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The Dangers of Pennyroyal Tea

Pennyroyal is a low growing creeping herb with small, gray-green leaves and tiny, lilac flowers. It is part of the mint family and doctors from the Roman and Greek era to the 17th century used it to cure digestion problems and other maladies, according to Drugs.com. Oil of pennyroyal is toxic when used internally, and there is some evidence from the Weed Science Society of America that the tea can also cause a host of toxic problems.

  1. Stomach Flu Symptoms

    • Strong pennyroyal tea causes nausea and vomiting in some sensitive people although a mild infusion usually does not, according to Drugs.com. The tea may also cause dizziness when standing up.

    Fetal Development and Miscarriage

    • Pennyroyal tea does have some effect on fetal development according to Epigee, an educational website concerning women's health and pregnancy, and pregnant women should avoid it. Uses of pennyroyal were to stimulate menstrual flow and ingestion of oil of pennyroyal caused abortions. The tea probably does not have enough potency to cause a miscarriage but it is safer for pregnant women to avoid it both internally and externally.

    Liver and Kidney Toxicity

    • The oil can cause liver and kidney damage, and tea can also cause some toxicity if drunk in excess. It tends to make the liver and kidneys work more than they should, according to the website Tea Infusion. A case report from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center gives account of organ failure including kidney and liver by an 8-week-old infant boy after ingesting pennyroyal tea given to him to treat an infection. This child died. Another case report concerns a 6-month-old infant who was given pennyroyal tea. The child survived but the tea affected his kidneys.

    Other Side Effects

    • Other side effects from pennyroyal consumption are hallucinations, abdominal cramps, seizures, ethargy and high blood pressure and pulse rate, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Drugs.com states the the herb can cause dermatitis when applied topically.

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