ABSTRACT
Is natural safe? This is probably the most important question when considering herbal remedies. Many people are of the mistaken notion that plant or herbal remedies are safe as they are natural, and natural is good for you, that is, “nature knows best.” Yet, most toxic substances known to humans are of natural origin, such as tetrodotoxin from the puffer sh (Fugu rubripes), black mamba venom (Dendroaspis polylepis), aatoxins (Aspergillus spp.), botulinum toxin (Clostridium botulinum), and ricins (Ricinus communis). From these examples, it is clear that herbal remedies are not inherently safe (Ueno, 1985; Schweitz and Moinier, 1999; Noguchi and Ebesu, 2001; Kellerman et al., 2005; Sobel, 2007). This, of course, does not mean that synthetic pharmaceuticals, on the other hand, are safe, but the more rigorous current legislative framework governing the latter ameliorates the risk associated with their use.
