Herbal medicines such as licorice, Indian rennet and opium poppy, are at
risk of contamination with toxic mold, according to a new study. The
authors of the study say it's time for regulators to control mold
contamination. An estimated 64% of people use medicinal plants to treat
illnesses and relieve pain. The herbal medicine market is worth $60
billion globally, and growing fast. Despite the increasing popularity of
herbal medicine, the sale of medicinal plants is mostly unregulated.
The new study analyzes toxic mold found on common medicinal plants in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, where the majority of people use herbal medicine. They found that around 43% of the plants were naturally contaminated with toxins, produced by molds that could be harmful to human health. 30% of the samples contained aflatoxins, which are carcinogenic and linked to liver cancer, and around 26% were contaminated with ochratoxin A, which is toxic to the liver and kidneys, and can suppress the immune system..
risk of contamination with toxic mold, according to a new study. The
authors of the study say it's time for regulators to control mold
contamination. An estimated 64% of people use medicinal plants to treat
illnesses and relieve pain. The herbal medicine market is worth $60
billion globally, and growing fast. Despite the increasing popularity of
herbal medicine, the sale of medicinal plants is mostly unregulated.
The new study analyzes toxic mold found on common medicinal plants in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, where the majority of people use herbal medicine. They found that around 43% of the plants were naturally contaminated with toxins, produced by molds that could be harmful to human health. 30% of the samples contained aflatoxins, which are carcinogenic and linked to liver cancer, and around 26% were contaminated with ochratoxin A, which is toxic to the liver and kidneys, and can suppress the immune system..
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