Are clients ever leery of your recommendations because of something they read somewhere?
Herbs are often subject to speculation. It is good to know what it is you’re taking and whether or not it is safe but sometimes clients are misinformed about the potential dangers of an herb formulation, and the arguments against its ingestion may sound very compelling.
This was recently brought to my attention when a colleague sent me an article on an old standby, tea made with cumin, coriander, and fennel, sometimes called CCF Tea.
The article in question may be found here. The author sounds very angry about this tea for some reason, even going so far as to say it has an “awful flavor” and that they “hate it”. I understand; this tea is not for everyone, but is it dangerous? They cite studies that, they claim, support this assertion, but I read their linked studies and came to a different conclusion. Follow me down the rabbit hole of this research…
The article interestingly begins by listing the claimed benefits of this tea and introducing some studies that were favorable of the herbs therein. It is often difficult to find studies in which the herbs are shown in a positive light, largely because there is not adequate funding to research common herbs that you can buy inexpensively at every grocery store. Frankly, there’s no money to be made in proving that herbs work well in health management.
A recipe for the tea, called CCF tea here, is attributed to Dr. Oz’s website. It uses ½ tsp each of cumin, coriander, and fennel, and 4-5 cups of water. A mild decoction is made by boiling herbs and water together for five minutes; then the tea is strained and taken warm throughout the day. Although a number of health benefits are listed, at the dosage of herbs given in the recipe, I believe the effects may be more due to an increase in water intake during the day than from the herbs themselves.
Being the eternally curious scientist, I made a batch of this tea, and am sipping it while I write this article. The herbs weighed almost 3 grams total and I used 4.5 cups of water to make the decoction. I don’t consider this a medicinal dose, but wanted to use the dose given in the article. The tea measured 4.25 cups after boiling, had a mildly pungent taste and smell and was slightly yellow in color.
While I don’t believe that every herb is right for everyone, I also don’t believe that these herbs at this dose are toxic.
I agree with the author that boasting the benefits of a formula without evidence is not a good practice. As trained practitioners, we recognize the effect of the herbs and prescribe them specifically for our clients for their known actions. Broadcasting a medicinal formula to the masses without concern for their constitution or imbalance is not the mark of an ethical practitioner. But, is this formula medicinal? At a dose of 3 grams over the course of the day, this is no stronger than the spicing in your food.
The article lists a number of potential side effects from the taking of the herbs in the formula and cited studies that would support these assertions.
At this point, I was really interested in the research used to support their claims. Were these herbs potentially harmful? Was there a reason to be cautious when recommending this formerly thought to be benign tea to my clients or others? Could the author be right?
From the article: “Lower blood sugar has been associated with cumin and coriander. Normally this may be good for you, though for diabetics on a carefully controlled drug regimen, these seeds and spices could cause interactions resulting in a blood glucose level that’s too low. (3) (4)”
Certainly, those with pre-existing conditions should introduce any new herbs, medicines, or foods cautiously to assure no dangerous side effects
Upon further examination of study (3) above, I found the following: The isolated flavonoid contents of cumin were used. The dose range was from .5g-1.5g/kg to impact the blood glucose levels of the rabbits in the study. This would equate to a dose between 34 and 102 grams for a 150-pound individual. So, to get the extreme reduction in blood sugar, you would need to take between 1 and 4 ounces of cumin flavonoids. The entire batch of tea only contains 1 gram of cumin.
Upon further examination of study (4): In this study an “aqueous extract” (tea) was used. It was made from leaves and stems of coriander, rather than its seeds and no concentration level was given. The dosage of the herbs in solution was 100mg, 300mg, or 500mg/kg. The subjects of the study were rats. To equate that dose to a 150 pound human, that person would be taking 7, 21, or 35 grams of the aqueous extract. This would be about 2-10 times the dose of herb taken in the tea.
