Side Effects of Medicinal Herbs

Herb-based treatments are an ancient form of healing which are becoming popular in many western countries. They are used to treat various ailments with emphasis on enhancing the body's own restorative capabilities. The use of medicinal herbs has increased in the recent past due to a better understanding of the adverse effects of the modern medicine. However, herbs too posses side effects.

Not all medicinal plants are safe to use. Some plants can be toxic if taken in large dosages, combining them with other herbs or medicines could lead to side effects. Further, the problem intensifies when there is misidentification of herbs and subsequent use of the substitute-herbs instead of the correct one.

List of medicinal plants (Chinese name within brackets)
Andrographis paniculata (chuan xin lian)
Artemisia argyi* (ai ye)
Panax ginseng (ginseng)
Scutellaria baicalensis (huang qin)
Stemona sessilifolia (bai bu)
Veratrum schindleri (li lu)

[Update in progress]