PMID- 28686224
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20180322
LR  - 20231112
IS  - 2072-6643 (Electronic)
IS  - 2072-6643 (Linking)
VI  - 9
IP  - 7
DP  - 2017 Jul 7
TI  - A Balanced Risk-Benefit Analysis to Determine Human Risks Associated with 
      Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PA)-The Case of Tea and Herbal Infusions.
LID - 10.3390/nu9070717 [doi]
LID - 717
AB  - Humans are exposed to pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) through different sources, 
      mainly from contaminated foodstuff. Teas and herbal infusions (T&HI) can be 
      contaminated by PA producing weed. PA can possess toxic, mutagenic, genotoxic, 
      and carcinogenic properties. Thus, possible health risks for the general 
      population are under debate. There is a strong safety record for T&HI and 
      additionally epidemiological evidence for the preventive effects of regular tea 
      consumption on cardiovascular events and certain types of cancer. There is no 
      epidemiological evidence, however, for human risks of regular low dose PA 
      exposure. Recommended regulatory PA-threshold values are based on experimental 
      data only, accepting big uncertainties. If a general risk exists through PA 
      contaminated T&HI, it must be small compared to other frequently accepted 
      risks of daily living and the proven health effects of T&HI. Decision making 
      should be based on a balanced riskbenefit analysis. Based on analyses of the 
      scientific data currently available, it is concluded that the benefits of 
      drinking T&HI clearly outweigh the negligible health risk of possible PA 
      contamination. At the same time, manufacturers must continue their efforts to 
      secure good product quality and to be transparent on their measures of quality 
      control and risk communication.
FAU - Habs, Michael
AU  - Habs M
AD  - Faculty of Medicine, LMU-University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany. 
      info@michael-habs.de.
FAU - Binder, Karin
AU  - Binder K
AD  - Didactics of Mathematics, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. 
      Karin.Binder@mathematik.uni-regensburg.de.
FAU - Krauss, Stefan
AU  - Krauss S
AD  - Didactics of Mathematics, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. 
      stefan1.krauss@mathematik.uni-regensburg.de.
FAU - Muller, Karolina
AU  - Muller K
AD  - Centre for Clinical Studies, University Hospital Regensburg, 93042 Regensburg, 
      Germany. Karolina.Mueller@ukr.de.
FAU - Ernst, Brigitte
AU  - Ernst B
AD  - General Medicine Unit, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. 
      dr.b.ernst@t-online.de.
FAU - Valentini, Luzia
AU  - Valentini L
AD  - Institute of Evidence-based Dietetics, University of Applied Sciences 
      Neubrandenburg, 17033 Neubrandenburg, Germany. valentini@hs-nb.de.
FAU - Koller, Michael
AU  - Koller M
AD  - Centre for Clinical Studies, University Hospital Regensburg, 93042 Regensburg, 
      Germany. michael.koller@ukr.de.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
DEP - 20170707
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Nutrients
JT  - Nutrients
JID - 101521595
RN  - 0 (Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids)
RN  - 0 (Tea)
RN  - 0 (Teas, Herbal)
SB  - IM
MH  - Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control
MH  - Food Contamination/*analysis
MH  - Health Promotion
MH  - Humans
MH  - Neoplasms/prevention & control
MH  - Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids/*adverse effects/*analysis/toxicity
MH  - *Risk Assessment
MH  - Risk Factors
MH  - Tea/*chemistry
MH  - Teas, Herbal/*analysis
PMC - PMC5537832
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA)
OT  - risk-benefit analysis
OT  - tea and herbal infusions
COIS- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
EDAT- 2017/07/08 06:00
MHDA- 2018/03/23 06:00
PMCR- 2017/07/01
CRDT- 2017/07/08 06:00
PHST- 2017/05/29 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2017/06/28 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2017/07/03 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2017/07/08 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2017/07/08 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2018/03/23 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2017/07/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - nu9070717 [pii]
AID - nutrients-09-00717 [pii]
AID - 10.3390/nu9070717 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Nutrients. 2017 Jul 7;9(7):717. doi: 10.3390/nu9070717.