Heavy Metals in Tea and Their Adverse Effects on Mother and Fetal Outcome
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the adverse effects of heavy metals in tea on pregnant mothers and fetal outcomes, using Camellia sinensis tea as a more common beverage after water. The tea constituents are flavonoids containing catechins, which are primary polyphenols recognized as having a strong anti-oxidant activity preventing cellular damage by free radicals. During pregnancy, excessive tea intake negatively impacts the newborn. Tea constituents and their contamination have gained attention as heavy metal contamination exceeds its critical concentrations in tea infusions which may cause adverse effects on both mother and fetus. A total of 400 pregnant women participated in the present study. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the department of Physiology of University of Sindh in collaboration with the Department of gynecology and obstetrics of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, from September 2018 to August 2020. Selected pregnant women were informed and gave written consent. Chemical analysis of maternal blood was conducted at the National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh. The statistical data were analyzed using SPSS v 21.0 (IBM incorporation, USA). The student`s and Person tests for correlation were applied, presenting the results as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Statistical significance difference was calculated at 95% (p ≤ 0.05). The results of maternal parameters such as age, marital age, maternal height, body temperature, respiratory rate, and diastolic pressure had no significant difference. Simultaneously, gestational age, neck circumference, gestational weight gain, and systolic blood pressure had significant differences between pregnant tea and non-tea drinkers. Iron, Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and Ferritin also showed statistically significant differences at p < 0.0001. In the present study, the fetal weight positively correlated with aluminum, lead, mercury, and zinc and negatively correlated with copper and cadmium. Foot length showed a positive correlation with aluminum, copper, lead, cadmium, mercury, and zinc; the chest circumference showed a negative correlation with aluminum and copper.
Keywords: heavy metals, tea, pregnancy, the newborn.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
ABMAN S.H. Fetal and neonatal physiology. 4th ed. Elsevier/Saunders, Philadelphia, 2011: 46-47.
ATASOY A.D., YILDIRIM A., and ATASOY A.F. Nutritional Minerals and Heavy Metals in Tea Infusions and Daily Intake of Human Body. Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 2019, 7(2): 234-239.
SHAH T., SHAIKH F., and ANSARI S. To determine the effects of green tea on blood pressure of healthy and type 2 Diabetes mellitus (DM) individuals. Journal of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, 2017, 16(4): 200-204.
JIGISHA A., NISHANT R., and NAVIN K.P.G. Green Tea: A magical herb with miraculous outcomes. International Research Journal of Pharmacy, 2012, 3(5): 139-148.
KLEMOW K.M., and BARTLOW A.C.J. Medical Attributes of St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) In: BENZIE I.F.F., WACHTEL-GALOR S. (eds.). Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd ed. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton (FL), 2011.
SHAH T., WARSI J., and LAGHARI Z.A. Tea drinking and it’s co-occurrence with anemia in pregnant females. Rawal Medical Journal, 2020, 45(1): 163-167.
DIDZUN O., DE NEVE J.W., AWASTHI A., DUBEY M., THEILMANN M., BÄRNIGHAUSEN T., VOLLMER S., and GELDSETZER P. Anaemia among men in India: a nationally representative cross-sectional study. Lancet Global Health, 2019, 7(12): 1685-1694.
SHEKOOHIYAN S., GHOOCHANI M., MOHAGHEGHIAN A., MAHVI A.H., YUNESIAN M., and NAZMARA S. Determination of lead, cadmium and arsenic in infusion tea cultivated in north of Iran. Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science & Engineering, 2012, 9(37).
RUSINEK-PRYSTUPA E., MARZEC Z., SEMBRATOWICZ I., SAMOLIŃSKA W., KICZOROWSKA B., and KWIECIEŃ M. Content of Selected Minerals and Active Ingredients in Teas Containing Yerba Mate and Rooibos. Biological Trace Element Research, 2016, 172(1): 266-275.
AL-OTHMAN Z., YILMAZ E., SUMAYLI H.M.T., and SOYLAK M. Evaluation of trace metals in tea samples from Jeddah and Jazan., Saudi Arabia by atomic absorption spectrometry. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2012, 89: 1216-1219.
BEHROOZ J., NAFICEH S., MOHAMMAD R.O., MASOOMEH B., MANAN H., and MORTEZA E. Determination of trace elements and heavy metals content of green and black tea varieties consumed in Iran. African Journal of Biotechnology, 2018, 17(51): 1436-1444.
AMBADEKAR S.R., and PARB S.B.A. Determination of Cadmium., copper., Nickel., Lead in some tea samples in India. International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, 2012, 3(2): 943-946.
WAI K.M., MAR O., KOSAKA S., UMEMURA M., and WATANABE C. Prenatal heavy metal exposure and adverse birth outcomes in Myanmar: A birth-cohort study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2017, 14(11).
KONJE J.C., and CADE J.E. Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and risk of fetal growth restriction: A large prospective observational study. British Medical Journal, 2008, 337(7682): 1334-1338.
