What The Mayo Clinic And Others Have To Say
Be extremely cautious about herbal supplements manufactured outside the United States. Many European herbs are highly regulated and standardized. But toxic ingredients and prescription drugs have been found in some herbal supplements manufactured in other countries.
As a general rule, don't take any medications - prescription, OTC or herbal - when you're pregnant or breast-feeding unless your doctor approves. Medications that may be safe for you as an adult may be harmful to your fetus or your breast-feeding infant.
Your colon knows how to do its job, constantly shedding old cells, absorbing nutrients and keeping a delicate balance of bacteria and natural chemicals. Interfering with this process can hurt or destroy these relationships, meaning the colon won't work as well as it should. Colon cleansing is unnecessary, and medical doctors do not advise you to do this.
People with an eating disorder will sometimes turn to diuretic abuse as a means to lose or control their weight. In their minds, they believe the diuretic is helping to control their weight, but in reality, it is just reducing the amount of water in the body. This can be dangerous as diuretic abuse symptoms can include a fluid and electrolyte imbalance in the body which is potentially fatal.