Orv Hetil. 2000 Nov; 141(47): 2555-8.

[Nil nocere! Phytotherapy causing nephropathy]

Kakuk G.

The summary draws attention to the nephropathy caused by "Chinese tea", with all its attendant risks that lead to organ damage. Available data from the literature describe more than 100 women who, at various times, underwent long-term slimming courses by taking two types of Chinese tea containing tablets, namely, Stefania tetranda and Magnolia officinalis. The nephropathy is characterized by severe anemia, tubular proteinuria, histologically chronic ischaemic, interstitial nephritis, accelerated decline in kidney function, and epithelial cell dysplasia of the urinary tract, with consequent inclination towards malignant transformation. The clinical and histological picture resembles that of the Balkan nephropathy. Apart from all these a proportion of the patients may develop aorta insufficiency. The author emphasises the hazards in one of the branches of alternative medicine, fitotherapy, and their prevention.