Natural is not synonymous with safe and effective, you knew this already. But not everyone remember this when they decide to take herbal supplements, with the risk involved with the requirements of do-it-yourself incurring health problems, even serious.
be careful remind us once again, scientists at the Mayo Clinic (USA) which drew up a document that The principal dangers to which they could face lightly, turning to natural supplements. This of course does not mean that herbal supplements are harmful, but simply that, as with other drugs, may interact dangerously with other drugs or cause adverse reactions or death. Hence the importance of not self-prescribed remedies but always consult your doctor first.
Among the extras "at risk" mentioned in the document are those of the Mayo Clinic based on:
- Hypericum, which can interact with increasing or decreasing the power of many drugs and cause serious side effects. For this reason we do not recommend the use in people already taking antidepressants, anticoagulants, immuno-suppressants, steroids and asthma medications.
- S-adenosyl methionine (SAM-e), a coenzyme used as an antidepressant and the "cures" that can cause aging serious side effects if used concurrently with other antidepressant drugs that act on serotonin in particular.
- Ginkgo Biloba , can interfere with the anticoagulant drugs causing the opposite effect and potentially cause bleeding. It may also interfere with anti-epileptic drugs, so you must be very careful in these cases. It may counteract the beneficial effects on lowering blood pressure of diuretics.
Similarly, for all the herbs that affect blood clotting, stop any use at least two weeks before surgery to prevent possible problems coagulation.
- Kava (or Kawa Kawa) . Supplements based on this plant used in many preparations to combat sexual dysfunction have been associated with liver problems. In the case of anti-cholesterol medication, which, in itself, can cause liver problems, the combined intake of kava may worsen the damage and jeopardize the health of the liver.
- Garlic, ginger, ginseng and feverfew , then, can interfere with other types of anticoagulant medications such as aspirin and, like the ginkgo may increase the risk of bleeding.
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic and then put the emphasis on the need to always be informed about the benefits, but also the risks to which they may face in deciding to use herbal supplements in conjunction with other drugs.
