Who doesn’t love a good cup of tea? A 47-year-old Detroit woman recently learned that too much of a good thing can be bad for your health when doctors discovered a mysterious bone condition caused by her love of tea. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, confessed that she drank a pitcher of tea every day for the past 17 years and the tea contained anywhere from 100-150 tea bags. She said for the past five years she had experienced pain in her lower back, arms, legs and hips. Doctors at Henry Ford Hospital discovered that the woman's bones had become calcified and she had increased bone density. The woman was eventually diagnosed with skeletal fluorosis, a condition caused by excessive intake of fluoride, and brewed tea has one of the highest fluoride contents among beverages in the United States. The woman’s blood serum concentration of fluoride was four times the normal concentration. In the end, she was counseled and agreed to discontinue her tea-drinking. Afterwards, her symptoms greatly improved.
