Contraindications

1) Because of the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, this herb which was regarded as harmless, is now considered hazardous. The herb is suggested to be strongly hepatoxic and potentially carcinogenic in humans, this has been concluded due to the production of tumours in experimental animals. There has only been one reported case of poisoning from coltsfoot in humans. A case has recently been reported of the death of an infant whose mother drank coltsfoot herbal tea during her entire pregnancy. The child was born with severe liver damage caused by the pyrrolizidine alkaloids from the herb consumed by the mother. The child died after 5 weeks from liver failure. The woman had no symptoms of disease. This indicates that infants are much more susceptible to the toxic action of pyrrolizidine alkaloids than adults. Many other cases are reported of death to infants using other herbs containing this alkaloid, and it has been pinpointed as the cause of death.
Pyrrolizidine alkaloid containing herbs are so insidious, because they do not usually cause any adverse reactions during their initial or even prolonged use, and when such reactions do occur it may be long after treatment has ceased. Then it is often too late, because irreversible liver damage has been caused.
It is known that small amounts of Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, formerly overlooked in Comfrey and Coltsfoot, can accumulate in the body during prolonged use, and then exert long-term toxic effects. Such toxic alkaloids accumulate gradually and then attack the liver causing veno-occlusive disease of that organ: that is irreversible liver disease due to venous thromboses, finally causing cirrhosis.
To summarise then, do not use in pregnancy or lactation. Limit dose to only six weeks of the year and as part of a whole formula - coltsfoot being 1:12 (one part out of twelve others).
Extracts of an article by Professor S Talalaj, pharmacognosist and evaluator and promoter of safe herbal medications.

The information contained in these pages is an indication of possible contraindications, but if you are at all concerned about any herb and its suitability for personal use please contact a herbal practitioner in your area or contact us.