KNUTTI R., ROTHWEILER H., and SCHLATTER C. The effect of pregnancy on the pharmacokinetics of caffeine. Archives of Toxicology, 1982, 49(5): 187-192.
CARMEL R., GREEN R., ROSENBLATT D.S., and WATKINS D. Update on cobalamin, folate, and homocysteine. Education Program. American Society of Hematology, 2003.
CHAUDHRY S.H., TALJAARD M., MACFARLANE A.J., GAUDET L.M., SMITH G.N., RODGER M., WHITE R.R., WALKER M.C., and WEN S.W. The role of maternal homocysteine concentration in placenta-mediated complications: Findings from the Ottawa and Kingston birth cohort. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2019, 19(1): 75.
SAKATA M., SADO T., KITANAKA T., NARUSE K., NOGUCHI T., YOSHIDA S., SHIGETOMI H., ONOGI A., OI H., and KOBAYASHI H. Iron-dependent oxidative stress as a pathogenesis for preterm birth. Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey, 2008, 63: 651-660.
SHEN FM., and CHEN H.W. Element composition of tea leaves and tea infusions and its impact on health. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2008, 80(3): 300-304.
HUANG L., LERRO C., YANG T., LI J., QIU J., QIU W., HE X., CUI H., LV L., XU R., XU X., HUANG H., LIU Q., and ZHANG Y. Maternal tea consumption and the risk of preterm delivery in urban China: a birth cohort study. BMC Public Health, 2016, 16(1): 456.
VIGEH M., YOKOYAMA K., SEYEDAGHAMIRI Z., SHINOHARA A., MATSUKAWA T., CHIBA M., and YUNESIAN M. Blood lead at currently acceptable levels may cause preterm labour. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2011, 68(3): 231-234.
WEI S.Q., XU H., XIONG X., LUO Z.C., AUDIBERT F., and FRASER W.D. Tea consumption during pregnancy and the risk of pre-eclampsia. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2009; 105(2): 123-126.
CUNNINGHAM F.G., LEVENO K.J., BLOOM S.L., SPONG C.Y., DASHE J.S., HOFFMAN B.L., CASEY B.M., and SHEFFIELD J.S. (eds.). Williams Obstetrics. Chapter 12. Teratology, Teratogens, and Fetotoxic Agents. 24th ed. McGraw-Hill Education, New York, 2014: 240-259.
POTDAR N. Maternal caffeine consumption and its relationship to adverse pregnancy outcomes. University of Leicester Medical School, Leicester, 2009.
LASHEEN Y.F., AWWAD N.S., EL-KHALAFAWY A., and ABDEL-RASSOUL A.A. Annual effective dose and concentration levels of heavy metals in different types of tea in Egypt. International Journal of Physical Sciences, 2008, 3(5): 112-119.
PLESSOW R., ARORA N.K., BRUNNER B., TZOGIOU C., EICHLER K., BRÜGGER U., and WIESER S. Social Costs of Iron Deficiency Anemia in 6–59-Month-Old Children in India. PLoS One. 2015, 10(8): e0136581.
SHARBAF R.F., DEHGHANPOUR P., SHARIAT M., and DALILI H. Caffeine Consumption and Incidence of Hypertension in Pregnancy. Journal of Family & Reproductive Health, 2013, 7(3): 127-130.
VAN DER HOEVEN T., BROWNE J.L., UITERWAAL C.S.P.M., VAN DER ENT C.K., GROBBEE D.E., and DALMEIJER G.W. Antenatal coffee and tea consumption and the effect on birth outcome and hypertensive pregnancy disorders. PLoS One. 2017, 12(5): e0177619.
DE LA CALLE M., USANDIZAGA R., SANCHA M., MAGDALENO F., HERRANZ A., and CABRILLO E. Homocysteine, folic acid and B-group vitamins in obstetrics and gynaecology. European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 2003, 107: 125-134.
COLAPINTO C., ARBUCKLE T., DUBOIS L., and FRASER W. Tea consumption in pregnancy as a predictor of pesticide exposure and adverse birth outcomes: the MIREC study. Environmental Research, 2015, 142: 77-83.
SUN D., MCLEOD A., GANDHI S., MALINOWSKI A.K., and SHEHATA N. Anemia in Pregnancy. Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey, 2017, 72(12): 730-737.
CHEN L.W., WU Y., NEELAKANTAN N., CHONG M.F.F., PAN A., and VAN DAM R.M. Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy is associated with risk of low birth weight: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. BMC Medicine, 2014, 12(1): 174.
NKANSAH M.A., OPOKU F., and ACKUMEY A.A. Risk assessment of mineral and heavy metal content of selected tea products from the Ghanaian market. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2016, 188(6): 1-11.
FALAHI E., and HEDAIATI R. Heavy metal content of black teas consumed in Iran. Taylor & Francis, 2013, (2): 123-126.
KACEROVSKY M., TOTHOVA L., MENON R., VLKOVA B., MUSILOVA I., HORNYCHOVA H., PROCHAZKA M., and CELEC P. Amniotic fluid markers of oxidative stress in pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, 2015, 28(11): 1250-1259.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
