Are Strawberry Leaves Harmful?

Tea

• You can buy strawberry leaf tea or other herbal teas containing strawberry leaves at most health food stores and grocery stores. In making strawberry leaf tea, manufacturers don't just use the leaf. They also use the stems and dried flowers of the strawberry plant, all of which are safe to consume.

Benefits

• Drinking strawberry leaf tea can provide your body with numerous health benefits. The leaf itself is a diuretic, and the tea is thought to be helpful if you suffer from diarrhea. The leaves are also high in iron, calcium and vitamin C, so you can drink strawberry leaf tea to give your body an overall health boost. Strawberry leaves contain antioxidants which are useful for fighting illness and boosting your body's immune system. However if you are allergic to strawberries, you should avoid drinking strawberry leaf tea.

Warning

• Through the plant's normal lifecycle, strawberry leaves change appearance, often developing spots. These spots are natural and the leaves are still safe to use for tea. There are, however, three fungi that commonly grow on strawberry leaves. If you wish to make your own tea, avoid picking leaves that contain these fungi, which are typically noticeable as black dots on the leaves.