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544823 
Journal Article 
Evaluation of Heavy Metals in Indian Herbal Teas 
Naithani, V; Kakkar, P 
2005 
Yes 
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
ISSN: 0007-4861
EISSN: 1432-0800 
75 
1 
197-203 
This article examines the presence of heavy metals in some Indian herbal teas. Level of heavy metals and micronutrients were estimated in the eight brands of herbal tea and evaluated with respect to permissible limit and Allowable Daily Intake (ADI). Results indicate that lead, chromium, nickel and cadmium in all Indian herbal teas is below the limit of ADI. Increase in the number of plant ingredients lead to increase in the level of heavy metal contamination as evident from the data for nickel and chromium in herbal tea E with 35 ingredients. It may be concluded that it is safer to drink herbal tea with less number of ingredients as far as presence of heavy metals is concerned and possibility of contamination increases in polyherbal teas and all the herbal teas including polyherbal teas is safe to drink as far as metal contamination is concerned. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) 
HEAVY metals; HERBAL teas; TRACE elements in nutrition; LEAD; CHROMIUM; NICKEL