life expectancy is probably into one's 50s at best.

[@marleneclough3173]

​@@alexcarter8807life expectancy is way more than 50's actually and people here in South Africa have been drinking Rooibos for years

[@lillian9221]

@@marleneclough3173 correct, my mum 85 years has at least 6 mugs a day. Babies drink it and I drank it during pregnancy because I couldn't face coffee. Oh, bathed one of my babies in the tea because of his eczema at three months old.

[@marleneclough3173]

Rooibos is not farmed in the conventional sense as it only grows in a small area with specific soil and climate nowhere else. It has been tried elsewhere and failed. It is hand picked and processed and has been used for a very long time indeed. No idea how your batch was contaminated

[@midnight5222]

Best Plant Based channel on KZbin

[@carolineyunker369]

THANK YOU for this valuable info. I drank Rooibos tea years ago. I wasn't really a tea drinker so I stopped. The FDA needs to let the public know.

[@susanfabrican2244]

Stunning! Thank you for reporting on this danger. I’ve a box of Numi rooibos chai in my cupboard, been a while since I had a cup! ⚠️

[@ToddDouglasFox]

Being in medicine we ALWAYS have to separate toxic plant causation of illness from non toxic plants. Rooibos over thousands and likely tens of thousands of years is definitely NOT what almost killed your wife. That would be like saying that spinach almost killed people who ate the spinach when it was bacteria. It gets attention to title it like you did but it’s not accurate. I encourage you to change your title from Rooibos tea to toxic plants growing and harvested in rooibos tea almost killed my wife. I will respect that distinction and you will help many more people. MANY more people will see your thumb nail than will ever click on your video. These people will not get your distinctions because they will not hear them. Rooibos is a great plant and beneficial to humans.

[@vegsource]

I don't know that we can be sure Rooibos doesn't have toxic qualities. The people who sell and profit from it have paid for some very weak studies that suggest some general benefit from it - but these are biased and very poor studies (e.g., studies on biomarkers in rats, cells in a petri dish). People like to say Rooibos was used for hundreds of years by the native population, and it apparently was used as a medicinal herb and sometimes as a tea. But it wasn't being grown industrially as a cash crop like today, and pushed to be consumed as often as possible. For the original native population, it was an herbal medicine to be taken when needed, and as a medicine it can have medical effects and side effects. It's a little like saying tobacco was smoked by native americans for hundreds of years, so it's fine. True, but Native Americans reserved tobacco for ceremonial events (think "peace pipe") and didn't smoke it all the time - as happened when it got to Europe. Tobacco was promoted by doctors up into the early 1960s as healthy, just as Rooibos is today promoted as having health benefits. I imagine modern Rooibos is consumed differently from how it was consumed over the ages. And so I'm not personally convinced that Rooibos doesn't itself contain a certain level of PAs. Just because Purdue Pharma said they tested OxyContin and found it was safe and effective , doesn't mean I buy the claims of the people who pushed OxyContin... Let's not forget, as has been pointed out elsewhere in the Comments here, that South Africa has a life expectancy of 65, while in the US and other Western countries, people live an average of 15 years longer. There are probably many reasons for that, but if Rooibos was some miracle plant, wouldn't you expect it would help combat the poor life expectancy in South Africa, where I'm told "everybody drinks it." South African is in the position of 181 in life expectancy in the world.

[@ToddDouglasFox]

@@vegsource I really appreciate your long comment response to me and your deep dive into rooibos. However I’m not talking about your conjectures that perhaps rooibos itself is a problem. By all means theorize. My issue is with your title in your thumbnail. There are so many instant clicks and views of thumbnails these days that UNLESS and UNTIL you have the data on rooibos itself being a part of the toxicity that could have killed your wife, I am suggesting that you reword your title.

[@kinthecountry4301]

@@ToddDouglasFoxRight. How about: Contaminated Rooibos Tea Can Cause Liver Failure.

