A herb commonly sold in cold and flu supplements may no longer be classified as “low-risk”, after Australia’s therapeutic goods regulator found it can cause severe allergic reactions and even death.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is proposing to remove andographis – widely used in Indian and Chinese traditional medicine – from its list of permitted ingredients. A new safety review found the herb can cause “rapid and unpredictable” anaphylaxis, the most severe type of allergic reaction.

Anaphylaxis can happen even if you’ve previously taken andrographis without any problems. But little is known about why.

Currently, products containing this ingredient can be purchased at supermarkets and pharmacies without a prescription.

Here’s what we know about the risks, and what the TGA wants to change.

What is andrographis?

Traditional medicines are becoming more popular in Western societies, particularly in response to the COVID pandemic.

Andrographis paniculata is one of these: a herb in the Asterids clade of flowering plants. Andrographis is often used to treat and prevent cold and flu symptoms, upper respiratory tract infections, inflammation and fever.

However, despite its popularity, there is a gap in empirical evidence to support these benefits.

In Australia, andrographis is ofen used in combination with another herbal ingredient, echinacea. In........

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