European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

FOOD DRUG INTERACTIONS: A HIDDEN DANGER TO LIFE

*Saurabh Sharma, Ankit Paliwal, Pankaj Kumar Sharma, Dr. Pushpendra Kumar Jain

ABSTRACT

Although herbal medicines are by far the largest component of non-orthodox remedies they do not have exclusive claims; it must be made clear that there are various types of other alternative treatments ranging from preparations of animal origin, to minerals, vitamins and amino acids. The following table is restricted to interactions with herbal medicines, interactions between minerals, vitamins and orthodox medicines have been reviewed. It must be appreciated that the quality control over most herbal remedies, which are not officially registered as medicines, is often poor and more likely to be non-existent, and that most herbal preparations are not standardized for potency in biological test systems. As a consequence their potency may vary considerably from sample to sample. Furthermore they may be contaminated or adulterated with undeclared pesticides, toxic metals, botanicals, animal substances and/or orthodox drugs which may lead to additional and unexpected adverse drug reactions and interactions.

Keywords: Undeclared pesticides, toxic metals, botanicals, animal substances and/or orthodox drugs.