The Effect of the Addition of Selected Juices on the Content of Aluminum in Tea Infusions and Health Risk Assessment in the Polish Population

Abstract

Tea is a plant rich in compounds that positively impact human health. Still, it also contains large amounts of aluminum, which is toxic to humans and passes into the infusion during brewing. The presented research aims to determine the effect of adding lemon, Japanese quince, and quince juice to infusions of various types of teas on their aluminum content. It should be emphasized that research on the impact of Japanese quince and quince juices has not yet been published. Exposure to exceeding the safe level of aluminum consumption from tea infusions was also assessed. It has been shown that adding juices that lower the pH of infusions increases the aluminum content by up to 150%. The main factor influencing the increase in the aluminum content in tea infusions with additives is the lowering of the pH value, and other ingredients present in the juices do not have a significant impact. The health risk assessment indicates the possibility of adverse health effects from aluminum consumption, especially from black and green tea infusions with the addition of Japanese quince and lemon juices. It has been shown that quince juice can be recommended as an addition to tea infusions because it causes the smallest increase in aluminum content in the infusion among the juices tested.