[@ToddDouglasFox]

@@kinthecountry4301 WARNING! Rooibos tea grown with toxic S. African plants caused liver failure, nearly killing my wife

[@ToddDouglasFox]

@@kinthecountry4301 ​​⁠ WARNING! Rooibos tea grown with toxic S. African plants caused liver failure, nearly killing my wife

[@gretaeberhardt541]

I saw your previous episode where you mentioned your wife going to the emergency room and Peter Rogers mentioning the herbal tea dangers. I had been drinking roiboos tea for the past two weeks. I was out of the tea and was going to buy more soon. Your timing was perfect. I hope your wife has recovered and is doing well.

[@vegsource]

Thank you!

[@tracydonnelly3570]

Well- that is frightening. I've been drinking this exact tea. My liver is damaged. I'm freaked out. 😳 thank you sooo much for this information.

[@tbb740]

​​@@vegsource Why do you still have that video up about olive oil being unhealthy? You do realize it's old information and the study he showed that "constricts" blood vessels is not from Extra Virgin Oil. The doctor made claims that it's unhealthy because it's calorie dense... yet we know the confounding evidence today to prove we need some fats. Keeping up the old clickbait video looks bad, and if it continues to stay up I'll be letting the medical board know that issued your doctorate about your quack opinions on the clinically proven healthy oil and see what they say for themselves.

[@sassysandie2865]

@@tbb740most olive oils in the US are not pure olive oil and therefore not very healthy. You need to get a life and stop threatening him. There are many good studies showing that even olive oil is not healthy.

[@vegsource]

@@tbb740 To my knowledge there’s nothing inaccurate in Dr Klaper’s video on olive oil. We recommend against all processed foods and junk foods, in favor of whole foods.

[@sandilobianco6734]

Very thorough explanation. And backing up with sources.

[@TheFirstManticore]

Rooibos tea is popular and sold in a lot of stores, not just Whole Foods. Liver toxicity from rooibos tea is rare, but it does happen. Or maybe minor toxicity is more common but unrecognized. In southern Africa, where it is most popular, it is seen more often. Since it is a natural product, it may be that the toxic ingredients vary, and there needs to be a standardization process. In the present political climate, however, it is more likely to be criminalized or mandated, depending.

[@kitsiewr]

Valuable information. But why target ONE store, of the many outlets for it?? She chose to buy it and consume large quantities.

[@grilledcheeseandsoup1652]

Oh my goodness. How frightening for your family. Thank you for sounding the alarm 🚨!!

[@mangowu3243]

I don't know if the problem is as common with Honeybush tea, but I drink that instead of Rooibos as it's doesn't get bitter if you brew it for too long and the antioxidant levels are much higher. Though, for both rooibos and honeybush, I was instructed to brew it with boiling water for 10 minutes for a safe tea, meaning that the water should be kept on the heat for 10 minutes, not just poured boiling in a cup with a teabag and sit for 10 minutes. For this kind of contamination it probably doesn't make a difference, but I don't know anything about that.

[@carl13579]

You could do a whole series on plant foods that can be toxic to some people at high amounts. For example, you could talk about starfruit and fava beans.

[@vegsource]

"The dose makes the poison." And it's true, people have died from drinking too much water. In this case, there's a problem that the Rooibos industry knows about very well, and attempts to address. But the problem still exists.

[@carl13579]

@@vegsource Yes - I meant my comment in a positive sense. Thank you for bringing this to our attention!

[@alexcarter8807]

Here's a link about starfruit: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9483003/ it's a surprise to me because where I grew up, starfruit is a fruit we eat, but generally you only eat 1-2 and when they're ripe and sweet. Juicing concentrates fruit, so while you might not sit down and eat a dozen oranges, you might drink the equivalent in juice.

[@thirstonhowellthebird]

Or spinach

[@juliesmith8153]

Thank you for this. Years ago I had a severe allergic reaction to a Yogi tea, .i am so cautious with tea now.

[@nisebiggs6572]

I get a migraine almost immediately after drinking rooibos tea.

