Main description:

Are herbal drugs totally devoid of adverse effects when used alone, as herbal formulations, or in concurrent use with modern medicines? Safety Concerns for Herbal Drugs examines that question and others like it to give you the information you need to judge for yourself the balance between the risks and benefits associated with the therapeutic use of medicinal plants. It stands out from other books by directing your attention to the aspects of safety and toxicity.

The authors venture into the relatively unexplored (or deliberately hidden) side of the picture. They present a survey of approximately 1500 medicinal plants and herbal products, 59 global (from 27 countries) and 75 Indian examples of toxic and adverse effects and drug interactions. Additionally, they present the current status of regulatory laws and their enforcement in 73 countries to support their contention that such laws and enforcement are inadequate, and that herbal drugs are unscientifically being promoted as totally safe.

To give you the full picture, the authors go on to examine such issues as danger from large-scale misuse and abuse, self-prescription, substitution, adulteration, concurrent use with modern medicines, hazardous but avoidable drug interactions, risk groups, and present status of drug regulations.

Contents:

Introduction. Toxicity and Adverse Effects of Herbal Drugs. Global Picture. The Indian Scene. Regulatory Aspects. Critical Appraisal of the Available Data.