*Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Aristolochia is UNSAFE for anyone to use, including pregnant and breast-feeding women. Aristolochia contains aristolochic acid, which is toxic to the kidneys and causes cancer. Don’t use it.
*Kidney disease: Aristolochia might bring on early kidney failure in people with kidney disease.
*Guang Fang Ji preparations can contain toxic amounts of aristolochic acid when Aristolchia fanghi is substituted for Stephania tetrandra. Ingestion can lead to renal failure and even death; Aristolochia is used in TCM only with great caution. In May, 2000, the FDA began detaining any plants or medicines suspected of containing aristolochic acid, unless laboratory testing indicated they were negative for aristolochic acid. (Only tests which use a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry [LC/MS/MS] method with a precision better than 0.5 parts per million (PPM) are acceptable.) he traditional route of ingestion of guang fang ji is via water decoction. Since aristolochic acid has low water solubility, water decoction is believed to be a much safer route than taking guang fang ji as an uncooked powder.
*Guang Fang Ji preparations can contain toxic amounts of aristolochic acid when Aristolchia fanghi is substituted for Stephania tetrandra. Ingestion can lead to renal failure and even death; Aristolochia is used in TCM only with great caution. In May, 2000, the FDA began detaining any plants or medicines suspected of containing aristolochic acid, unless laboratory testing indicated they were negative for aristolochic acid. (Only tests which use a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry [LC/MS/MS] method with a precision better than 0.5 parts per million (PPM) are acceptable.)The traditional route of ingestion of guang fang ji is via water decoction. Since aristolochic acid has low water solubility, water decoction is believed to be a much safer route than taking guang fang ji as an uncooked powder.
==Benefits and uses of Aristolochia are==
Despite serious safety concerns, aristolochia is used to prevent seizures, increase sexual desire, boost the immune system, and start menstruation. It is also used to treat snakebite, intestinal pain, gallbladder pain, arthritis, gout, achy joints (rheumatism), eczema, weight loss, and wounds.