It is a myth that natural, herbal and organic products are safe. All food, spices, herbs, and medicine that we consume are composed of molecules. Molecules or chemicals have differing impacts on individuals because of differences in genetics, epigenetic influencing factors, and lifestyle.
We are familiar with individuals allergic to pollen from flowers, food, wheat, milk, etc. Consuming an excess of cinnamon which many of us like for its flavor has an impact on human health. There are limits set to a daily maximum consumption of this spice by the EU regulator.
Good manufacturing practices that are insisted and regulated for modern drugs are absent for most herbal medicines. These practices are not adhered to by most herbal medicine manufacturers. There are no standardized principles for the collection and processing of raw material ingredients of these medicines. Batch by batch variations are common and the effectiveness of a batch is not uniform.
In most global jurisdictions, herbal medicine is not permitted for sale as medicine. Regulatory approval of herbal medicine in these jurisdictions is near absent. Most herbal medicine is therefore sold as nutraceuticals which are lightly regulated.
Multiple studies of herbal formulations especially Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine have been found to be contaminated with either harmful to health heavy metals or toxic molecules. There are a number of credible scientific studies that have recorded this phenomenon.
The world of plants and herbal medicine is vast, the role of plants and herbs is fascinating, the medicinal properties of select plants have been adequately documented. There are no black and white answers to these questions. To know more about the world of plants, herbs, herbal medicine, and nature based solutions you can pick from the selection here.