[@kardste8114]

Thank you for your diligent follow-up and research on this Jeff!! I think they should take it off shelves. Great job!! May your wife have full recovery!! 👍🙏

[@mariannelabanane2589]

Wow! That's shocking. And it reach a toxic liver load in only about 2 weeks to one month! Thanks a lot to talk about it!

[@kardste8114]

I worry about any powdered products I buy. Like many of the “powdered greens” etc.

[@laura-loves-god]

Thank you so much for this information. Scary stuff. I used to drink Rooibos when I was transitioning away from normal tea. There is no way I would have drunk it had I known there was any chance it could cause liver failure. I'll stick with warm distilled water with a slice of lemon from now on.

[@user-Arlandie]

From a South African - the culprit is most probably the buchu added to the rooibos lol - we have lived on rooibos all our lives, without other added herbs though...

[@Wonderer888]

I grew on Rooibos tea in SA and we had it with toast or breakfast in general. I would sometimes get a bout of nausea after breakfast. FFW years later after moving to the UK I was excited to see my childhood tea in Tesco and bought it, a few days of drinking it the nausea returned. On and off over the years I’d buy it after while of not taking it because I’d forget why I stopped drinking it even though it was one of my favourite teas, everytime I’d drink it the nausea would comeback. I sadly completely part ways with the Tea. Now I wonder if I’m one of a small percentage that is negatively impacted by its consumption. Thank you for sharing this information, I hope your wife fully recovers.

[@erniewbrooks12]

Thank you for sharing this. I wish the very best for your wife. It is my hope that Whole Foods, and all kinds of other sellers, employ people (maybe at the high level of corporate even) whose job it is to research and understand these kinds of considerations. It sounds like there have been enough documented cases of this that it should have been already on the awareness of someone within Whole Foods. Basically, someone at Whole Foods whose job is to do the literature review you have clearly done should have been already looking into the possibility of contamination of their teas. Anyway, as I have been getting into understanding herbal medicine this year, I appreciate hearing about this. It does sound likely that it is a contamination issue and not something inherently dangerous about the tea itself, so I hope that people will be able to approach this tea cautiously, but still embrace all the good that Earth’s edible plants offer us.

[@Jojo-o6o6w]

all plants have defense chemicals and compounds along with naturally occurring carcinogens (and all the poisonous pesticides!).. Im not surprised by this whatsoever. Hell, it may not even be the tea's fault.. it could be cumulative damage that finally made itself obvious

[@AngelsRapture]

So basically it maybe ‘contaminated’ rooibos that could be the problem it’s not the buchu which is POSSIBLY UNSAFE in larger amounts and when the oil is consumed. Buchu may irritate the stomach and kidneys and increase menstrual flow. It may also cause liver damage. I think maybe this creator needs to be a bit more accurate in his video title.

[@vegsource]

There is no buchu in the tea sold by Whole Foods, which my wife drank. Only Rooibos. Buchu was in one of the case studies (along with Rooibos) but only Rooibos was found in the other case studies. 👍

[@colddeath9797]

Thank u for the warning Jeff!

[@saneman751]

No recall by Whole Foods Market? Shame. I never shop at WFM and I feel that it has been a safe choice.

[@jimsullins9162]

Extremely well presented. Thank you so much, and all the best to you and your wife

[@KenWang2]

Actually it's the excess carbohydrates that cause fatty liver then liver failure.

[@sassysandie2865]

😂

[@Hollysuzette33]

I tried to drink this tea many times, days in a row for health, and always became ill with nausea and dizziness. The illness was strong and something that I understand now to be poor enzyme function in my liver. I view it as a very strong fast-acting poison. I thought it was just me. Good grief this is terrible, probably in most cases it will come on slowly and insidiously. Many thanks.

[@roseman164]

In South Africa red bush tea is fed to infants in every (fruit) flavour under the sun. Adults drink it as a health alternative to regular (caffeine) tea

[@peterstrous2092]

Very interesting, thanks Jeff for sharing and your extensive research!

[@SO_DIGITAL]

It's the buchu. I'm South African. Rooibos is fine.

