What Exactly Is Poppy Seed Tea?
Poppy seeds are safe to eat in tiny amounts found in baked products…
…salad dressings, and granola. However, specialists are warning about poppy seed tea, which, despite its innocent appearance, has the potential to induce addiction, withdrawal, and overdose. If you or someone you care about is brewing unwashed poppy seeds and poppy plant to get high, here’s what you should know.
Poppy Seed Tea Benefits
Poppy Seed Tea Rich in Nutrients and Antioxidants
Poppy seeds, like other seeds, are high in fiber, plant lipids, and other nutrients. One tablespoon (9 g) contains:
- Calories: 46
- Protein: 1.6 grams
- Fat: 3.7 grams
- Carbs: 2.5 grams
- Fiber: 1.7 grams
- Manganese: 26% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Copper: 16% of the DV
- Calcium: 10% of the DV
- Magnesium: 7% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 6% of the DV
- Zinc: 6% of the DV
- Thiamine: 6% of the DV
- Iron: 5% of the DV
Pain-Relieving Chemicals May Be Present
Morphine, codeine, thebaine, and other opium alkaloids found in the poppy plant are recognized for their pain-relieving, relaxing, and sleep-inducing effects. These chemicals are frequently encountered in pharmaceutical medicines designed for these purposes. These alkaloids are commonly found in the milky white liquid found in poppy pods, sometimes known as poppy latex. Poppy seeds do not contain opium compounds naturally, although they may get contaminated with them during harvesting or as a result of insect damage. Poppy seeds are often treated before reaching supermarket shelves to remove any opium alkaloids with which they may have come into contact.
Poppy Seed Tea Possible Improve Your Heart and Skin Wellness
Poppyseed oil is high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which may be good for your heart and skin. Unsaturated fat-rich diets may lower your risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 17%, according to research. Replacing saturated fats in your diet with unsaturated fats may be very beneficial. Keep in mind that high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio diets may raise your risk of inflammation and illness. As a result, it may be recommended to avoid ingesting significant amounts of omega-6 rich oils on a daily basis, especially poppyseed oil.
Poppy Seed Tea Might Help With Digestion.
Poppy seeds are high in fiber, which may help with gut health and constipation.
The Effects of Opiates on the Brain
Opiates are made from the poppy plant, especially the opium poppy or Papaver somniferum. Opiates have effectively been used to treat pain, but they are also misused because to their mind-altering properties. Morphine, opium, heroin, and codeine are among the opiates derived from the poppy plant.
Opiates trigger particular receptors in the brain when they enter the body. When these opiate receptors are engaged, a surge of pleasure is felt followed by hours of feeling satisfied, calm, or euphoric. Some of these receptors are found in the brain’s reward region. The brain begins to need more pleasant stimulus, which can lead to addiction. Aside from pain alleviation and pleasure, opiates can produce the following adverse effects:
- Drowsiness
- Constipation
- Depression of the respiratory system, resulting in a decrease in the body’s desire to breathe.
- Death due to respiratory arrest
Opiates Found in Poppy Plants
Poppy seeds used in cooking are rinsed, which eliminates up to 90% of the opioids. Unwashed seeds, stems, and pods are sold to create poppy seed tea. Poppy seeds are not all the same, and everyone reacts to them differently. Because the quantities of codeine and morphine in poppy seeds fluctuate, the potency of the tea produced by one crop of seed might be considerably different from another. Furthermore, everyone process poppy seed differently. In one research, individuals were given poppy seeds, and the amount of codeine and morphine excreted in their urine varied greatly.
In fact, eating poppy seeds has led people to fail urine drug tests. Previously, even little quantities of poppy seeds led people to test positive for morphine, one of the opiates found in the poppy.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which determines drug testing threshold levels, has addressed this issue. To assist avoid false positives, DHHS raised the threshold for detecting opiate metabolites in urine, so you or a loved one may enjoy a poppy seed bagel with confidence.
Dangers of Poppy Seed Tea
Poppy seed tea is made from unwashed poppy pods, straw (pods and stems), and/or seeds, and provides an opioid high. The dried pods or straw are powdered and steeped in water. This is a common method of extracting opiates from the poppy.
Although the DEA has categorized “poppy straw,” or all portions of the poppy plant other than the seeds, as a Schedule II restricted drug, and the importation of infected poppy seeds is prohibited, unclean poppy seeds may still be obtained online.
Overdoes and Addiction
Homebrewed poppy seed tea may be used to make a fatal dosage of morphine, according to research. Because it is nearly impossible to predict the quantity of active medicines in any given crop of poppy pods or poppy seeds, it is hard to manage the amount of drug used in order to avoid overdose.
Opioids inhibit the respiratory system, which can result in death by respiratory arrest following a narcotic overdose. If you or someone you care about exhibits any of the following opioid overdose symptoms, contact 911 immediately and stay with the individual. Paramedics carry Narcan (naloxone), a medicine that can reverse the symptoms of an opioid overdose.
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