Most herbal remedies in Nigerian market safe, but ineffective – NIMR researchers reveal

By Chioma Obinna &Abdulhameed Oladejo

A six-year probe effort by researchers astatine the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, connected Tuesday revealed that portion the bulk of herbal products circulating successful Nigeria are harmless for consumption, their effectiveness successful treating diseases remains mostly unproven.

Disclosing this during the monthly media briefing by the Centre for Research successful Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine astatine the institute, the Deputy Director of Research successful the Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Dr. Oluwagbemiga Olanrewaju Aina, emphasised that the lack of verified therapeutic payment successful galore herbal preparations poses a large interest for nationalist health.

“All the 46 herbal products evaluated implicit the past six years were recovered to beryllium harmless successful toxicity studies utilizing carnal models. However, nary of them passed efficacy tests,” Aina stated.

According to him, since 2019, the Centre has conducted extended acute and sub-acute toxicity studies connected herbal products including painkillers, anti-malarials, anti-COVID formulations, and remedies for crab and arthritis. Products specified arsenic Kampe Bitters, Divine Herbal Eye Medicine, and Yusram Colon Cleanser were tested and deemed non-toxic astatine modular dosages.

Sub-acute studies were besides conducted connected high-profile products including COVID Organics Herbal Tea from Madagascar and Vernonia Antiviral Herb. These studies confirmed the lack of harmful effects implicit repeated usage successful animals.

However, successful preclinical and objective efficacy studies, products similar Yoyo Bitters, Timalin, and Jemchi Herbal Remedies failed to show reliable therapeutic effects against the conditions they assertion to treat, specified arsenic malaria, prostate cancer, and arthritis.

“Just due to the fact that a merchandise doesn’t harm you doesn’t mean it works. There is simply a increasing inclination of herbalists making unverified claims, and successful immoderate cases, adulterating their preparations with accepted drugs,” Aina, who is besides an Associate Professor of Pharmacology astatine Eko University of Medicine and Health Sciences, said.

He noted that the Centre was instrumental during the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluating aggregate herbal and pharmaceutical products for information and efficacy, including Virucidine, Ivermectin, and protein-based immune therapies. Despite wide nationalist interest, nary showed statistically important objective benefits implicit modular attraction successful trials conducted by the Centre.

Aina urged herbal manufacturers to spell beyond anecdotal claims and taxable their products to technological scrutiny. He called for greater concern successful efficacy studies, improved entree to laboratory equipment, and the constitution of standardized carnal lodging for controlled research.

“We counsel producers of herbal medicines to place and isolate progressive ingredients successful their preparations. More importantly, they indispensable show that these ingredients work—not conscionable that they don’t kill.”

He further cautioned the nationalist against unsighted spot successful herbal remedies, saying, “People request to beryllium mindful of what they consume. A harmless cause that doesn’t enactment is inactive a nationalist wellness concern.”

On what the centre has achieved truthful far, helium noted that implicit the past six years, the Centre has evaluated 46 herbal medicinal products for safety, conducted aggregate preclinical and objective efficacy studies, played a cardinal relation successful Nigeria’s COVID-19 response, trained implicit 500 concern trainees, 150 task students, 50 interns, and 80 PhD students and collaborated with universities successful Nigeria and abroad.

He however, noted that challenges remain, including constricted funding, inadequate laboratory infrastructure, and the increasing menace of antimicrobial resistance, which Aina’s broader probe besides addresses.

Continuing, helium said portion accepted medicine remains a captious portion of African healthcare culture, determination is request for subject to validate tradition, not regenerate it.

“Herbal therapy has its place—but it indispensable beryllium backed by evidence. That is the lone mode forward.”

Noting that herbal medicine has continued to turn successful Nigeria and crossed Africa, the enactment of institutions similar the Centre was captious successful bridging th...