I am a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn, New York. Recently I’ve been writing for Scientific American, Nature Medicine, Slate, Popular Science, Glamour, Redbook, and Men’s Journal. I am also an adjunct faculty member at CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism. I have a background in cell biology and music composition and am an alumna of NYU’s Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program.
I won a 2010 American College of Emergency Physicians Journalism Award for my piece Cold Relief, published in Popular Science in February 2009. And my article Children of the Corn is featured in an issue of Mother Jones that won a 2010 American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) Award for General Excellence.
My clips and resume can be found on my website, and on Twitter, I’m @lindy2350.
The More about Melinda Wenner Moyer by Body Politic, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
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Melinda Wenner Moyer writes about science, health and food for Scientific American, Nature Medicine, Slate, Popular Science, Gilt Taste, Bon Appetit, Glamour and Redbook. She lives in Brooklyn and tweets as
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Hello.My name is Oleh.I am very sorry but could I ask You to send me one great article from scientific american may/june 2011 – Obsessions revisited.Thanks for the answer
Yerba has A LOT more of the carcinogenic compounds – there are several studies comparing it directly to different types of tea. Data below comes from here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/13r73230x078112k/
Just copy it to Excel (values separated by tabs) and everythinhg will be clear. On average Yerba has 10 times more of the toxic compounds!!!
PAH contents in various types of tea (μg/kg) (n = 40) :
BcL BaA CHR + TP CPP 5MC BbF BkF BjF BaP IcP DhA BgP DlP DeP DiP DhP Total PAH
Green tea 4.4 9.7 14.8 2.4 0.9 8 4.2 5.3 6.7 6.5 0.8 5.4 0.3 1.3 0.7 0.2 71.6
Green tea 3.2 3 17.3 0.7 0.7 5.6 2.5 3.2 2.2 3.2 0.4 2.6 0.2 0.7 0.5 0.2 46.2
Green tea 1.2 3.6 8.3 1 0.2 2.6 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.2 0.1 1.1 0 0.2 0.1 <0.06 24.6
Green tea 3 3.6 11.2 0.3 0.8 5.3 2.4 3.2 2.7 4 0.3 4.4 0.2 0.5 0.2 <0.06 42.1
Green tea 12 5.9 28.9 0.9 2.1 9 3.9 5.2 3.9 4.9 0.4 4.1 0.2 0.8 0.2 <0.06 82.6
Green tea 7.2 4.3 28.7 0.4 1.4 6.8 3.1 3.9 2.6 3.5 0.4 3 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.1 66.1
Green tea 17.4 40.4 61.5 13.4 3.3 33.4 17.1 18.5 32.6 20.3 2.3 21.6 0.6 1.9 1.5 0.3 286.1
Green tea 16.2 29 47.7 6 2.9 20.8 11.5 13.2 17.5 12.9 1.7 11.2 0.4 2 1.2 0.1 194.2
Green tea 0.9 1.8 6.7 0.2 0.4 2.2 1.2 1.3 1.6 1.4 0.1 1.7 <0.02 <0.02 <0.02 <0.02 19.6
Green tea 17.1 22.4 42.4 3 3.9 19.7 9.8 11 16.2 14.2 1.9 14.2 0.7 2.8 1.5 0.2 180.8
Green tea 4.3 11.7 16.7 5.7 1 12.6 7.8 8.4 12.5 11.8 1 10.2 0.3 0.6 0.6 0.1 105.2
Mate-tea 54.6 117.7 210 131 7.7 97 38.4 52.7 115.2 100.2 7.9 113.6 4.1 9.6 8.2 0.9 1,068.80
Mate-tea 194.4 374.6 746.3 168.8 19 258.1 87.5 123.5 236.5 184.4 13.3 221.1 5.6 16.1 12.1 0.8 2,662.10
Mate-tea 46.9 83.6 125.7 93.8 5.6 63.5 26 35.9 75.8 64.9 3.8 61.7 2.6 6.7 5.1 0.5 701.9
Mate-tea 16.9 59.7 116.7 10 4.6 67.7 26.7 36.5 79.3 92.2 5.3 106.2 1.6 8.9 7.4 0.4 640.1
Mate-tea 16.2 44.9 81.9 17 2.5 38.9 17.1 23.7 37.8 36.8 3.1 38.9 1.1 3.5 2.1 0.5 365.8
Mate-tea 20 38.4 87.3 14.6 2.9 34.1 13.9 19.5 24.8 29.2 2.3 34.4 0.8 2.3 1.4 0.1 325.8
Mate-tea 124.8 324.6 597.6 31.7 29.1 191.8 88.4 138.3 186.3 140.8 23.1 95.3 6.5 10.9 8 0.8 1,997.90
Mate-tea 87.6 132.9 244.1 100.4 8.5 90.6 34.6 48.7 96.7 80.2 6.2 94.1 2.4 8 8.2 0.6 1,043.90
