For a while now I have been troubled by a puzzling ailment...
In recent weeks, as I sat at my desk composing a post or two - for some inexplicable reason - my foot would unexpectedly seize up...causing me a great deal of anguish and discomfort.
I was even tempted to dash off to "emergency" on more than one occasion, when I awoke from a deep slumber in the morning, suffering muscle cramping so severe, that I was bent over in excruciating pain for fifteen or twenty minutes.
The ailment puzzled my doctors; after all, a number of blood tests determined that my potassium and calcium levels were normal.
And, the condition worsened.
Would this mysterious illness end up crippling me for life?
Today, I dropped in to Starbucks for a cup of Earl Grey Tea, as usual, and comfortably settled in for my early morning routine - a quick read of the morning papers.
As I started to put the steaming tea to my lips, I suddenly tossed the cup down.
In the health section of the LA TIMES, an article by a couple of pharmacologists (Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon) spelled out my problem to a "T".
Apparently, there are documented reports that individuals have suffered from pain and cramping, due to Earl Grey Tea!
According to the "health tip", Earl Grey Tea is flavored with oil from the citrus fruit bergamot. And, bergamot also contains the oil bergapten...a natural compound that can block the flow of potassium in and out of the cells.
Because muscle cells rely on potassium for that flow, those sensitive to the oil, may experience muscle cramps and pain.
So, that was the culprit!
Understandably, I intend to swear off Earl Grey Tea.
I wonder, why has the company never warned consumers about this potential health hazard with Bergapten oil in Earl Grey Tea?
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