Toxicity and Adverse Effects
The general belief is that herbs are safer than pharmaceuticals because they are
natural. But the fact is, healing herbs are neither completely safe nor poisonous.
They are like other medicines. In low amounts they may be in effective while in the
right amounts they may prove beneficial. Their use in high quantities and over pro-
longed periods may prove to be injurious.
Toxicity in herbal medicine may be due to (1) accidents due to a mistake in bo-
tanical identification, (2) accidental ingestion of cardiotonic plants, (3) inappropri-
ate combinations, including the use of potentially toxic plants, (4) or plants that
interfere with conventional pharmacological therapy, such as plants containing
coumarinic derivatives, a high content of tyramine, estrogenic compounds, plants
causing irritation and allergic problems, plant containing photosensitive com-
pounds etc. [47–51]. Recent scientific research has demonstrated that many tradi-
tionally used herbal medicines are potentially toxic and some are even mutagenic
and carcinogenic [52–54]. The toxicity benchmarks for herbal drugs therefore de-
pend on purity, herbs containing toxic substances, bioavailability, and reported ad-
verse effects.
68 3 Herbal Medicines: Prospects and Constraints
The general belief is that herbs are safer than pharmaceuticals because they are
natural. But the fact is, healing herbs are neither completely safe nor poisonous.
They are like other medicines. In low amounts they may be in effective while in the
right amounts they may prove beneficial. Their use in high quantities and over pro-
longed periods may prove to be injurious.
Toxicity in herbal medicine may be due to (1) accidents due to a mistake in bo-
tanical identification, (2) accidental ingestion of cardiotonic plants, (3) inappropri-
ate combinations, including the use of potentially toxic plants, (4) or plants that
interfere with conventional pharmacological therapy, such as plants containing
coumarinic derivatives, a high content of tyramine, estrogenic compounds, plants
causing irritation and allergic problems, plant containing photosensitive com-
pounds etc. [47–51]. Recent scientific research has demonstrated that many tradi-
tionally used herbal medicines are potentially toxic and some are even mutagenic
and carcinogenic [52–54]. The toxicity benchmarks for herbal drugs therefore de-
pend on purity, herbs containing toxic substances, bioavailability, and reported ad-
verse effects.
68 3 Herbal Medicines: Prospects and Constraints
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