Re: What is with all the potentially poisonous remedies?

A lot of this has to do with perspective and in many cases misguided information from the medical establishment. There is no question that some herbs can be dangerous. Then again so can oxygen, which is why it is regulated as a drug. And even water can kill you if used improperly. Drink too much water too quick and your brain will swell up in your skull from the electrolyte imbalance crushing it.

The FDA in particular has put a lot of misleading information out there as well in an attempt to gain more control over herb sales to protect the profits of the big drug companies they are illegally invested in to. By this I mean that it has been reported for over 30 years that there are over 150 FDA officials invested in to the drug companies they regulate in violation of Federal insider trading laws.

Since you brought up comfrey let's start here. FRESH comfrey contains liver damaging pyrrolizidine alkaloids. So does fresh germander, coltsfoot, and chaparral. Studies have shown that the fresh plant can cause liver damage in rats, and cases have been reported in humans. What the FDA has not told the public is that the alkaloids are very unstable and are oxidatively destroyed in these plants after a few moths of being dried. This is why studies of the dried plants did not show the liver toxicity.

Another good example is licorice root. We have all heard that it can raise blood pressure. What we have not been told is that it takes about 50 grams (roughly 100 capsules) of daily ingestion for over 6 months to have this effect. Try applying that to something the FDA approve like aspirin. If you took 100 aspirin tablets a day for 6 months I can guarantee you that you would not live long enough to reach that 6 month mark.

And many herbs have to be prepared properly to render them safe. Rhemannia (Chinese foxglove root) has to be boiled in 9 changes of water to remove the toxic cardiac glycosides. What is left over is an incredible healing agent. Oleander also contains dangerous cardiac glycosides that need to be removed. Cascara sagrada bark and Jack in the pulpit herbs must be aged for at least 2 years to render them safe for use. And even with this aging you still have to use them properly just like you would a pharmaceutical drug. Tweet