Black tea 0.7 2.5 6.5 0.2 0.1 2.3 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.4 0.1 0.9 0 0.1 0.1 <0.06 19.4
Black tea 5 8.7 15.4 1.1 0.6 6.8 3.6 4.4 4.3 6.3 0.4 4.2 0.1 0.5 0.4 0.1 61.8
Black tea 2.9 6.2 8.8 0.2 2 3.3 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.2 0.4 1.6 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.1 33.3
Black tea 0.5 2 5.7 0.2 0.3 2.6 1.7 1.9 1.3 1.7 0.1 1.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 <0.02 19.6
Black tea 0.4 1.6 4.9 0.2 0.3 1.7 1.1 1.2 0.8 1 0.1 0.6 <0.06 0.1 0.1 0.1 14
Black tea 5.2 13.1 17.3 0.9 0.8 6.7 3.9 4.5 6.9 4.4 0.4 4 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.1 69.2
Black tea 3.1 4.6 11.9 1.3 0.6 5.9 3.1 3.4 8.4 5.7 0.5 7.8 0.1 0.6 0.3 0.1 57.2
Black tea 6.9 10.2 18.1 0.7 1.5 8.1 4.7 5.4 8.2 8.1 0.9 6.5 0.2 0.8 0.4 0.1 80.8
Black tea 1.5 1.3 3.4 0.4 0.3 1.5 1 1 14.1 1.4 0.1 1.5 <0.06 0.2 0.1 <0.06 27.8
Black tea 4.8 7 12.1 0.6 0.7 6.2 3.6 4.1 5.3 6.1 0.5 6.1 0.2 0.7 0.5 0.1 58.4
Black tea 2.4 1.8 6.8 0.1 0.4 1.9 1.1 1.2 1.8 1.2 0.1 1.1 <0.06 0.1 0.1 <0.02 20
Herbal and fruit tea 1.6 1.2 4.5 0.2 0.4 1.3 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.1 1 <0.06 0.1 0.1 <0.06 13.8
Herbal and fruit tea 2.7 3.5 10.4 0.1 0.7 4.5 1.9 2.5 3.1 2.7 0.3 2.7 0.2 0.5 0.3 <0.06 35.9
Herbal and fruit tea 1.5 1.9 4 0.2 0.4 1.8 0.8 1.1 1.4 1.2 0.1 1.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 <0.06 16.1
Herbal and fruit tea 1.4 2.1 7.3 0.1 0.5 1.7 0.9 1.1 1.4 1.1 0.2 1.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 <0.06 19.5
Herbal and fruit tea 2.9 2.6 6.7 0.5 0.6 1.7 1 1.2 1.3 1.3 0.2 1.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 <0.02 21.7
Herbal and fruit tea 4.6 2.7 8.5 0.2 0.7 2.4 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.4 0.1 1.3 0.2 0.3 0.1 <0.06 26.6
Herbal and fruit tea 4.8 3.1 11.6 0.5 0.8 3.6 1.7 2.5 2.4 2.1 0.3 2.3 0.1 0.5 0.2 <0.06 36.4
White tea 4.3 14.1 19 3.2 1.4 14.5 7 8.2 11.4 9.7 1.4 11.3 0.3 1.3 0.5 0.2 107.9
White tea 8.7 20.5 34.4 4.2 1.7 18.7 9.4 11.4 15.1 13 1.7 14.2 0.5 1.7 1 0.1 156.1
White tea 24.4 80.1 95.1 6.1 2.6 44.6 22.2 22.1 19 15.9 1.9 13.8 0.4 0.9 0.6 0.1 349.7
Abbreviations
5MC 5-Methylchrysene
ASE Accelerated solvent extraction
BaA Benzo[a]anthracene
BaP Benzo[a]pyrene
BbF Benzo[b]fluoranthene
BcL Benzo[c]fluorene
BgP Benzo[g,h,i]perylene
BjF Benzo[j]fluoranthene
BkF Benzo[k]fluoranthene
CPP Cyclopenta[c,d]pyrene
CHR Chrysene
D/A Dichloromethane/acetone
DeP Dibenzo[a,e]pyrene
DhA Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene
DhP Dibenzo[a,h]pyrene
DiP Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene
DlP Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene
EFSA European Food Safety Authority
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
GPC Gel permeation chromatography
HRMS High resolution mass spectrometer
IcP Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene
IQR Interquartile range
JECFA Joint FAO/WHO Experts Committee on Food
Additives
KOH Potassium hydroxide
LLE Liquid liquid extraction
LOD Limit of detection
LOQ Limit of quantification
Na2SO4 Sodium sulphate
PAH Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
SCF Scientific Committee on Food
SIM Selected ion monitoring
SPE Solid phase extraction
Yerba has A LOT more of the carcinogenic compounds – there are several studies comparing it directly to different types of tea. Data below comes from here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/13r73230x078112k/
I’ve formatted it as coma separated values (in my previous post all tabs got converted to spaces). Save it as a data.csv and opet in Excel – you will be amazed to see how big the differences are. On average Yerba has 10 times more of the toxic compounds (all of them) !!!
