Are there any drawbacks to oral bergamot ingestion?

    Written by:
    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    There has been a case report of negative side effects from ingesting bergamot oil — including muscle cramps, twitches, and reduced visual acuity — in a man who drank up to 4 liters of Earl Grey tea daily. His symptoms improved when he switched to black tea and limited his Earl Grey intake to less than a liter per day.

    There has been one case report of negative side effects from bergamot oil ingested orally. Muscle cramps, muscle twitches, and reduced visual acuity were reported in a man who drank up to 4 liters (about a gallon) of Earl Grey tea, a bergamot-infused tea, each day. His symptoms resolved when he switched to black tea and stayed away as long as he kept his Earl Grey consumption under a liter a day.[1]