Some natural foods are a health risk

Certain herbal preparations may be harmful to your health

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) warns against herb-containing dietary supplements from borage, coltsfoot or water-borne. These may contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA), an antibody that the plants produce to protect against predators. PA can also damage the human liver and is suspected to be carcinogenic. According to information from the BfR, pyrrolizidine alkaloids can enter the human organism via dietary supplements containing PA-forming plants or plant parts.

PA is a natural defense of plants against predators. As the BfR reports, animal experiments have already shown that these plant substances have a mutagenic and carcinogenic effect. In particular on ingredients from borage, Coltsfoot or Wasserdost should be noted. "In some nutritional supplements, the content is even high enough to produce toxic effects after short-term consumption," says Professor Dr. med. Dr. Andreas Hensel, President of the BfR in a press release.

According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, certain wild herbs such as watercress (Eupatorium cannabinum) should not be taken with food supplements. (Image: tunedin / fotolia.com)

Toxic wild herbs

The knowledge is based on the evaluation of toxicological data of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Various sources were considered. For example, the wild herbs can grow between crops and thus be harvested and co-processed. However, dietary supplements containing components of these PA-producing wild herbs had the highest PA content.

Beware of these ingredients in nutritional supplements

The leader of the toxic dietary supplement capsules was a preparation with Wasserdost (Eupatorium cannabinum). Other PA-forming plants used in nutritional supplements are:

• coltsfoot,
• comfrey,
• borage,
• lungwort,
• stone seeds,
• butterbur.

Some St. John's wort supplements are also affected

According to the BfR also tested products were contaminated with St. John's wort with Pyrrolizidinalkaloiden, although St. John's Wort is not known as PA-formers. The BfR assumes that the harmful ingredients are contaminated with other wild herbs in the preparations.

More than half of the samples were loaded

Of all the products studied, more than half were found to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The quantities were, however, different levels. High levels of PA in the preparations may lead to PA uptake, which is well above the levels consumed by normal consumption, BfR warns. A toxic effect can not be excluded here.

Federal Institute advises against taking off

With regard to possible health risks, the BfR recommends not to take supplements containing PA-containing plants or plant parts. Instead, oil-based extracts of PA-producing plants can be used since no PA was found in them.

Dietary supplement in crosshair

In general, the BfR recommends that consumers pay attention to variety and diversity in the choice of food, rather than using supplements. Nearly one in three take supplements, although studies have recently shown over and over again that many vitamin supplements bring no health benefits. (Vb)