Aunt Liu had nothing to do after her retirement. She often chatted with her neighbors in the community. By chance, she heard from her neighbors that panax notoginseng was very good for the body. She quickly went to the drugstore to inquire about Panax notoginseng, but when she heard the price, she was persuaded to leave.
So, Aunt Liu asked someone to bring her some "Panax notoginseng seedlings" and planted them in her small vegetable garden. After that, she ground Panax notoginseng into powder and took one spoonful every day.
After eating it for half a year, Aunt Liu found that her physical condition had not improved. She even had symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite, and her whole body had "turned yellow" .
Her daughter was shocked when she got home, and quickly took Aunt Liu to the hospital for examination. After examination, it was found that Aunt Liu's liver function was obviously abnormal, and there was pelvic and peritoneal effusion, and the liver was abnormally enlarged. The "culprit" of this result was the "Sanqi" that Aunt Liu was eating.
It turns out that what Aunt Liu has been eating for six months is not Panax notoginseng, but Panax notoginseng, which is very similar to Panax notoginseng. Although the two have similar names, their effects are completely different.
Nowadays, more and more elderly people think that traditional Chinese medicine is "purely natural", and they are more inclined to use traditional Chinese medicine to nourish the body than to take health care products... But in recent years, there have been frequent incidents of liver damage caused by elderly people taking traditional Chinese medicine for health. Why? Did you take the wrong Chinese medicine?
1. Why can traditional Chinese medicine hurt the liver if it is “purely natural”?
According to data released by the World Health Organization , patients with drug-induced liver injury account for more than 5% of hospitalized patients and are the fourth leading cause of liver injury after hepatitis B, alcoholic liver disease and fatty liver.
A study was published in the international journal "Gastroenterology", which found that 6.81% of patients with drug-induced liver injury in my country were caused by traditional Chinese medicine and health care products; followed by anti-tuberculosis drugs, accounting for approximately 21.99%; and thirdly, by anti-tumor and immunomodulatory drugs, accounting for approximately 8.34%.
The study pointed out that traditional Chinese medicine and health products are not natural and have no side effects, and they can also cause liver damage if consumed improperly.
In fact, there are two main mechanisms that cause drug liver damage. One is the individual's specific reaction to the drug, and the other is that the drug and its intermediate metabolite can cause direct toxicity to the liver.
The reason why natural Chinese medicine can also damage the liver may be related to many reasons.
First of all, some people will listen to the so-called folk remedies and secret Chinese medicines . Many of these prescriptions come from charlatans without medical qualifications. They contain toxic drugs and excessive doses. Splits are common;
Secondly, traditional Chinese medicine needs to go through strict grinding, processing, transportation and storage. Any link in the middle is contaminated or spoiled and may cause symptoms after ingestion. Liver damage;
In addition, there are many Chinese medicines with very similar names, but the efficacy of the medicine is completely different with one word difference. Many people have induced liver damage due to accidentally ingesting Chinese medicines with similar names. ;
Some people who have abnormal liver function, drink a lot of alcohol, or have allergies will have an increased rate of liver damage after taking traditional Chinese medicine, and will be more likely to suffer from liver failure and death.
Therefore, the daily use of traditional Chinese medicine must be guided by professional doctors, maintain a cautious attitude, and avoid unnecessary risks to one's health due to drug abuse, which is not worth the gain.
2. Four common traditional Chinese medicines are actually hepatotoxic.
In life, there are actually many common traditional Chinese medicines that are highly hepatotoxic. Which ones are they specifically?
, Ginkgo
Many people use ginkgo to make tea and drink it on a daily basis, thinking that it can relieve coughs.
However, the core of unprocessed ginkgo also contains ginkgolic acid , amygdalin and other toxic ingredients. Excessive intake can easily affect liver function . When eating ginkgo, it is recommended to fry it or peel it and soak it for one hour before heating it to reduce its toxicity.
, Polygonum multiflorum
Speaking of Polygonum multiflorum, the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind is definitely Polygonum multiflorum. But Polygonum multiflorum cannot be used indiscriminately. It can be divided into raw and cooked forms. Cooked Polygonum multiflorum can nourish the liver, kidneys and black hair, and raw Polygonum multiflorum can treat malaria, laxative, etc.
If you want to play the role of black hair, you must choose processed Polygonum multiflorum , otherwise it will easily bring adverse effects to your health.
. Mugwort leaves
Mugwort leaves have the functions of warming menstruation and stopping bleeding, dispersing cold and regulating menstruation. Many people take Mugwort leaves on their own daily to treat dysmenorrhea. However, mugwort leaves contain some volatile oils and water-soluble components, and long-term intake can easily cause liver damage.
You must not take mugwort leaves for a long time or in large amounts . It is recommended to take it 3 to 5 days before menstruation. If symptoms are not relieved after a week, you should stop taking it and seek medical treatment immediately.
Panax notoginseng has the effect of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis and relieving pain, which is very similar to Panax notoginseng. But Panax notoginseng contains pyrrolidine alkaloids, which can cause severe liver damage. Most people will develop symptoms within a month after taking Tu notoginseng, but some people will develop symptoms after a longer period of time.
Be sure to be careful when using Panax notoginseng in daily use. The leaves of Panax notoginseng are fat and look like an open palm, and the flowers are red; while the leaves of Panax notoginseng are smaller, the leaves grow symmetrically along the stems, and the flowers are yellow.
Although some traditional Chinese medicines are toxic, we need to view this dialectically. Any discussion of toxicity regardless of dose is irrational. Even some poisonous traditional Chinese medicines can be very effective when used properly.
3. Don’t avoid “stepping on thunder” when using traditional Chinese medicine. Three points are very important.
Traditional Chinese medicine has a good therapeutic effect on some diseases. If you want to avoid traditional Chinese medicine harming the body, you must do these things.
- Follow the doctor’s advice when using medicine.
When using traditional Chinese medicine, you must follow the doctor’s advice. Do not trust the so-called folk remedies, ointments, etc. When using traditional Chinese medicine, you should go to a professional hospital to consult a professional doctor, and take it regularly and quantitatively. Do not blindly increase or decrease the dosage.
- Purchasing traditional Chinese medicine through formal channels
requires strict processing and compatibility,so when purchasing traditional Chinese medicine, you must choose formal channels. Some drugs purchased through informal channels may be insufficiently prepared and may contain pesticides and metal residues, which may pose certain risks to people after consumption.
- Regularly check liver function
For patients who require long-term medication, it is recommended to follow up regularly to review liver function. If abnormal indicators are found, professional doctors should be consulted in a timely manner to determine whether the medication needs to be stopped or changed.
Traditional Chinese medicine is a treasure passed down in our country a few years ago, but if used improperly, it can also become a weapon that can harm the body.No matter what medicine you use, you need to follow the doctor’s advice and never take medicine blindly!
Reference:
[1] "TCM health products cause nearly 30% of drug-induced liver injury in mainland China. How should we treat it?" 》. National Truth- Tencent News.2019-03-05
[2] "Does Chinese medicine really "damage the liver"? Everyone who takes traditional Chinese medicine should pay attention to these 4 points". Life Times. 2019-08-23
[3] "Xinglin Baojian | Talk about whether traditional Chinese medicine can cause liver damage". Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 2022-08-06
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