Are herbs safe or not?
There are many dangers in herbal aids to weight loss to be found in weight loss supplements on the market, and which can be found in health food shops. While most herbs in use for culinary and medicinal purposes are safe; just because herbs are natural, they are not all safe to eat and there are some that can be very dangerous. That is when your herb garden delights can turn very sour indeed.
Some herbs that are generally considered safe can be very dangerous to people with heart problems or who are diabetic. Even though they are very easy to buy, some herbs are very strong, or will have unpredictable side effects. There are some herbs that could even kill the unwary dieter. Knowing what herbs have potentially harmful effects could mean the difference between life and death.
The most widely used dangerous herb in diet supplements has been the one called ephedra. Unfortunately ephedra is also known by other names as well; but would be just as deadly. If you see listed among the ingredients of any health supplement: ma huang or Mormon tea, or you see a supplement called herbal fen-phen or fen fen. then that is really ephedra and is most certainly best avoided because side effects linked with the use of this herb include heart palpitations, seizures, stroke, chest pain, and heart attack.
Some people who are desperate to lose weight are tempted to use diuretics and laxatives as part of their diet program. If you see the following listed as ingredients in a supplement or sold as a diet aid: buchu and uva-ursi, avoid them; as although they will act as a diuretic they could cause urinary tract problems and they really have little contribution to aiding weight loss. Similarly cascara, senna, buckthorn, aloe and rhubarb root, while safe and useful to use when needed as the occasional laxative, they are dangerous in constant use as they would destroy your normal bowel function rendering you liable to relying on laxatives always and for ever.
You must please always make sure you carry out some research or even consult a professional herbalist or healthcare practitioner for information about any specific herb that you intend to use to help you diet. Find out about their suggested doses, side effects, and uses.
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