Another Chicago Tea Festival tea that I have yet to open. They ran out of this one (they were sampling) but said they’d ship for free. Hopefully, that didn’t cost them too much money.
My excitement in trying this tea has quickly diminished, knowing that they have added rhubarb leaves. Technically, you aren’t supposed to consume it in high amounts. Apparently, you need to consume around 11 pounds of rhubarb leaves to reach a fatal dose. But otherwise, it can cause other issues like kidney stones.
Not going to lie… I am apprehensive and I don’t think I can open this one at the moment till they reply to my email.
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Here is there response: “We appreciate your concern regarding the rhubarb leaves in our Rhubarb Berry Tea. We prioritize transparency in our ingredient labeling. While we do include a small amount of leaves, it is important to note that consuming excessive quantities would be necessary to experience any negative effects. If you have any further questions or need clarification, please feel free to reach out.”
I was always told that rhubarb was toxic if you ate the leaves due to oxalates. I also know to avoid feeding the leaves to rabbits and other animals. I don’t think it is problematic is smaller quantities.
For some perspective, even ordinary parsley contains high levels of oxalates. On a dry weight basis oxalic acid is 2% in parsley. I discussed this with my urologist after having kidney stones and he dismissed it saying nobody eats much parsley (he thinks of it as a garnish). I think that was a rather ethnocentric statement of his because tabouli is a very common dish with some families, and it is essentially parsley salad. In contrast, the oxalic acid content of rhubarb leaves is typically 1% or less. But they are considered toxic. Given the very low levels of rhubarb leaf in tisane compared to a parsley garnish, I think it is safe to view the rhubarb leaf content of this tisane as safe, in agreement with the statement by Nature’s Tea Company.
Agree with both of you. I think it’s safer to not consume much of it and it you do in small settings and I have a feeling it’s more potent raw. And thank you for the info on parsley! That’s fascinating!
Purselane is another commonly-eaten plant/weed which is high in oxalates. Honestly, though, all of this information has simply reinforced my rejection of rhubarb, and continued my avoidance of purselane, add caused me to begin avoiding parsley. I never want another kidney stone!
T_T I’m sorry you had to go through that.
lots of fluids, and potassium or magnesium citrate can bind to oxalates and help your body flush them out to prevent kidney stones. But potassium can also cause problems if you already have unhealthy kidneys. Genetics are also a factor, but if you are well hydrated your risk is lower.
TY, Skysamurai! I agree with those tips & observations, rosebudmelissa! Thanks!
Here is there response: “We appreciate your concern regarding the rhubarb leaves in our Rhubarb Berry Tea. We prioritize transparency in our ingredient labeling. While we do include a small amount of leaves, it is important to note that consuming excessive quantities would be necessary to experience any negative effects. If you have any further questions or need clarification, please feel free to reach out.”
I was always told that rhubarb was toxic if you ate the leaves due to oxalates. I also know to avoid feeding the leaves to rabbits and other animals. I don’t think it is problematic is smaller quantities.
For some perspective, even ordinary parsley contains high levels of oxalates. On a dry weight basis oxalic acid is 2% in parsley. I discussed this with my urologist after having kidney stones and he dismissed it saying nobody eats much parsley (he thinks of it as a garnish). I think that was a rather ethnocentric statement of his because tabouli is a very common dish with some families, and it is essentially parsley salad. In contrast, the oxalic acid content of rhubarb leaves is typically 1% or less. But they are considered toxic. Given the very low levels of rhubarb leaf in tisane compared to a parsley garnish, I think it is safe to view the rhubarb leaf content of this tisane as safe, in agreement with the statement by Nature’s Tea Company.
Agree with both of you. I think it’s safer to not consume much of it and it you do in small settings and I have a feeling it’s more potent raw. And thank you for the info on parsley! That’s fascinating!
Purselane is another commonly-eaten plant/weed which is high in oxalates. Honestly, though, all of this information has simply reinforced my rejection of rhubarb, and continued my avoidance of purselane, add caused me to begin avoiding parsley. I never want another kidney stone!
T_T I’m sorry you had to go through that.
lots of fluids, and potassium or magnesium citrate can bind to oxalates and help your body flush them out to prevent kidney stones. But potassium can also cause problems if you already have unhealthy kidneys. Genetics are also a factor, but if you are well hydrated your risk is lower.
TY, Skysamurai! I agree with those tips & observations, rosebudmelissa! Thanks!