Roi
Anthoni B. Lomotan
DUMAGUETE
CITY, June 29 (PIA) – Health
experts in Negros Oriental are reminding the public to be careful in taking
herbal supplements because this may bring negative effects to the kidneys.
Speaking in Kapihan sa PIA forum
on renal health care today, Dr. Kenneth Coo, a nephrologist of Holy Child
Hospital, noted that the primary function of the kidney is to filter
wastes from the blood.
When a person drinks herbal capsules, its
particles enter the blood and the kidneys will have to filter that.
The risk comes in if the kidneys are already
weak and it gets overworked because it have to filter waste residues coming
from the herbal supplement that got mixed with the blood.
“Your kidneys deteriorate easily if it gets
overworked,” Dr. Coo said.
He advises the public to regulate their intake
of herbal supplements and not to get enticed by commercials that
feature people claiming that these products have cured them from their
ailments.
“The term ‘Maayo ko’ is cure. The way we say it
in Bisaya is ‘Naayo ko.’ That’s cure, that’s medicine. It’s not supplement.
Supplement and medicine are two different things,” he added.
However, he clarified that nephrologists are not
totally against the idea of taking herbal supplements, saying that they have a
neutral stand on the issue.
“On our part as kidney specialists, we do not
tell you herbal medicines are bad for the kidneys but we cannot tell you that
herbal medicines are good for your kidneys,” he pointed out.
Dr. Coo advises that herbal capsules can still
be taken if creatinine level is normal but if it shoots up then it is the time
to go to the doctor and have a check-up.
On the other hand, he also cautioned kidney
patients in taking pain relievers because some pain relievers, like all
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are not good for people with kidney
problems.
He explained that the mechanism of action of
pain relievers is to constrict blood vessels.
However, the medicine does not constrict blood
vessels on the specific part of the body that experiences pain but all
throughout the body including the blood vessels in the kidney, which could
damage the kidney if it is weak.
Meanwhile, Integrated Provincial Health Office
(IPHO) Renal Disease Control Program (REDCOP) Focal Person Judith Vailoces also
underscored that part of keeping kidneys healthy is avoiding the intake of herbal
supplements and other medicines that can harm the kidneys.
Vailoces disclosed that some of these can leave
a negative side effect to the human kidney.
She noted people should be more careful since
some food products like coffee are mixed with some herbal components.
(rmn/ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental)