RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SELF-MEDICATION OF HERBAL MEDICINES IN THE WEIGHT LOSS PROCESS

Abstract

The current demand for medicines that bring weight loss in a natural way is remarkable, which is why many consumers resort to herbal medicines, without taking into account what the consumption of these products can cause. Rates of nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic damage, in addition to drug interactions with various allopathic drugs, are great indications of how the use of these drugs should be properly supervised and prescribed, without self-medication. In this context, this study aims to alert and discuss the risks of self-medication of herbal medicines in the weight loss process, emphasizing the effects of the main herbal medicines used in the weight loss process based on scientific evidence and how they impact the body, as well as their possible drug interactions and how they affect the body system when misused.