concoctions powders and blends all things natural have become a rage more so as alternative healing and immunity boosting measures during the pandemic but even in nature an overdose of anything can aggravate an ailment and this is a lesson some are learning the hard waytake for instance the herb giloy tamil name seenthal which became popular for its immunityboosting and covidbusting superpowers but recent studies suggest the heart leaved herb may be more harmful than healing in january a paper on giloy induced liver injury during the covid19 pandemic published in hepatology communications records 43 cases from 13 hospitals across indiathe lead author hepatologist dr cyriac abby philips of the liver institute in rajagiri hospital kerala says those who consumed giloy a herbal supplement commonly used in traditional medicine systems showed acute hepatitis or worsening of chronic liver diseasealthough the kerala state medical council for indian systems of medicine and the ayush ministry have sent dr philips a notice about tarnishing the image of traditional medicine but the doctor maintains giloy is rich in diterpenoids which can cause immunemediated damage to the liver some people turned it into a decoction while some used the overthecounter tablet form to protect against the coronavirus while 85 recovered after they stopped taking giloy around 10 died from the damage caused by the use of the herb he saysin chennai gastroenterologist dr r ravi of rela hospital says since the second wave of the pandemic he has seen several cases of upper abdominal pain ulcers loss of appetite and nausea which was traced to the effects of overconsumption of certain herbal concoctions like kabasura kudineer when we did endoscopies they were found to have erosions in the stomach wall he saysthere is no question that herbs have healthpromoting and bioactive properties says dr meenakshi bajai dietician tn government multi super speciality hospital chennai culinary herbs and spices have been used to improve digestion and treat digestive disorders in ayurvedic medicine as they are abundant in bioactive phytochemicals many of which are alkaloids phenolic acids and flavonoids they possess antioxidant antimicrobial and antiinflammatory benefits but overdoing them can be harmful for instance drinking more than two cups a day of lemongrass tea may produce an itchy skin rash in those prone to food allergies additionally consuming high amounts of lemongrass may cause dizziness drowsiness dry mouth excess urination increased appetite and deterioration of kidney function the same she says holds true for green tea if you drink too much you run the risk of liver damage and gastrointestinal discomfort the tannins in it may alter the therapeutic efficacy of prescription drugs medicine is about moderation says dr m ravichandran professor government siddha medical college chennai in higher doses even nectar is poisonous during the pandemic there was so much panic that people believed everything they read kabas ura kudineer he says a mix of nine ingredients in precise proportions needs to be procured from a licensed practitioner and prepared