[@yanifree114]

I was wondering did I miss Jeff's explanation of buchu? Seemed that all the papers mentioned both. Now I'm interested in finding out more about whatever buchu is. This needs to be clarified as a whole industry, family farms, livelihoods are at stake. We know there's war against farmers worldwide, and before wiping out an industry, we need all the facts.

[@savvybytes3748]

Best comment 👍

[@SO_DIGITAL]

Buchu is something our grans had maybe a couple of spoons of when they felt ill. Not all the time.

[@kathymayes4290]

Yes, first thought. Kept waiting for him to address it.🤷‍♀️

[@KarenMcKendry]

Thank you so much for this very important information.

[@Chris-dw6cu]

Most herbs are toxic to one degree or another but one month of consumption of rooibos tea alone would be unlikely to have this consequence. Damage to the liver is cumulative over time, so while the rooibos may have been the last straw, it is unlikely to have been the sole factor. Pharmaceutical drugs are much more toxic to the liver than rooibos but often people take a drug for years before their liver is wrecked. What else is your wife consuming aside from rooibos tea? Does she drink alcohol or did she in the past? Does she take any pharmaceutical drugs, use any sort of medicinal herbs, or did she regularly use any drugs or herbs in the past?

[@lynnritchie231]

"One 2010 case study found that drinking large amounts of rooibos tea daily was linked to an increase in liver enzymes, which can often indicate a liver problem. However, this was only one complex case (30Trusted Source)." Maybe it triggers existing liver issues that would otherwise go unnoticed.

[@vegsource]

It seems the PAs may be what are at play here, contamination in the Whole Foods product. If there were an underlying liver issue, how would we know that? If someone had normal liver function and tests are fine, then they drank a tea which was known to sometimes be contaminated, and then their liver numbers went crazy, how would this be an indication of an existing problem?

[@valentinarose9165]

Thank you so much! I drank 16 oz of rooibos this morning and have been feeling strange all day!

[@Elizerinc]

I was drinking green rooibos and feeling ill so stopped. Now just loose leaf organic spearmint. Feeling better. Thanks for the video. What kind of tea/coffee do you prefer Jeff? Hope Sabrina is well soon.

[@vegsource]

I am not doing tea or coffee these days, thanks.

[@Elizerinc]

That's right. You mentioned in a previous video that you gave up coffee which you felt you were overdoing. In what ways do you feel better and worse?@@vegsource

[@powerinbeing4912]

This is important information. Thank you for sharing … Speedy recovery to your wife.

[@jeffreyallen1290]

Thanks for passing this info out to everyone. I've had the Rooibos tea many times and found it very tasty. I've just gone through my cupboard and thrown it away. Thanks again!

[@sempereadem1543]

Omg thank you so much for this, I wanted to recommend this tea to my mother and she has a weak kidney, a disaster was avoided!!

[@Wes-Tyler]

I’m curious if there is anything dangerous about earl grey. I always worry about the bergapten and furanocoumarin in the bergamot oil

[@vegsource]

Haven't researched any other teas, sorry.

[@JulieRohloff]

Wow, I just ordered a whole case of Good Earth rooibos tea. I threw it in the trash. It was serendipitous that youtube sent me this video!

[@LightHouse_222]

A week ago I switched brands of rooibos teabags. After brewing it, I could smell chemicals. I had been drinking it for 2 days and not enjoying it, until that smell came out of the pot, I was not trusting my reaction. I had been using rooibos for a month after cutting down and then out, all coffee and black tea. Now I simply have hot water and milk. The question had been in my mind about how good it was to drink a number of cups of rooibos a day. I am in South Africa and I have never smelt that chemical smell before, in Rooibos. Thank you for your video

[@katiegreene3960]

I would guess since the plants look similar they might be accidentally harvested together?

[@CheapCharlie123]

Especially if it’s hard work separating everything. Some of that toxic weed slipping into the harvested roobios tea definitely sounds possible

[@caroljohnson3313]

Bummer, just bought 1lb bags of South African Rooibos and Honey bush teas.

