| Ajo (garlic) | Eaten to alleviate hypertension and prevent arteriosclerosis; garlic juice is applied to stings and spider bites | Anticoagulant effect at high doses; avoid high doses in patients taking coumadin (Warfarin); high doses can cause heartburn and bad breath; reduces effectiveness of saquinavir (Invirase) |
| Arnica (Arnica or golden aster) | Boiled flowers are used externally on bruises | For topical and homeopathic use only; avoid internal use (except for homeopathic preparations, which are considered safe); increased gastroenteritis and dyspnea risk with ingestion |
| Borraja (borage) | Flower tea used for bronchitis and fever | Hepatotoxicity risk from pyrrolizidine alkaloids (in leaves) with high or prolonged doses |
| Canela (cassia cinnamon) | Spice used as antispasmodic and for upper respiratory infections; although promoted as a hypoglycemic agent, recent research is conflicting | Use with caution in patients taking hepatotoxic drugs; safe in usual food quantities |
| Cilantro (cilantro [leaf] or coriander [seed]) | Tea used for anxiety, stomach cramps, and inflamed gums; more recently popularized for increasing the urinary excretion of heavy metals | No safety concerns, although there have been recalls because of salmonella and pesticide contamination |
| Clavo (oil of clove) | Oil used topically for toothache and bad breath | Eugenol in clove oil may affect blood clotting; toxic if ingested, especially in children |
| Culantrillo or avenca (maidenhair fern) | Tea or syrup used as an expectorant, a diuretic, and for constipation, liver problems, and gall stones; also used to induce menstruation | High doses may cause vomiting; avoid in pregnancy; no known interactions |
| Damiana (Turnera) | Leaf tea used for anxiety and lethargy, most popular as an aphrodisiac | Theoretical concern of cyanogenic glycoside toxicity with higher doses |
| Epazote (Dysphania or wormseed) | Tea used for intestinal parasites; herb is added to beans to prevent flatulence | Chenopodium oil is also used as an antihelmintic but may be toxic (ascaridole content) |
| Estafiate (Artemesia or wormwood) | Tea used for upset stomach and menstrual cramps, and to prevent diarrhea | Long-term ingestion causes absinthism (trembling, vertigo, thirst, delirium); thujone in the essential oil is neurotoxic and may cause seizures |
| Eucalipto (eucalyptus) | Boiled leaves used for asthma in vaporizers; popular in lozenges for sore throat; also sometimes used as topical disinfectant | Ingesting eucalyptus oil may cause vomiting, diarrhea, delirium, and convulsions; avoid using in vaporizers for children younger than six years |
| Gordolobo (Verbascum densiflorum or mullein) | Tea used to treat cough and sore throat; one study reports use for otitis | No known safety concerns (insufficient data) or drug interactions |
| Jengibre (ginger) | Root tea used for nausea or vomiting | High doses may cause anticoagulant effects and excess gas or bloating |
| Limón (lemon) | Fruit juice used for fever, upper respiratory infection (classic “cooling” herb), and hypertension | No safety concerns |
| Llantén (plantain or plantago) | Weed leaf used externally for burns, bruises, mouth sores, and hemorrhoids; tea taken orally for respiratory infections | Mild diarrhea reported with ingestion |
| Manzanilla (chamomile) | Tea used for colic or upset stomach | Allergic reactions and conjunctivitis |
| Nopales (Opuntia or prickly pear cactus pads) | Eaten as part of diet; has antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and laxative properties; also used as hangover treatment and for hyperlipidemia | May inhibit drug absorption; excess consumption may cause diarrhea and nausea |
| Oregano de la Sierra | Leaf tea used to treat cough, indigestion, and | Occasional allergic reactions |
| (Mexican oregano) | stomach gas | |
| Romero (rosemary) | Leaf tea used to improve digestion | Safe in small quantities in food, but contains monoterpene ketones, which can cause toxicity (intestinal irritation, kidney damage, abortion, seizures) |
| Ruda (rue) | Toxic herb used to induce menstruation and abort fetuses | Toxic; avoid oral use; may cause renal and hepatic damage; furocoumarins can cause skin photosensitivity |
| Tilia (linden) | Tea from dried flowers used to relieve cough | Rare allergic reactions |
| Yerba buena (mints, including spearmint and Clinopodium [Satureja] douglasii) | Mint tea relieves upset stomach and headaches | Safe in usual quantities, but spearmint oil is a mucous membrane irritant and potentially toxic when ingested |
| Zabila (Aloe vera) | Topical use for burns; occasionally ingested | Safe for topical use; juice is relatively safe; ingestion of aloe resin (a purgative) may cause diarrhea, hypoglycemia, hypokalemia, and prolonged bleeding; potential interactions with hypoglycemics and cardiac glycosides |
| Zacate limón (Cymbopogon or lemongrass) | Lemony “cooling” tea for upset stomach | Safe as a food seasoning, toxic alveolitis reported from inhaling lemongrass oil |
