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Tonka bean

The tonka tree is a tree whose fruit and seeds, also known as tonka beans, are used to make medicine.

Despite serious safety concerns, some people use tonka beans as a tonic, as an aphrodisiac to increase sexual arousal, and to treat cramps, nausea, coughs, tuberculosis, decay due to chronic illness, swelling due to blockage of the lymphatic system, and a parasitic disease called schistosomiasis. Some people apply tonka bean products directly to the affected areas for mouth ulcers, earaches and sore throats. In the field of industrial production, coumarin, one of the active ingredients of tonka beans, is used as a flavoring and fragrance in food, liqueur, tobacco, soap and cosmetics. In the food industry, the seeds are used to produce a drink with a nutty flavor.

How do tonka beans work?

Tonkabeans contain ingredients that help to relieve inflammatory swelling and water retention.

How effective are tonka bean products?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of tonka bean products taken orally for coughs, cramps, nausea, spasms and tuberculosis, and tonka bean products applied directly to the affected areas for earaches, mouth ulcers and sore throats. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of tonka bean products in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Tonka beans are not safe and harmless. They can cause side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, insomnia and liver problems. There is not enough information to say whether it is safe to apply tonka bean products directly to the skin.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Tonka bean products are not safe and should not be used during pregnancy and lactation.

Liver disorders: Coumarin, a chemical contained in tonka beans, can cause liver damage. This could aggravate existing liver diseases.

Interactions

At the present time there is no information on interactions of tonka beans with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of tonka bean products depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for tonka bean products. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Cox D, O'Kennedy R, Thornes RD. The rarity of toxicity in patients treated with coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone). Hum Toxicol 1989;8:501-6. View abstract.
  2. Duke JA. CRC handbook of medicinal herbs. 1st ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC, 1985.
  3. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp, 1999.
  4. Mann J, Truswell AS, eds. Essentials of Human Nutrition. Oxford: Oxford Univ Press 1998.
  5. Marshall ME, Butler K, Fried A. Phase I evaluation of coumarin (1,2 benzopyrone) and cimetidine in patients with advanced malignancies. Mol Biother 1991;3:170-8. view abstract.
  6. Mohler JL, Gomella LG, Crawford ED, et al. Phase II evaluation of coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone) in metastatic prostatic carcinoma. Prostate 1992;20:123-31. view abstract.
  7. Ritschel WA, Brady ME, Tan HIS, et al. Pharmacokinetics of Coumarin and its 7-hyroxy-metabolites upon intravenous and peroral administration of coumarin in man. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1997;12:457-61. view abstract.