A random use of herbal products can prove dangerous, an expert has warned here Thursday. Dr. Muhammad Bin Abdullah Al-Tefail, head of the Depatment of Pharmacology and Herbs at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center here, said an analyses on complementary and alternative medicine showed that 38 million adults in the US only used natural herbs or supplements in the preceding 12 months. Dr. Al-Tefail was delivering a lecture here within the activities of Saudi Aramco's Summer Festival in the capital. The objective of the study, he said, was to determine subpopulation rates of patients-physicians communication about herbal product and use of natural supplements. Besides, it was meant to identify the relative influence of the interaction factors associated with patient-physician communication about herb and supplement use. The study, he said, showed the imminent risks of some of the bogus herbal products in the market. In his lecture entitled, “Herbs Utilizations and Restrictions,” Dr. Al-Tefail highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of different herbs and their ideal utilization methods. Black caraway (nigella sativa), ginger and olive oil and some other herbs are useful for women during pregnancy and post-pregnancy as well as for diabetic people and those suffering from high cholesterol, he said. He said medical herbs are used in pharmaceutical industry where chemists and pharmacists extract the ingredients from herbs. The pharmacists dispense the final products to patients. Thus he warned the public about herbs provided by perfumeries and herbalists because they are not purified and contain dangerous components. The herbalist usually mix the herbs with other components which are distinguished by high toxicity which causes great damage to the organs, Dr. Al-Tefail said. Referring to a study, the expert said it was encouraging to find more and more patients are now using herbs and other supplements for treatment of chronic cases. Here too the expert has a word of caution: the physicians regularly treating the patients should be informed of the use of herbs and supplements since it could be dangerous if they are being taken alongside the traditional medicines.
