Health and Healing

Dangerous Herbs List

Here is a list of herbs considered dangerous or unsafe if used
inappropriately or even sometimes appropriately. This list was compiled
by Dr. James Duke, formerly chief of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Medicinal Plant Resources Laboratory. He derived his list
from the FDA's unsafe herbs list, from his own research, and from Dr.
Varro Tyler's 'Honest Herbal'. The 'PDR for Herbal Medicines' concurs
with most of these determinations.

However, this is for the herbal form of the plant. If used
homeopathically, the same evaluation does not necessarily apply. Many
of the cautions also apply mainly to the essential oils.

Aconite: very toxic. It is poisonous and should not be used without
medical advice. There is no antidote. One mg. can kill a horse. It can
be absorbed through the skin.

Aloe: fresh juice helps heal minor wounds and burns. Taken internally it
is a violent purge if the the whole leaf is used. The inner leaf latex is the purgative. Juice made from just the gel is safe..

American hellbore (black and green): Internally violently narcotic.
Symptoms of hellbore poisoning include salivation, nausea, vomiting,
colic, diarrhea, weak heartbeat, vertigo, ringing ears, disturbed
vision, coronary arrest.  Green hellebore is a cardiac
depressant...black hellbore is a cardiac stimulant. Applied locally, the
fresh root is an irritant.

Angelica: Is carcinogenic and mutagenic, especially in the presence of
sunlight.

Arnica: Taken internally is an active irritant which produces toxic
gastroenteritis, nervous disturbances, pulse rate changes, muscular
weakness, increased blood pressure. May be used externally if there is
no danger of ingestion. 

Autumn crocus: Lowers sexual excitement (probably because ite causes
nausea, intestinal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and sometimes death.)
Lethal dose is about 65 mg in humans, but 7 mg has been proven to kill.

Bayberry: Causes cancer when injected. Bayberry wax is a sensitizing
irritant.

Bloodroot: Internally causes burning in stomach, intense thirst,
paralysis, vomiting, faintness, vertigo, vision problems.

Blue cohosh: Toxic to the heart muscle and may harm intestines. Seeds
are poisonous. Powder is strongly irritating to mucous membranes.

Broom: Slows and weakens heartbeat. Toxicity symptoms similar to
nicotine poisoning: circulatory collapse, irregular heart beat, nausea,
diarrhea, vertigo, headache, paralysis of respiratory and motor centers,
convulsions, death.

Coltsfoot: Is used for coughs but contains alkaloids that cause liver
cancer.

Comfrey: Contains allantoin and the alkaloids consolidine and
symphytocynoglossine. Concentrrations as little as 0.5% of the diet have
caused cancer in rats.

Deadly nightshade: Contains alkaloids hyoscyamine, atropine, and
hyoscine. Properties are sedative, narcotic, and act on the central
nervous system.  Small doses stimulate and large doses paralyze.
Belladonna poisoning manifests within 15 minutes of ingestion.

Eyebright: 10-60 drops of the tincture can induce mental confusion and
violent pressure in the eyes with lacrimation, itch, redness and
swellings of the margins of the lids, dim vision, photophobia, weakness,
sneezing nausea, insomnia, polyuria. (don't use a tincture, use a tea)

Foxglove: Symptoms of digitalis poisoning include nausea, diarrhea,
stomachache, headache, irregular heartbeat and pulse, tremors,
convulsions, and death.

Goldenseal: Extremely bitter herb that has little effect below 'near
toxic' doses. Overdoses even externally can cause ulceration of any
surface it may touch. (Another source says this drug is nontoxic,
nonirritating, antiseptic, both heals and soothes)

Hemlock: Symptoms of lethal dose: paralysis of tongue, head pressure,
giddiness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, central paralysis - frist feet and
legs, the buttocks, arms, them swallowing and speech.  Death ensue
through central respiratory paralysis. Socrates suicided on this herb.

Jimsonweed: People have died trying to get high on Datua.
Hallucinations, irrigular heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, delirium,
dilatation of pupils and convulsions are some of the symptoms. Overdose
is usually fatal.

Juniper: Not toxic in tiny doses used to flavor gin. Small repeated
doses may cause convulsions and kidney damage. Other internal symptoms
are pain in or near kidney, strong diuresis, albumin and blood in
kidneys, purplish urine, accelerated heartbeat and blood pressure.

Licorice: Alleviates peptic ulcers but causes edema (swelling of
tissues) and increases blood pressure. Large doses over extended
periods of time are toxic.

Life root: Eases pain of childbirth but can damage liver because of the
presence of the alkaloid senecionine.

Lobelia: It's deadly. In normal doses produces dilation of bronchioles
and increased respiration but overdoses cause respiratory depression,
sweating, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, coma, and death.

Mayapple: Mandrake is toxic regardless of whether it is from Europe or
America.  The European version damages the heart whereas the American
version damages the intestines.
Amerindians once used the young shoots for suicide. (Illustrated in the
Disney movie: "The Light in the Forest")

Mistletoe: Ingestion of berries and leaves cause disruption of heartbeat
and eventual death.

Pennyroyal: The essential oils consist of 85-92% pulegone and are toxic
causing severe liver damage in relatively small amounts. The FDA
recognizes pennyroyal TEA as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) if used
as a beverage.

Pokeweed: Hs no known good effect.  Children who have eaten the berries
have died. Narcotic effects have been observed. Is used internally in
chronic rheumatism but is not therapeutically useful. It acts as an
emetic and cathartic because it is extremely toxic.

Rue: Used as an insect repellent, causes rash, is an acro-narcotic
poison if taken internally, is an irritant externally from handling the
foliage, flowers or fruit. The oil is a dangerous abortifacient (causes
abortions).

St. John's wort: Causes shedding of wool in sheep, swelling of face,
skin irritation, loss of appetite, photosensitization.  Is also a
tranquilizing action in humans.

Sassafras: Less than a teaspoon of the oil causes degeneration of the
heart, liver, and kidneys. Safrole, the chemical constituent in
Sassafras is forbidden by the FDA from use as flavors or food additives
because it is a known carcinogenic.

Sweet flag: Oil of calamus causes heart and liver damage and cancer in
animal studies.

Tansy: Oil is quite toxic and should be used only with extreme caution.
Ten drops can be lethal. When this report was written, Tansy was
prohibited for botanical dealers and could  be sold as a dried herb by
mail. Symptoms of internal tansy poisoning include rapid and feeble
pulse, sever gastritis, violent spasms, and convulsions.

Wormwood: Is a central nervous system depressant. Acquired its
reputation as a subtle poison when it became the principal flavoring
ingredient in a 136 proof alcoholic beverage called absinth.
Practically every civilized country in the world banned the preparation
or consumption of absinthe..  Habitual use or large doses cause
convulsions, insomnia, nausea, nightmare, restlessness, tremors, and
vertigo.

Yohimbe: Used as a aphrodisiac, it causes a tingling sensation in the
genitals. It dilates the blood vessels of the skin and mucous membranes
and lowers blood pressure.