PAH contents in various types of tea (μg/kg) (n = 40) :
,BcL,BaA,CHR + TP,CPP,5MC,BbF,BkF,BjF,BaP,IcP,DhA,BgP,DlP,DeP,DiP,DhP,Total PAH
Green tea,4.4,9.7,14.8,2.4,0.9,8,4.2,5.3,6.7,6.5,0.8,5.4,0.3,1.3,0.7,0.2,71.6
Green tea,3.2,3,17.3,0.7,0.7,5.6,2.5,3.2,2.2,3.2,0.4,2.6,0.2,0.7,0.5,0.2,46.2
Green tea,1.2,3.6,8.3,1,0.2,2.6,1.6,1.7,1.8,1.2,0.1,1.1,0,0.2,0.1,<0.06,24.6
Green tea,3,3.6,11.2,0.3,0.8,5.3,2.4,3.2,2.7,4,0.3,4.4,0.2,0.5,0.2,<0.06,42.1
Green tea,12,5.9,28.9,0.9,2.1,9,3.9,5.2,3.9,4.9,0.4,4.1,0.2,0.8,0.2,<0.06,82.6
Green tea,7.2,4.3,28.7,0.4,1.4,6.8,3.1,3.9,2.6,3.5,0.4,3,0.1,0.6,0.1,0.1,66.1
Green tea,17.4,40.4,61.5,13.4,3.3,33.4,17.1,18.5,32.6,20.3,2.3,21.6,0.6,1.9,1.5,0.3,286.1
Green tea,16.2,29,47.7,6,2.9,20.8,11.5,13.2,17.5,12.9,1.7,11.2,0.4,2,1.2,0.1,194.2
Green tea,0.9,1.8,6.7,0.2,0.4,2.2,1.2,1.3,1.6,1.4,0.1,1.7,<0.02,<0.02,<0.02,<0.02,19.6
Green tea,17.1,22.4,42.4,3,3.9,19.7,9.8,11,16.2,14.2,1.9,14.2,0.7,2.8,1.5,0.2,180.8
Green tea,4.3,11.7,16.7,5.7,1,12.6,7.8,8.4,12.5,11.8,1,10.2,0.3,0.6,0.6,0.1,105.2
Mate-tea,54.6,117.7,210,131,7.7,97,38.4,52.7,115.2,100.2,7.9,113.6,4.1,9.6,8.2,0.9,"1,068.80"
Mate-tea,194.4,374.6,746.3,168.8,19,258.1,87.5,123.5,236.5,184.4,13.3,221.1,5.6,16.1,12.1,0.8,"2,662.10"
Mate-tea,46.9,83.6,125.7,93.8,5.6,63.5,26,35.9,75.8,64.9,3.8,61.7,2.6,6.7,5.1,0.5,701.9
Mate-tea,16.9,59.7,116.7,10,4.6,67.7,26.7,36.5,79.3,92.2,5.3,106.2,1.6,8.9,7.4,0.4,640.1
Mate-tea,16.2,44.9,81.9,17,2.5,38.9,17.1,23.7,37.8,36.8,3.1,38.9,1.1,3.5,2.1,0.5,365.8
Mate-tea,20,38.4,87.3,14.6,2.9,34.1,13.9,19.5,24.8,29.2,2.3,34.4,0.8,2.3,1.4,0.1,325.8
Mate-tea,124.8,324.6,597.6,31.7,29.1,191.8,88.4,138.3,186.3,140.8,23.1,95.3,6.5,10.9,8,0.8,"1,997.90"
Mate-tea,87.6,132.9,244.1,100.4,8.5,90.6,34.6,48.7,96.7,80.2,6.2,94.1,2.4,8,8.2,0.6,"1,043.90"
Black tea,0.7,2.5,6.5,0.2,0.1,2.3,1.4,1.5,1.3,1.4,0.1,0.9,0,0.1,0.1,<0.06,19.4
Black tea,5,8.7,15.4,1.1,0.6,6.8,3.6,4.4,4.3,6.3,0.4,4.2,0.1,0.5,0.4,0.1,61.8
Black tea,2.9,6.2,8.8,0.2,2,3.3,1.5,1.7,1.9,2.2,0.4,1.6,0.1,0.4,0.1,0.1,33.3
Black tea,0.5,2,5.7,0.2,0.3,2.6,1.7,1.9,1.3,1.7,0.1,1.3,0.1,0.2,0.1,<0.02,19.6
Black tea,0.4,1.6,4.9,0.2,0.3,1.7,1.1,1.2,0.8,1,0.1,0.6,<0.06,0.1,0.1,0.1,14
Black tea,5.2,13.1,17.3,0.9,0.8,6.7,3.9,4.5,6.9,4.4,0.4,4,0.2,0.5,0.3,0.1,69.2
Black tea,3.1,4.6,11.9,1.3,0.6,5.9,3.1,3.4,8.4,5.7,0.5,7.8,0.1,0.6,0.3,0.1,57.2
Black tea,6.9,10.2,18.1,0.7,1.5,8.1,4.7,5.4,8.2,8.1,0.9,6.5,0.2,0.8,0.4,0.1,80.8
