Warning on herbal poison

Tuesday October 6th, 2009

An ancient poisonous herb is being marketed as "herbal valium", British regulators have warned.

Aconite, also known as monksfoot or wolfsbane, can cause heart attack.

It is used in homeopathy diluted into minute quantities - and regulators fear that people are confusing homeopathic and herbal remedies.

Richard Woodfield, head of herbal policy at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said: "This is a classic case where 'natural' does not mean safe."

He said he was alarmed at media reports that a celebrity had use the herb to calm wedding day nerves.

The organisation has recently received two reports of patients falling ill after taking aconite.

Aconite was used as a treatment in early medicine and is still used in some Asian herbal traditions. But its use as a poison goes back to ancient Greek mythology.

Mr Woodfield said: "Registered homeopathic products that contain aconite are considered acceptably safe as the active ingredient, aconite, is sufficiently diluted.

"Herbal medicines are made from plants and so can have a very significant effect on the body. In certain cases, such as with aconite, the medicine can be extremely potent."

He said the public should beware of unlicensed herbal medicines - as these contained no quality guarantees.

Tags: Alternative Therapy | General Health | Internal Medicine | UK News

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