[@TheHomeExpert5]

Great video, Dexter manley!

[@betzib8021]

Any worries about hibiscus tea?

[@vegsource]

No idea. Haven't looked at it.

[@carl13579]

I saw an article on how acidic it is. I would rinse my mouth with water after having it if you have it regularly.

[@betzib8021]

@@carl13579 thanks...yes it is acidic and I swish w baking soda in water but it lowers bp. I wish it came in a pill.

[@Ad-Infinitum]

​@@betzib8021I wonder if the dried tea could be ground into powder and put into capsules.

[@betzib8021]

@@Ad-Infinitum actually that's a truly great idea. I didn't think of it. Thanks!

[@salomirciprian8342]

Did you have taken a sample from that tea bag to a lab to see if there is any toxic contaminant ? I am suspecting this scenario.

[@vegsource]

We're trying to find a lab that can test for pyrrolizidine alkaloids. From what I've read, it requires several steps like chemical extraction, chromatography, mass spectrometry and quantification. I don't know how much I want to end up spending on this, it's already cost a small fortune.

[@creativesolutionsart-h3o]

@@vegsource i’m sure if you brought this to the attention of local media, they would pay for it

[@nancywolf3786]

@@vegsource have you contacted the Health Ranger? he has all kinds of equipment and he tests all kinds of foods for contaminants

[@ana-pi6ut]

Are there any herbal teas that are safe? Thank you!

[@vegsource]

I haven't looked at that question. Rooibos is the only one that hit my radar lately. :)

[@Nikolya-ql4ms]

Plenty of...thyme,sage,rosemary,basil,calendula,just a few examples of safety(when used correctly)healthy and healing options

[@Google-Earth123]

The problem here is brewing 2 tea bags for 15mins “as they do in Starbucks”. Sort out your brewing technique and problem gone away.

[@kathymayes4290]

So brewing my teas for hours is not good?

[@colleensainsbury9022]

Agreed, one teabag, brewed 2 mins MAX, unflavoured, no added buchu!

[@catherinezuppero7609]

Thank you for this warning!!! Love and healing for Sabrina. Whole Foods DOES need to either stop selling the tea or put a huge sign with a WARNING.

[@CalmVibesVee]

I’m amazed at the comments dismissing your testimony because “they have never heard of that before” and “people drink this all the time” I believe you Sir. I won’t drink it again. Thank you for sharing your research. I pray your wife’s liver is ok. 🙏🏼

[@johnely5050]

Everything in moderation. I have 1 cup of Rooibos tea everyday.

[@ebenrootman9694]

Probably the Buchu not the Rooibos

[@lana7422]

So very sorry about your wife's experience. I used to buy rooibos teas from a company called Teavana. It was bought by Starbucks and now doesn't exist, but the teas from that company are still sold in Starbucks. Target has dropped them. So best to just avoid herbal teas altogether for safety's sake. Thank you for your research and time you spent producing this video. I follow Dr. Rogers medical info videos also and follow it closely in my personal choices.

[@sandilobianco6734]

Lana, thanks for the info. I didn’t know Starbucks bought Teavana.

[@jrmint2]

I just cancelled my Rooibos subscription, and threw out a half pound of the remaining tea I had. This is scary stuff. I had just started drinking this for 2 weeks straight. I hope they resolve this contamination issue. Does it matter if its organic or non organic? Anyhow, thank you for this update and I'm glad your wife is recovering well.

[@justsayalhamdulillaah9720]

Thanks for posting your take about rooibos Hope your wife is well

[@skywalker7778]

Never heard such rubbish. Your wife had an existing liver problem and consumed too lange amounts of Rooibos.

[@teddybearroosevelt1847]

I agree 100%

[@eileenha4833]

I recently started using a serum made from this product Maysama Now I’m wondering was it a good idea? It gets absorbed through the skin so what you think?

