Health problems resulting from Guduchi herbal tea are possible
However, the available data is still insufficient
Made from the stalks or stems of the climbingplant Tinospora cordifolia, Guduchi hearbal tea is used in Ayurvedic treatments. This tea often additionally contains other herbal tea or spice plants, in the case of which the proportion of parts derived from Tinospora cordifolia can account for up to 85 % of the composition. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has conducted a health assessment of these herbal teas.
The analytical and toxicological data on Guduchi herbal teas is insufficient to make any conclusive statement as to whether consumption of such teas poses a health risk to consumers. It is known, for example, that the plant contains certain glycosides, furanoid terpene derivatives, alkaloids and steroids. However, to what extent these are contained in Guduchi herbal tea is unknown. Nor is there any data on the conventional consumption of this food in Europe. Some animal experiments indicate that male fertility may be impaired by Guduchi herbal tea. Animal studies on possible medical effects also suggest that substances contained inTinospora cordifolia may influence the immune system and lower blood glucose levels. Whether these effects also occur after consumption of Guduchi herbal tea infusions cannotbe assessed at present due to a lack of data. In the opinion of the BfR, these uncertainties give rise to a need for scientific investigation.
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