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| hospital patients, whose infections and misfortunes have made iatrogenic (physician-caused) illness a widespread phenomenon. Deaths from herbal medications are so rare, they make headlines. Deaths from prescription drug overdoses, prescription drug side effects, over-the-counter medications and medical staff errors are so common that they go unnoticed. |
| Caution Four: Moderation in all things. The excessive consumption of any food or plant can be harmful. No argument here; it's common sense advice, which applies as much to the overconsumption of tobacco, alcohol and antibiotics as it does to the use of herbs. |
| Caution Five: Not all men are created equal, nor women either. This caution refers to individual reactions, which vary from person to person. |
| Most of the herbs described here are regarded as safe even in large doses (those that are not are clearly labeled), but individual reactions vary. Always start with a small amount of an herb you are taking for the first time and pay close attention to your body's response. If you develop any adverse symptom, such as a rash, nausea, rapid heart rate, dizziness, headache, itching or difficulty in breathing, trust your experience and discontinue its use. Even herbs generally recognized as safe may cause an allergic reaction in some people, and any herb taken in excess may be harmful. |
| Caution Six: Remember the old, bold mushroom hunter. There are old mushroom hunters and bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters. The same is true for anyone who collects plants in the wild without exercising caution. Reliable sources and careful identification are essential. |
| The Herb Research Foundation (see Resources) gathers scientific data pertaining to herb safety from around the world and publishes inexpensive reports and tables comparing the carcinogenic potential of common herbs and |
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