RIVM advises against the use of certain herbs in food supplements.

The Netherlands Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has published risk assessments of: Huperzia serrata, Tabernanthe iboga and Ashwagandha and has advised against the use of products, including food supplements, containing them.

The herbs in question are: Huperzia serrata, Tabernanthe and Ashwagandha. According to the RIVM, consuming food supplements or teas containing these herbs can be harmful to health and advises consumers, especially pregnant women, not to use products containing these herbs.

Tabernanthe:

According to scientific research, it has been shown that it can alter the heart rhythm, even proving fatal in the most severe cases. Other side effects include nausea, acute psychosis, epileptic seizures and hallucinations.

The RIVM advises against the consumption of food supplements containing this plant, since the effects are very serious and can occur when people use the product according to the instructions on the package.

Huperzia:

Among the harmful effects that may result from the consumption of Huperzia, we can find symptoms such as muscle weakness, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, increased salivation, blurred vision, tearing and signs of paralysis.

There have also been indications that the consumption of Huperzia is detrimental to the health of the fetus.

These symptoms can occur even when people use the amount recommended on the package, therefore, its consumption is discouraged by the RIVM.

Ashwagandha:

There are numerous human trials focusing on the Ashwagandha’s health-promoting properties without adverse effects. However, doctors have reported cases of intoxication among people who had consumed food supplements containing this herb, developing into liver problems and may affect the proper functioning of the thyroid gland.  In these reported cases, the causality has, however, remained unproven.  In addition, the information on type of extract was not always provided in the case reports (e.g. extracts from roots or leaves). Ashwagandha has not been found cause drowsiness in any clinicals studies, but theoretically, it can have a sedative effect if combined with the consumption of drugs used to fall asleep (e.g. benzodiazepines).

According to RIVM, it is unlikely that a large part of the population is at risk for these effects, as the adverse effects were not observed in clinical trials. As in the previous cases, these harmful effects can occur when sensitive individuals use the product according to the recommendations on the package.

In conclusion, RIVM suggests that these effects are unlikely to impact a broad population group, however, as a precaution, RIVM advises sensitive consumers, and in particular pregnant women, to not use herbal preparations containing Ashwagandha.

It is expected that risk assessments are likely to be shared with food authorities in all EU member states and we will be watching for similar reactions in another member state.