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California woman dies from drinking poisonous tea

California woman dies from drinking poisonous tea
Posted at 4:22 PM, Mar 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-22 21:07:07-04

A San Francisco woman died on Saturday after health officials said she ingested a toxic herbal tea she purchased at a local shop, The Chronicle reported. 

The Chronicle reported that a man was also hospitalized from the same type of tea from a separate purchase. 

Yu-Ping Xie, 56, purchased the tea from the Sun Wing Wo Trading Co. Xie was said to have been experiencing weakness and an abnormal heart rhythm that required resuscitation shortly after consuming the tea. 

Health officials believe the active ingredient aconite may have caused Xie's death.

Aconite has been used medicinally to improve circulation, but also has a history of causing damage to the heart. The FDA considers aconite to be a poisonous substance. 

Health officials said that anyone who has purchased the tea should dispose of it immediately.