Medicinal Plant Foxglove Can Kill Via Cardiac Arrest

(Photo : Taylor Cowling / Unsplash)
The medicinal plant foxglove can be dangerous as it could cause cardiac arrest, as well.

Despite being a medicinal plant for the heart, foxglove can cause cardiac arrest and kill a person.

Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea

Foxglove, known as Digitalis purpurea, is a captivating plant found across the United States. It thrives in the wild and graces private gardens with its charm.

Its bell-shaped blossoms typically flaunt vibrant purple hues, though variations can be seen in white, cream, yellow, pink, and rose, predominantly in the spring.

This alluring plant bears dry fruits brimming with numerous seeds, attracting the attention of children, but beware, for all its parts are profoundly toxic.

The term "digitalis" might ring a bell as a heart medication. Indeed, it's derived from foxglove, and digoxin (a type of digitalis) concentration in the blood can aid in detecting foxglove poisoning.

Properly formulated, digitalis is valuable in managing heart failure by enhancing a weakened heart's pumping strength.

However, consuming any part of the plant or brewing leaves into tea results in an uncontrolled heart medicine dose, potentially slowing down or irregularizing the heart rate, posing severe risks.

Frequently available at nurseries and garden centers under monikers like "dead man's bells" or "witches' gloves," the common foxglove adds a touch of beauty to many landscapes.

Its pretty blossoms bloom in varying shades, originating from Europe and North Africa but now flourishing in gardens all over the US for its decorative allure.

How Foxglove Causes Cardiac Arrest

Foxglove serves as a cautionary tale for monitoring children outdoors and avoiding DIY herbal remedies or wild plant consumption unless you're an expert.

An old English saying suggested that foxglove "can raise the dead and kill the living," and this holds true. Foxglove contains digoxin, a potent cardiac glycoside found in its leaves and flowers, affecting the heart.

Dr. Zhen Wang, an assistant professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, explained that foxgloves contain highly potent cardiac glycosides.

These compounds, termed "cardiac" for their impact on the heart muscle and "glycosides" due to their sugar molecules aiding absorption, are crucial.

However, ingesting digoxin leads to sudden, intense heart contractions, resulting in ventricular fibrillation. This causes the heart muscles to quiver rapidly rather than contract normally, potentially leading to cardiac arrest and death, as noted by Johns Hopkins Medicine.

In sum, foxglove highlights the peril of its toxic nature and underscores the importance of responsible plant use and child supervision during outdoor activities.

Also Read: 5 Tree Bark Harvesting Basics to Remember

Medicinal Plant

Despite having fatal side effects, the digoxin found in foxgloves is a significant and popular heart medicine.

Wang claims that digoxin is only clinically recommended for heart failure after other medications have been ineffective.

He clarified that heart failure occurs when a patient's heart is too weak to pump effectively and that this is why it is important to enhance the heart's pumping force.

Although digoxin has harmful side effects if taken in excess, in this particular circumstance, the toxin's benefits exceed the danger and could save the person's life.

Wang claims that because plants are also battling diseases, they produce so many organic goods with medicinal qualities. Because plants can't flee from stress like animals can, they learn to adapt by developing into the world's most amazing chemists.