Eventi avversi a prodotti erboristici e integratori vegetali: un problema emergente

Abstract

In the last decades herbal medicine is becoming more and more popular worldwide. Due to their natural origin, herbal products are perceived as safe and are generally used as self-medication. On the contrary several adverse reactions are reported after their use: here we describe the hepatotoxicity after consumption of green tea. Toxicity of herbal preparations can arise from their chemical components, from lack of quality, but mostly is related to their incorrect use. A growing problem is represented by pharmacological interaction between herbal components and conventional drugs. The Italian Surveillance System, active in Italy from April 2002, collects spontaneous reports of suspected adverse reactions to natural health products: up to now about 350 reports have been collected. Health care professionals should have a knowledge of herbal products in order to give patients correct information about the efficacy and the safety of these products and discourage self-medication.