[@lulitmelake7534]

Thank you for this video. I always liked to drink rooibos in place of black tea to avoid an overload of caffeine and I’m grateful for this information that would help a lot of people that are not aware of it. 🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@johnsmagnet]

There are similar case reports for Yerba Mate - I read one back before 2000 where the patient died (don't remember the publication date). In that case it was contaminated with some plant from the genus Crotalaria (also a PA producer). Some of these species are unfortunately used as cover crops. The FDA actually has set an "action level" of 1 Crotalaria seed per pound of grain resulting in seizure or import refusal of the load of grain. Even for animal feed.

[@vegsource]

Interesting. Thanks.

[@theresastewart1279]

Thank you for sharing this. I bet there is more to unpack in the labs and story here too

[@StopTheWorld65]

The most important takeaway from this story is that “natural” or “plant-based” does not always equal safe or effective. Plants can kill you.

[@sandramurray9118]

Thank goodness you were able to figure out what the cause was. That's so scary.

[@mrpr3x]

Thanks for such detailed information.

[@EveryDooDarnDiddlyDay]

Remember an article where a guy had been drinking black tea for years and end up with Liver failure. Also have a buddy diagnosed with liver problems and he was mystified because he doesn't drink, save for a gallon of black tea a day for the past thirty years.

[@Meathead-10810]

Very interesting, I grew up in South Africa and rooibos tea is almost a national drink :)

[@vegsource]

And whiskey is the national drink of Ireland. :)

[@blessedblessed2285]

​@@vegsourceWhiskey is not a plant!

[@1rahmaan]

"Too much of a good thing can be damaging ", such as 2 huge mugs of strong tea every day. This applies to all herbs. More doesn't mean better. The therapeutic dose for most teas is one bag steeped for 2 minutes, one cup a day.

[@vegsource]

She was actually drinking one mug a day, but that's can be a fair amount. I wonder why the "therapeutic dose" isn't included on the label, if it's an actual thing? Or a warning of what could happen if you exceed that theoretical dose?

[@colleensainsbury9022]

No South African uses TWO teabags steeped for FIFTEEN minutes. One teabag steeped for max 2 mins.

[@vegsource]

@@colleensainsbury9022 I wonder why these South African Rooibos companies don’t tell Whole Foods about the danger of the product if you serve it in the way that Starbucks makes tea… because Whole Foods should put a label warning on it, if what you say is true.

[@susan2043]

I am reporting you for spreading false information. I dare you to provide valid scientific proof for this preposterous lie.

[@MrJava1593]

I don't think it was the tea, but was maybe your wife being allergic. I've been drincking this tea for over 10 years and had never seen any side effects.

[@makeapennycry]

I had a UTI so took a Buchu supplement for a couple of weeks and ended up in the hospital with the same. No one could figure it out and I had forgotten to bring up the supplement but I’m sure it was the Buchu. That stuff is strong and I stopped taking it because I was afraid of kidney damage. The four day hospital stay was very expensive and frustrating that they didn’t figure out what was causing it. I hadn’t remembered about the Buchu until well afterward.

[@gertsteenkamp6970]

Nonsense Rooibos make your health. My(50) grandmother have always drink rooibos. She was 98 year old to died.

[@teddybearroosevelt1847]

I applouds how goodly u speaks Inglish

[@gertsteenkamp6970]

@@teddybearroosevelt1847 hi, KZbin story is vreeslik nonsense. Rooibos is baie goed altyd. My ouma( 50 jaar oud) het altyd rooibos gedrink. Rooibos is nie gevaarlik nie. Dan sy( 98 jaar oud) was dood. Sorry ek vertrou nie vir KZbin of Facebook nie.

[@amandavan55]

As a South African, I have been drinking Rooibos for decades with no negative medical consequences..... The ch in buchu is a guttural sound and is pronounced the same as the Scottish ch as in Loch.

[@jwayne4556]

Thanks for this. I just started drinking this tea and no positive effects. Given the possible negatives it goes into the garbage tonight.

[@mpsmanger4713]

Whole Foods is Amazon. Just let that sink in.

[@teddybearroosevelt1847]

Yeah you may wanna avoid that chain now