Table 3. Indications, contraindications, and side effects of commonly used herbal remedies.

The data for this table is sourced from the study by Bent and Ko [13].

TB: Tuberculosis, MS: Multiple sclerosis, MAOI: Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, GI: Gastrointestinal, PO: Per os

Common herbs	Indications	Contraindications	Side effects	Systemic review(s) of evidence
Echinacea	Promotes natural resistance to infection; is used mainly in upper respiratory infections	Systemic illnesses such as HIV, TB, and MS	Chills, fever, nausea, allergic reaction	Yes
Garlic	Hyperlipidemia	None	Avoid before surgery; potentiates warfarin	Yes
Ginkgo biloba	Dementia, cognitive impairment	A known hypersensitivity to ginkgo; caution in depression	Stomach upset, headache, skin reaction	Yes
Saw palmetto	Symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy	None known	Gastric upset	Yes
Ginseng	Fatigue, weakness, physical performance	Hypertension, excessive caffeine use	Possible interaction with MAOI	Yes
Grape seed extract	Venous insufficiency, possibly with certain types of cancers	A known allergy to grapes	Headache, itchy scalp, dizziness, and/or nausea	No
Green tea	Cancer treatment, cognitive impairment, GI illnesses	Can interact with many medications	In excess can cause the same side effects as caffeine	No
St. John’s Wort	Mild to moderate depressive mood, anxiety	Not recommended with other antidepressants	Trouble sleeping, vivid dreams, fatigue	Yes
Bilberry	Vision impairment	Caution with diabetic and anticoagulant medications	Rash	No
Aloe	Dermatitis, wound healing	As PO supplement can act as a laxative	Burning/skin irritation	Yes