Are Traditional Herbs Scientifically Safe for Consumption?

Traditional (Local) medicine is very common in African countries, a great number of children in Africa were brought up with local herbs. Lots of families usually fall back on local herbs as a means to solve different health issues. There have however been various controversies about local herbs, while some believe it is a great solution to different health conditions, others believe herbs to have a very terrible effect on the health at the long run. This writing aims to explore what science has to say about local herbs, after reading this, we would have gotten to a reasonable conclusion as to if herbs are scientifically healthy or not.

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Let’s explore some natural herbs and the health benefits they offer.

St. John’s Wort.

This natural herb is usually taken as a supplement used to tackle problems like: anxiety, depression and sleep problems.

Arnica plant.

This is a plant whose oil helps to ease pain from various forms of bruises, aches and swelling.

Ginger.

This is a natural product used to ease nausea, it has also been found to be a huge form of relief for joint pain, control of blood sugar levels and blood pressure.

Garlic.

It helps to control blood pressure, it also helps to control cold.

Feverfew.

This plant helps to prevent migraine, it can also be used to combat arthritis and various forms of allergies.

Stinging Nettle.

This plant helps to cure urinary tract infections, it also helps to fight against dandruff. Amongst the numerous problems that this plant treats is the kidney and bladder stones infection.

Licorice Root.

This plant has a solution for the treatment of stomach ulcer, cough, sore throat and even different forms of infections.

Black Cohosh.

This is a natural plant often used for the treatment of menopause symptoms which is often night sweats and hot flashes.

Ginseng.

This is a plant most people use for the intention of slowing down aging process, the herb is also taken in order to boost immunity and help make sex more pleasurable.

Ephedra.

This is a plant that has been known to cure headaches, cough and every symptom of cold. The plant has also been known to help people gain energy and help with weight loss.

Goldenseal.

This plant helps with the treatment of eye infection, constipation and even cancer.

Ginkgo plant.

People use this plant as a way to help improve mental function, this plant is also believed to help with the proper circulation of blood.

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After reading the health benefits of these plants, I am certain you are ready to conclude that herbs is the new way to go for you but just hold on a little bit, I will like you to read further before you make that conclusion.

Some downsides to the consumption of these herbs.

As healthy as these herbs may appear, there is no prescription to the amount of dose that should be consumed, we do not have an idea if we are taking in these herbs in minute or excessive quantities since most of them are made at home.

“But herbs can be a source of very potent toxins, and in fact many things we use as medicines derived from plants are toxic, poisoning predators,” he said.
“We can use these toxins in low concentrations in order to have useful medical effects. Some people believe that because herbal medicines derive from natural products that they are not drugs, but they are, and they have the potential to cause harm or to interact harmfully with prescription medications.” By pharmacology lecturer Ian Musgrave.

St. John’s Wort.

The consumption of these herb could result in dizziness, nausea, dry mouth and even increase the likelihood of getting sunburned. To make matters worse, these herbs could make chemotherapy become less effective.

Arnica plant.

The intake of this herb could lead to an increase in blood pressure and shortness of breath. Research also shows that the excessive intake of these plant could damage the liver, result in coma or even lead to death.

Ginger plant.

Ginger plant has also been found to cause problems of blood clotting, increase of blood pressure and heart rhythms, it could even result in blood thinning.

Feverfew plant.

This plant might be a good one providing solutions to some health issues but a problem of blood clotting may occur when someone who has heart disease consumes the herb.

Stinging Nettle.

If you take diuretics, then you want to avoid the intake of the herb produced from this plant in order to avoid heart or kidney problems. This is because the plant has a way of making the body hold on to water.

Licorice root.

The excessive intake of licorice root will create complexity for people with kidney disease.

Black cohosh.

This plant supplement might be a good one but it has a high chance of causing kidney inflammation or failure, women who have breast cancer should also avoid taking in this plant.

Ginseng.

The intake of this herb may result in the drop of sugar level and this of course will certainly lead to huge problems especially for people who have diabetes.

Ephedra plant.

Even if this herb has been used for years in China and India, recent studies have shown that the consumption of these herb could lead to the increase in chances of strokes and heart problems. This resulted in the ban of ephedra as a dietary supplement by FDA.

Ginkgo plant.

As much as ginko plant has been known to help to aid memory, it could also result in blood thinning and bleeding.

Points to consider before taking herbs.

Proper research has also shown that the intake of these herbs may interfere with the treatment of certain medically treated ailments, the intake of these herbs by pregnant women is also risky and needs to be avoided as much as possible, except of course it is advised by a medical practitioner.
Certain raw plants may be highly toxic, consuming the raw form of these plants will cause a lot of damage to the body.

The fact that a certain herb works for one party does not automatically mean it is going to work for you, our bodies react differently to things and you might be allergic to some of these herbs which may turn out to be poisonous to your body.

Conclusion.

The constant intake of herbs in African countries have resulted in more health complications than we know. If you feel a need to take certain herbs, it would be best to check with your doctor first in order to void any health complications for yourself.

References.
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/ss/slideshow-herbs-supplements-avoid
https://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/0301/p1239.html