The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety presents an extensive discussion of the principles of and current major issues relating to herbal medicine safety. It also contains comprehensive reviews, in monograph format, of the published safety data for 125 common herbs. With contributions from leading international experts, this book covers issues of quality, interactions, adverse reactions, toxicity, allergy, contact sensitivity and idiosyncratic reactions. Information is derived from the world’s leading practitioners and authorities.

Features

• Provides the most current information on safety issues in herbal medicine.
• Presents authoritative and credible safety information from two experienced herbal practitioners.
• Combines theoretical chapters with 125 well-researched monographs, making it the most thorough and comprehensive text on the market for herbal safety in practice.
• Provides clear information using the most current evidence-based reviews, covering factors that influence herb safety, including the negative placebo effects (nocebo), various types of unpredictable effects, the basis for interactions between herbs and drugs, and quality issues.
• Uses an established grading system for assessing safety in pregnancy and lactation that is realistic and appropriate to herb use.
• Thoroughly critiques the dominant misinformation in the media and medical journals on herb safety issues.
• Contains 83 documented case studies on possible hepatotoxicity and the effects in relation to kava. Kava safety is a hot topic.
• Includes two useful appendices detailing herbal references for pregnancy and lactation considerations.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Safety issues

1. Introduction: what is herb safety? Simon Mills

2. Adverse effects of herbal remedies — the case to answer. Dr Debbie Shaw

3. The adverse placebo effect and transient treatment reactions. Simon Mills

4. Idiosyncratic drug reactions. Simon Mills

5. Human-plant interactions. Simon Mills

6. Adverse herb-drug interactions (AHDI). Kerry Bone, Simon Mills and Michelle Morgan and Berris Burgoyne

7. Safety considerations during pregnancy and lactation. Kerry Bone

8. The impact of quality issues on the safety of herbal products. Kerry Bone

9. Safety concerns involving Chinese herbal medicine. Trina Ward

10. Allergic reactions to herbal medicines. Professor Stephen Myers and Hans Wohlmuth

11. Pharmacovigilance of herbal medicines. Dr Joanne Barnes

12. Kava: a risk-benefit assessment. Dr Mathias Schmidt, Michelle Morgan, Kerry Bone and Janice McMillan.

Part 2: Safety monographs

Appendix A: Herb listing by pregnancy and lactation categories.

Appendix B: Pregnancy and lactation categories listing by herb.