Abuja, Nigeria – Oke Bola thought a fertility supplement she found online might help her conceive. Instead, within days of taking it, she struggled to breathe. Her experience reflects a growing online trade in unverified herbal remedies promoted across social media.Bola (not her real name), who is in her early 40s and has never had children, said she bought the supplement earlier this year and increased the recommended dosage, hoping for quicker results after hearing about it from friends and family.“I recognised the symptoms of asthma; the wheezing sound at night was familiar,” she told Al Jazeera. “When I checked online, I realised it could be from the herbal medication.”Bola said her symptoms eased after she stopped taking the product. Without consulting a doctor, she assumed the reaction was linked to incorrect dosage and resumed use as instructed.The product, Jinja Herbal Mixture, is marketed for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.A 2025 Nigeria-based study, titled The Toxicological Evaluation of Jinja: A Local Herbal Mixture (LHM), found it appeared safe for short-term use within tested dosage ranges, offering some support for its traditional use. But researchers also recorded biochemical changes at higher doses, including altered creatinine and sodium levels in test subjects, signs of possible kidney and liver stress.The …
