Herbal Medicine May Also have Side Effects

‘Elements of herbal medicine may also have negative side effects for health. People should understand it,’ said the researcher from Pharmacy Faculty University of Ahmad Dahlan (UAD) Yogyakarta, dr. Arkom, M.Kes, last Tuesday (15/06/2016)

Akrom, who is also Head of Center of Medicine Information and Study (PIKO) UAD, suggested that people use safe proven herbal medicine in suggested dosage. If not careful, not only recovery they get but new health problems they will get.

According to him, people should put more priority to the safety if they should consume herbal medicine. It means the herbal medicine, which has been widely consumed and produces no negative side effects.

‘People still know little about herbal medicine. Consider the safety first then the benefit,’ he said.

For example, the Chinese herbal medicine for cancer, after widely distributed and used it proved to have a negative side effect for kidney so that the medicine is banned.

‘There is another herbal medicine for gastric digestion, which stimulate heart attack,’ said him, who is also head of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Pharmacy Faculty UAD.

According to Arkom people should know herbal medicines, which have undergone pre-clinical trial and have been tested on animals or cell and safe to consume.

Without clinical trial certificate, the effectiveness of the medicine is questionable. Unfortunately, when consuming a herbal medicine and feeling well, people leave the previous medicine.

‘If the recovery proves to be suggestive feeling, it leads to a fatal risk.’ he said.

At this time, we are examining three materials of herbal medicine i.e rosella flower, tongkat ali or ali stick, and black jinten. The clinical trial is done to know the advantages of the herbal medicine materials,’ said Arkom.