Dicentra, as a very proud member of the American Herbal Product Association (AHPA) has just donated $500.00 in support of a revision on the Botanical Safety Handbook (BSH).

The Botanical Safety Handbook is a reference book on herbal safety produced by the AHPA and was published in 1997. The Text provides safety information on 600 species of plants known to be in trade as ingredients in dietary supplements and other botanical products. The BSH utilizes a unique safety rating system, and each listed species is classified based on a review of a number of authoritative contemporary botanical references, as well as knowledge of historical use.

The AHPA has determined that a revision of this important text is needed. This will be accomplished by conducting a comprehensive review of published literature on each of the herbs that will be included in the revised edition. Information for review will continue to emphasize historical uses and knowledge, but will also include case reports of adverse reactions and herb-drug interactions, herb-drug interaction studies, metabolism studies, toxicology studies and clinical trials.

Dicentra is proud to be a part of this very important project.