Bog Labrador Tea
OTHER NAME(S): Bog Tea, Continental Tea, Country Tea, Hudson's Bay Tea, Labrador tea, Muskeg Tea, Rusty Bog Labrador tea, Settler's Tea, St. James' Tea, Té de Labrador, Thé du Labrador, Thé Velouté, Tundra Tea, Rhododendron groenlandicum, Ledum groenlandicum, Ledum latifolium, Té del Labrador del Pantano, Lédon du Groenland
Overview
Bog Labrador tea is a plant. The leaves and flowering shoots are used to make medicine.
People use bog Labrador tea for sore throat, chest congestion, coughs, lung infections, diarrhea, joint and muscle pain (rheumatism), and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
In foods, bog Labrador tea is used as a beverage or to make beer more intoxicating.
Bog Labrador tea might make it easier to cough by thinning the mucus. There isn't enough information to know how bog Labrador tea might work for other medicinal uses.
Bog Labrador tea might make it easier to cough by thinning the mucus. There isn't enough information to know how bog Labrador tea might work for other medicinal uses.
Uses
Insufficient Evidence for
- Coughs.
- Sore throat.
- Lung infections.
- Chest ailments.
- Diarrhea.
- Kidney problems.
- Rheumatism.
- Headache.
- Cancer.
- Causing abortion.
- "Female disorders. "
- Skin problems, when applied directly.
- Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of bog Labrador tea for these uses.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Bog Labrador tea is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when used as a weak tea or in small amounts. Bog Labrador tea is LIKELY UNSAFE when used in concentrated solutions or in large amounts. If you take a large amount of bog Labrador tea, get medical help right away. Bog Labrador tea can cause side effects such as vomiting, inflammation of the lining in the stomach and the intestines (gastroenteritis), diarrhea, delirium, spasms, paralysis, and death.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Bog Labrador tea is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when used as a weak tea or in small amounts. Bog Labrador tea is LIKELY UNSAFE when used in concentrated solutions or in large amounts. If you take a large amount of bog Labrador tea, get medical help right away. Bog Labrador tea can cause side effects such as vomiting, inflammation of the lining in the stomach and the intestines (gastroenteritis), diarrhea, delirium, spasms, paralysis, and death.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's UNSAFE to use bog Labrador tea if you are pregnant. It might cause an abortion. There isn't enough information to know if bog Labrador tea is safe to use when breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Interactions
Moderate Interaction
Be cautious with this combination
- Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) interacts with Bog Labrador TeaSome medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Bog Labrador tea might increase how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking bog Labrador tea along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can decrease the effects and side effects of some medications. Before taking bog Labrador tea, talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking any medications that are changed by the liver. Some medications changed by the liver include lovastatin (Mevacor), clarithromycin (Biaxin), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), diltiazem (Cardizem), estrogens, indinavir (Crixivan), amiodarone (Cordarone), ticagrelor (Brilinta), triazolam (Halcion), and others.
Dosing
The appropriate dose of bog Labrador tea depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for bog Labrador tea. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
References
- The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
- Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
- Moerman, D. Native American Ethnobotany. 1998.
- Dampc A, Luczkiewicz M. Bog Labrador tea--the aromatic beverage and spice: a review of origin, processing and safety. J Sci Food Agric. 2015;95(8):1577-83.
- Tam TW, Liu R, Saleem A, et al. The effect of Cree traditional medicinal teas on the activity of human cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;155(1):841-6.