A population-based study on safety and health of drinking Litsea coreana tea (hawk tea)
BackgroundA herbal tea of leaves and stems of Litsea coreana, named Hawk tea locally, has been traditionally consumed in some places in southwestern China. However, there is no human based evidence about the safety and health effects of drinking hawk tea. This study aims to illustrate possible healt...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1588368/full |
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| author | Han Zhang Xiyu Pu Haijun Huang Qin Huang Bao Yu Weiguo Cao Weiguo Cao Yong Zhang |
| author_facet | Han Zhang Xiyu Pu Haijun Huang Qin Huang Bao Yu Weiguo Cao Weiguo Cao Yong Zhang |
| author_sort | Han Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundA herbal tea of leaves and stems of Litsea coreana, named Hawk tea locally, has been traditionally consumed in some places in southwestern China. However, there is no human based evidence about the safety and health effects of drinking hawk tea. This study aims to illustrate possible healthy effects of consuming hawk tea in a population with a habit of drinking hawk tea in Chongqing city.MethodsA hawk tea producing area located in Chongqing city was selected as the study setting, and residents were randomly designated. Self-designed questionnaires were administered to collect data, including basic information, the behaviors of consumption of hawk tea, and various health information.ResultsAmong the 4,363 respondents, 2,278 (52.2%) drank tea more 1 time per month and 957 (42.0%) were heavy drinkers. Among 2,278 Hawk tea drinkers, 62 reported various symptoms after drinking, and logistic regression showed no relationship between the symptoms reported and the characteristics of consumption (duration, frequency, and volume) (p > 0.05). In addition, heavy hawk tea drinkers had a lower risk of hyperlipidaemia than light hawk tea drinkers (p < 0.001, 95% odds ratio = 0.26).ConclusionWith the long history of consumption in the population and the effects on health as were shown in this study, hawk tea poses no detectable health risks to consumers and shows some benefit to metabolism of lipids. It can be recognized and recommended as a safe and healthy herbal beverage for people to consume in daily life. Further interventional studies on its safety and health benefits are warranted. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9b6d8c9bb2fd4307879c1e4d5d5cdef2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-9b6d8c9bb2fd4307879c1e4d5d5cdef22025-08-20T02:06:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-06-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15883681588368A population-based study on safety and health of drinking Litsea coreana tea (hawk tea)Han Zhang0Xiyu Pu1Haijun Huang2Qin Huang3Bao Yu4Weiguo Cao5Weiguo Cao6Yong Zhang7College of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing University of Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing University of Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing University of Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing University of Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, ChinaThe College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaBackgroundA herbal tea of leaves and stems of Litsea coreana, named Hawk tea locally, has been traditionally consumed in some places in southwestern China. However, there is no human based evidence about the safety and health effects of drinking hawk tea. This study aims to illustrate possible healthy effects of consuming hawk tea in a population with a habit of drinking hawk tea in Chongqing city.MethodsA hawk tea producing area located in Chongqing city was selected as the study setting, and residents were randomly designated. Self-designed questionnaires were administered to collect data, including basic information, the behaviors of consumption of hawk tea, and various health information.ResultsAmong the 4,363 respondents, 2,278 (52.2%) drank tea more 1 time per month and 957 (42.0%) were heavy drinkers. Among 2,278 Hawk tea drinkers, 62 reported various symptoms after drinking, and logistic regression showed no relationship between the symptoms reported and the characteristics of consumption (duration, frequency, and volume) (p > 0.05). In addition, heavy hawk tea drinkers had a lower risk of hyperlipidaemia than light hawk tea drinkers (p < 0.001, 95% odds ratio = 0.26).ConclusionWith the long history of consumption in the population and the effects on health as were shown in this study, hawk tea poses no detectable health risks to consumers and shows some benefit to metabolism of lipids. It can be recognized and recommended as a safe and healthy herbal beverage for people to consume in daily life. Further interventional studies on its safety and health benefits are warranted.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1588368/fullhawk teafood safetypopulation surveylipid metabolismcross-sectional study |
| spellingShingle | Han Zhang Xiyu Pu Haijun Huang Qin Huang Bao Yu Weiguo Cao Weiguo Cao Yong Zhang A population-based study on safety and health of drinking Litsea coreana tea (hawk tea) Frontiers in Public Health hawk tea food safety population survey lipid metabolism cross-sectional study |
| title | A population-based study on safety and health of drinking Litsea coreana tea (hawk tea) |
| title_full | A population-based study on safety and health of drinking Litsea coreana tea (hawk tea) |
| title_fullStr | A population-based study on safety and health of drinking Litsea coreana tea (hawk tea) |
| title_full_unstemmed | A population-based study on safety and health of drinking Litsea coreana tea (hawk tea) |
| title_short | A population-based study on safety and health of drinking Litsea coreana tea (hawk tea) |
| title_sort | population based study on safety and health of drinking litsea coreana tea hawk tea |
| topic | hawk tea food safety population survey lipid metabolism cross-sectional study |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1588368/full |
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