This article is adapted from Streats 05/11/04
For your info.
'Ginkgo, other remedies can cause eye damage'
NEW YORK - Many herbal remedies and nutritional supplements can damage the eyes, including some alternative therapies that are used by people trying to correct eye problems, new research shows.
According to a review of reported cases and medical literature, commonly used supplements including chamomile, ginkgo biloba, licorice, vitamin A and echinacea can cause a myriad of eye problems.
Study author Dr Frederick Fraunfelder explained that supplements become dangerous to the eyes when people take them in large doses.
They can cause several problems, including severe conjunctivitis, eye irritation, retinal bleeding and temporary loss of vision, the study found.
"Tell your physician what you take, as these products interact with other drugs," Dr Fraunfelder advised.
Dr Fraunfelder, who is based at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon, reviewed all eye-related case reports submitted as far back as 1976. He also combed through medical literature.
For instance, Dr Fraunfelder, who presented his findings in this month's American Journal of Ophthalmology, found 30 instances in which canthaxanthine, a carotenoid that produces an artificial suntan when taken orally, caused changes to users' retinas, including crystal deposits.
He noted that vitamin A is a particularly big threat to the eyes at high doses, and ginkgo biloba, a blood thinner, can cause retinal bleeding when combined with other blood thinners. - Reuters
