It’s dangerous to mix alcohol with herbal concoctions - Health practitioner warns

A Junior Resident in Surgery at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Joelle Amissah has disclosed that the intake of herbal concoctions mixed with alcohol may lead to double damage of the liver.

Herbal concoctions popularly known as herbal bitters are medicinal plants and spices soaked with alcohol and stored in bottles.

According to a publication by modernghana.com, herbal bitters are used in the prevention of diseases such as arthritis, control of inflammation, and an improvement in digestion, among others.

However, speaking to Kafui Dey on the GTV Breakfast Show, Ms. Amissah noted that the practice is not healthy for the liver.

“A lot of herbal medications are not regulated and even though the herbs may be good…so now you have alcohol and herbs with alcohol proven to cause liver damage with the herbal concoctions likely to cause liver damage so now you have given the liver a double hit”, she explained.

Ms. Amissah also added that “Anytime a liver cell gets into contact with alcohol, it will die a little. And then instead of it being able to regenerate itself, it forms a little scar and so when you have a lot of these scars, we refer to it as sclerosis of the liver”.

She advised alcohol addicts to engage in activities that will have a positive impact on them rather than involving themselves in the drinking of alcohol with its attendant repercussions.