Black tea,1.5,1.3,3.4,0.4,0.3,1.5,1,1,14.1,1.4,0.1,1.5,<0.06,0.2,0.1,<0.06,27.8
Black tea,4.8,7,12.1,0.6,0.7,6.2,3.6,4.1,5.3,6.1,0.5,6.1,0.2,0.7,0.5,0.1,58.4
Black tea,2.4,1.8,6.8,0.1,0.4,1.9,1.1,1.2,1.8,1.2,0.1,1.1,<0.06,0.1,0.1,<0.02,20
Herbal and fruit tea,1.6,1.2,4.5,0.2,0.4,1.3,0.6,0.8,0.8,0.9,0.1,1,<0.06,0.1,0.1,<0.06,13.8
Herbal and fruit tea,2.7,3.5,10.4,0.1,0.7,4.5,1.9,2.5,3.1,2.7,0.3,2.7,0.2,0.5,0.3,<0.06,35.9
Herbal and fruit tea,1.5,1.9,4,0.2,0.4,1.8,0.8,1.1,1.4,1.2,0.1,1.3,0.1,0.2,0.1,<0.06,16.1
Herbal and fruit tea,1.4,2.1,7.3,0.1,0.5,1.7,0.9,1.1,1.4,1.1,0.2,1.2,0.1,0.2,0.2,<0.06,19.5
Herbal and fruit tea,2.9,2.6,6.7,0.5,0.6,1.7,1,1.2,1.3,1.3,0.2,1.2,0.2,0.2,0.1,<0.02,21.7
Herbal and fruit tea,4.6,2.7,8.5,0.2,0.7,2.4,1.1,1.5,1.3,1.4,0.1,1.3,0.2,0.3,0.1,<0.06,26.6
Herbal and fruit tea,4.8,3.1,11.6,0.5,0.8,3.6,1.7,2.5,2.4,2.1,0.3,2.3,0.1,0.5,0.2,<0.06,36.4
White tea,4.3,14.1,19,3.2,1.4,14.5,7,8.2,11.4,9.7,1.4,11.3,0.3,1.3,0.5,0.2,107.9
White tea,8.7,20.5,34.4,4.2,1.7,18.7,9.4,11.4,15.1,13,1.7,14.2,0.5,1.7,1,0.1,156.1
White tea,24.4,80.1,95.1,6.1,2.6,44.6,22.2,22.1,19,15.9,1.9,13.8,0.4,0.9,0.6,0.1,349.7
Abbreviations
5MC 5-Methylchrysene
ASE Accelerated solvent extraction
BaA Benzo[a]anthracene
BaP Benzo[a]pyrene
BbF Benzo[b]fluoranthene
BcL Benzo[c]fluorene
BgP Benzo[g,h,i]perylene
BjF Benzo[j]fluoranthene
BkF Benzo[k]fluoranthene
CPP Cyclopenta[c,d]pyrene
CHR Chrysene
D/A Dichloromethane/acetone
DeP Dibenzo[a,e]pyrene
DhA Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene
DhP Dibenzo[a,h]pyrene
DiP Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene
DlP Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene
EFSA European Food Safety Authority
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
GPC Gel permeation chromatography
HRMS High resolution mass spectrometer
IcP Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene
IQR Interquartile range
JECFA Joint FAO/WHO Experts Committee on Food
Additives
KOH Potassium hydroxide
LLE Liquid liquid extraction
LOD Limit of detection
LOQ Limit of quantification
Na2SO4 Sodium sulphate
PAH Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
SCF Scientific Committee on Food
SIM Selected ion monitoring
SPE Solid phase extraction
Scientist huh? lol really? Nice long string of copy and pasted numbers there. Yep that looks impressive. Painfully amateurish.