RT Journal
A1 Feingold RM
T1 SHould we fear "health foods"?
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1999
FD July 12
VO 159
IS 13
SP 1499
OP 1499
DO 
UL http://dx.doi.org/
AB 
A 39-year-old white woman was found to have a serum potassium level of 2.9 mmol/L during an annual physical examination. Her magnesium level was normal. She was not known to be taking prescription drugs that cause hypokalemia, and she denied use of diuretics or laxatives. Further questioning revealed that she recently had consumed large amounts of a "cleansing tea" that she had purchased from a health food company. Among the ingredients were alfalfa and nettles, both of which have diuretic properties, and licorice, which can contribute to hypokalemia through the aldosterone-like effect of glycyrrhizic acid. She was told to discontinue the tea-drinking, potassium supplements were prescribed, and the serum potassium level normalized.