10 May Sat 2014
Dangerous Herbs that EVERYONE should be leery of
The desire to get back to nature is increasing the numbers and ages most likely to be poisoned by using herbs. It's not just the folks who want to use alternative medicine for their healthcare, larger numbers of us are hiking, camping and wild crafting. I have noticed there are so many books written in the past 20 to 30 years by people supposedly in the know of herbs and all saying basically about the same thing about the same herbs. Many of the herbs these people suggest using are downright dangerous. Furthermore, they are not using the herb formula correctly.
While it is true that many herb plants were used for a wide range of illnesses in the past, we need to be aware that many of the historical uses have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied.
Even though you may have heard of some or all of the following herbs, be aware that they are not safe for humans to use.
The following is a list of herbs that EVERYONE should be leery of:
Angelica
Apple (Balsam)
Apple (Bitter)
Baneberry
Belladonna Lily of the Amaryllis Family
Bloodroot
Bryony, Black
Bryony, European White
Bryony, White
Cabbage Tree
Calabar Bean
Calotropis Cherry Laurel
Chaparral
Clematis
Coca, Bolivian
Cocculus, Indicus
Comfrey (internally; externally is ok if used sparingly)
Datura (Angel’s Trumpet)
Dropwort, Hemlock Water
Foxglove
Gelsemium
Germander
Hellebore, Black
Hellebore, False
Hellebore, Green
Hellebore, White Hemlock
Hemlock
Hemlock, Water
Hemp, Indian
Henbane
Ignatius Beans
Ivy, Poison
Jin Bu Huan
Laburnum
Laurel, Mountain
Lobelia
Lovage, Water
Ma huang
Mescal Buttons
Nightshade, Black
Nightshade, Deadly Nux Vomica
Paris, Herb
Poppy, White
Saffron, Meadow
Spurges
Stavesacre
Strophanthus
Thornapple
Wake Robin, American
Yew