title: Possible toxicity of herbal remedies.
abstract: Herbal remedies are rapidly gaining popularity throughout the world as a result of dissatisfaction with conventional medicines. It is a widely held belief that herbal preparations are "natural" and are therefore intrinsically harmless. However, their effects can be very powerful and potentially lethal if used incorrectly and their use as a substitute for conventional medicines may be ineffective. Toxic effects have been attributed to several factors including hepatotoxicity of main constituents, contamination of preparations by heavy metals or microorganisms, and adverse reactions due to age, and genetic and concomitant disease characteristics of the user.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bateman
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000633:toxicity*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019216:Metals, Heavy