Damages Caused By ‘Agbo’ Far Outweighs Health Benefits; Medical Expert Warns
A medical expert at the Kwara State General Hospital, Dr Festus Olalekan, has warned against the uncontrollable consumption of traditionally concocted medicines, saying it could result to serious health damage.
The expert explained that not all the plants reported to be useful are harmless. He said that if these plants were taken without adequate knowledge, it could cause kidney and liver dysfunction and even death in some cases.
He said that many of the available herbal products being marketed have no clear statement of content and there are no medically related information certified by a recognized medical body.
“Herbal medicines contains toxicity and the risks that comes with it outweighs its benefits. That is why Nigerians need to refrain from its consumption in order to prevent health implication,” explains Dr Olalekan.
“Sincerely, I pity some patients who go after traditional medicines in order to recover, without knowing that they are risking their lives. Some of the herbs are harmful to the extent of damaging kidney and even resulting to death.
“It will amaze you that some of the so called herbal medicines sold in Nigeria markets have no clear statement of content or even certified by any recognised medical body, yet Nigerians are patronising them”, he said.
Olalekan expressed disappointment at the rate Nigerians patronise locally concocted herbal medicine (agbo), because they believe it works faster and cheaper than the conventional medicines.
Expressing worry about proliferation of this herbal concoction, the medical expert said many of the people who engaged in selling agbo do so without any training, but to make ends meet.
“Agbo is a deadly concoction that should be avoided because many of the sellers go into the business without training but to flee from the grips of unemployment,” Olalekan warned.
Dr. Olalekan, therefore, cautioned patients who found solace in “agbo” and other sorts of traditional herbs to be wise and stop the intake of un-quantified concocted herbs as solution to illness. He advised patients to rather seek medical help.
