A 16-year-old girl born in Yemen developed acute hepatitis after drinking Chinese green tea, which she bought online. Aside from this, she had not recent travel history and she had not taken any medications, according to a new study.
The teenager, whose name was not revealed, suffered nausea, joint pain and nonspecific abdominal pains when she came to her doctor, according to the new case study in the British Medical Journal Case Reports.
In the study, authors Sebastian Thomas Lugg, Darryl Braganza Menezes and Simon Gompertz explained the importance of awareness of such rare yet recurring theme for patients and clinicians alike and the probable cause of herbal tea in the teenager's case of acute hepatitis.
Thinking that she had a minor urinary tract infection, physicians sent the girl home after giving her antibiotics. However, symptoms exacerbated and she turned yellow so she had to come back to the emergency room of A&E department of Birmingham University Hospital.
The Chinese green tea she bought online and regularly consumed for three months turned out to have Camellia sinensis. A rapid and sustained recovery of the girl's hepatitis ensued after she stopped consuming the green tea.
Rich in depression-fighting animo acid called theanine, green tea has been known for its health benefits. In fact, its health benefits were endorsed by Johnny Depp's "Mortdecai" co-star Gwyneth Paltrow, who is also a food writer, according to Telegraph.
In 2007, Paltrow showcased the food and culture of Spain in the PBS series "Spain... on the Road Again" and in 2008, she launched her weekly lifestyle newsletter called Goop.