From the article: “Anti-clotting or “blood thinning” effects of cumin and fennel are also good for many people on the typical Western diet, yet dangerous for certain cardiovascular diseases and they are definitely supplements to avoid before surgery. (5) (6)”
Upon further examination of study (5): An ethereal extract (essential oil) of cumin and turmeric is used in this study. The study was performed on platelets in a petri dish. The ethereal extract was washed over the platelets and inhibited clot formation. The anticoagulant and blood thinning properties of turmeric and cumin are well known. The dose in the tea would have minimal effect, but could, potentially, be detrimental to those sensitive to blood thinners or already on blood-thinning medication.
Upon further examination of study (6): Essential oils were used in this study, as well. Essential oils are much, much stronger than the mild decoction indicated. The essential oils were applied directly to plasma of guinea pigs and rats. Introducing an essential oil directly into the bloodstream would be a very dangerous thing to do and is in no way related to drinking a tea.
From the article: “Increased sensitivity to the sun is always a bad thing and that’s been associated with fennel. (7)”
Upon further examination of study (7): The abstract does not state the method of administration of the herb only that its effects were measured in vitro on human dermal fibroblasts (skin cells). The study was actually investigating the anti-photoaging effect of fennel. The conclusion is that fennel is “a potential botanical agent for the treatment of skin damage induced by UV irradiation”. Not only does fennel not increase sun sensitivity, this study shows that it supports the skin’s repair from sun damage!
From the article: “Phytoestrogen content in fennel was identified as the likely cause of premature breast development in a 12 year-old girl…likewise for pregnant women, as you don’t want to mess with your hormones even more so during that period. (8) (9)”
Upon further examination of article (8): Although it appears as if the assertion is correct, it also appears to be isolated to that one study. I could find no websites that do go into the causes of onset of breast development in children citing fennel as a possible cause or concern.
Upon further examination of Article (9): Same as above. It cites a possible link to fennel for infant breast development. The study costs $40 to read the study in its entirety, and I will admit, I satisfied myself with reading the abstract. The study claims that it provides just a “possible” link between fennel and early onset breast development. The caution is for infant use of fennel due to their immature digestive systems and livers that are not prepared for working with phytoestrogens. Mothers taking it would have processed the hormone in their own bodies and the amounts that would be passed on to infant in breast milk are insignificant.
From the article: “Allergic reactions are likely if you have a known allergy to related plants such as celery, carrots, and dill.”
No study link was given and I have no argument here. Allergic reactions may occur to almost any substance and those prone to allergies should be cautious in introducing new herbs or foods.
Lastly, the article discusses the dangers of estragole and the fact that fennel contains this carcinogenic compound. They list two more studies here.
Upon further examination of study (10): In this abstract, they concluded that fennel did not interfere with estragole metabolism. This means that although fennel contains estragole, when ingested, it is safely metabolized in the body and doesn’t pose a serious health risk.
In college, I was tasked with reading a book titled, How to Lie with Statistics. Reading this article and looking realistically at the studies they cite, I am considering a sequel, How to Mislead Others and Incite Fear by Citing Irrelevant Studies. I have a hard time getting past the author’s palpable dislike for the tea and their desire to eradicate its use and I suspect they looked for research to justify their own prejudices.
Do I believe that fennel, cumin, and coriander tea is a panacea that all people should take daily without consideration of their current state of health? No.
Do I believe that this tea will provide one with all the benefits cited in the article here and elsewhere on the internet? No.
I do believe, however, that this tea may be a good digestive support that will help to regulate agni.
I encourage you as a practitioner to do your due diligence when faced with challenges to your herb formulas. Stay abreast of current research and dissect the studies to ascertain if the study is really about the herb form, concentration, and dosage you would recommend. Be willing to learn something new and be ready to defend an old, favorite, well-respected formula when necessary.
If you ever are stumped, contact me. I will always enjoy another rabbit hole to hop in to.
