Cautions and Considerations
One of the great advantages of using herbs for health and healing is their relative safety. Although herbs are generally safer and carry fewer side effects than pharmaceutical drugs, not all herbs are harmless at all dosages. Safe and rational use of herbs requires an understanding not only of what and how much to use, but also of what not to use.
Some herbs, including old-time favorites such as comfrey, are the subjects of hot debate. Some experts believe that comfrey is completely safe; others believe that it carries some dangers. In many of these debates, a lot of contradictory evidence being tossed about. For the most part, I have played it safe—when confronted with the choice of whether to include the most controversial herbs, I decided to leave them out of this book. However, since scientific understanding changes as each new study presents new data, it is possible that some of these questionable herbs will once again come to be regarded as safe.
Potential toxicity is not the only factor to consider when choosing which herbs to use and which not to use. A few herbs have become so popular that they are being overharvested. The use of pesticides and fumigants on herbs are cause for still more concern.
The subject of which herbs are safe and which are questionable can be very confusing, especially since there are so many unsubstantiated theories floating around. To help you out, here are some guidelines and some background information on how some of these debates got started. This should help as you work your way through the aisles of the natural food store, trying to determine how to improve your health safely.