The key facts

  • A plant-based origin does not mean a remedy is safe, specialists note
  • Exceeding dosages of herbs, garlic and tinctures can be dangerous
  • Phytotherapy is acceptable as part of comprehensive treatment, but only as prescribed by a doctor

Natural does not mean safe

The plant-based origin of medicinal products does not guarantee their safety: exceeding dosages and using herbal infusions and similar preparations on one's own can lead to undesirable health consequences. This is reported by Gazeta.Ru citing specialists in pharmacology and clinical nutrition.

What the specialists said

Andrey Kondrakhin, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Pharmacology of the Pirogov University and Candidate of Medical Sciences, noted that even remedies such as herbs, garlic and tinctures must be used in strictly defined dosages — exceeding them can be dangerous for the body. Oleg Gladyshev, Head of the Consultative Department of the Clinical Nutrition Clinic of the Federal Research Center of Nutrition and Biotechnology, explained that phytotherapy is based on the use of biologically active substances of plant origin. According to him, such remedies can be part of comprehensive treatment, but they should be used as prescribed by a doctor; self-medicating with herbal preparations, as with other remedies, can pose a serious danger.

Context

The publication dated November 2, 2026 is not the outlet's only article on this topic: earlier, in May, Gazeta.Ru already reported citing a cardiologist on the risk of shortness of breath from certain heart medications. The new warning concerns specifically plant-based remedies and emphasizes that 'naturalness' does not eliminate the need to follow dosages and consult a doctor.