Devaki Rajakumar September 14, 2018
Thanks for doing this article,when I read that article CCF tea is not safe to health I was surprised, as we were using these herbs on its own and in combination in our food preparation for generations. we take these herbs in curries powder forms as well as drinking in tea form. 😉
Tim Keim December 15, 2019
Thank you, Mary. What stands out to me in your research is your careful attention to dose in these studies. Very often, a cursory reading of complex, jargon-filled studies makes it difficult to parse out just how large a dose is being used. This is one of the key factors in assessing the value of the study. As Dr. Halpern pointed out in our AHC1 text, some studies concluding that certain herbs were toxic and thus banned for use were poorly designed and executed. Such studies give a distorted picture of an herbs potential usefulness or ability to cause harm. Ephedra is a good example. It has been safely used for thousands of years, yet over doses and the studies that followed them failed to determine safe doses and this resulted in a hasty ban of this useful plant. Any herb or other substance for that matter can become toxic at a certain dosage. The toxicity threshold for any substance is individually determined which is why we must know the nature patient, the nature of the disease and the nature of the remedy in order to be able to determine optimum efficacy of any therapeutic approach.
Thank you again, Mary, for your curious, careful, precise approach to these important questions.
Sayuti December 17, 2019
Thanks a lot, a very wise approach to the issues of CCF tea, but since mostly I experience bad stomach reaction with cumin, so I enjoy just CF without cumin. It works nicely. Thanks.
Mary Thompson January 4, 2020
It is always best to listen to your body! CF tea is good. If you like cardamom, it may be a nice addition in both flavor and action.
Melissa August 7, 2020
I have just recently been introduced to CCF tea. I love its flavor, and I am so happy to again be enjoying a hot tea. Due to severe interstitial cystitis, I had not been able to tolerate any warm beverage other than hot water or milk, not even Chamomile. And most importantly, I am at last finding measurable relief from the pain and burning, the urgency and frequency of IC. As a side benefit, my symptoms of burning mouth syndrome have lessened considerably as well. Thank you so much Mary for your review of the “downer” article which I had also seen. I will proceed with consuming the 4-5 cups tea made with 1.5 teaspoons of CCF seeds. To great benefit I am sure and all without worry because of you. Your good work does touch lives.
Tess August 31, 2021
Hello,
I really appreciate your careful response to the other article. I read it previously, and while it does confirm some of my experience, it did strike me as lacking depth and nuance. I did Kulreet Choudhary’s program, The Prime, and drank CCF tea for over a year. I found the program beneficial for treating my chronic migraines, but during that year I also had horrible PMS (emotional, breast pain) and heavy periods. I didn’t connect it with the tea at the time. I eventually stopped drinking the tea and was taking Maharishi Ayurveda’s Smooth Cycle supplement, which I credited with reducing my symptoms (not connecting my improvement to no longer drinking the tea). However, about a month and a half ago, while still taking Smooth Cycle, I began The Prime again, including drinking 32oz of CCF tea daily. Immediately, my pms symptoms returned in full and I had such a heavy period it was waking me up at night because I could feel it coming out (TMI, I know, but it was bad). I have read online that both fennel and cumin could be contributing to such problems, but I’m not sure if it is one or both that I am having trouble with. I also add a slice of fresh ginger and 1/2 tsp manjistha powder to my thermos of tea. I’m not sure how to proceed with The Prime, since the tea is supposedly central to the program. Maybe I can use only some of the ingredients? Not sure what I’ll do. I write this both to ask for your insight and to say that while the amount of fennel and cumin in the tea might not be a lot, it is definitely enough to have an impact (isn’t that the point of drinking it, after all?). What that impact is may be unclear at this time, and may vary from person to person.
Mary Thompson December 6, 2021
I’m sorry I didn’t see this sooner. One thing I always like to remember is that your body never read the book, meaning that you may have a reaction that is different from someone else’s reaction and it is most important to trust your own body over what anyone tells you some herb or treatment should do. For you, the FCC sounds like it is too stimulating and, while I am not familiar with the Prime, I think that there is no one size fits all herbal formula. I can’t see any easy connection between the tea and PMS~ I often find PMS linked with liver sluggishness, so I don’t know how the tea fit into that. Best of luck to you and I hope you have already found resolution to your condition!