Identity & origin
BOTANICAL IDENTITY
The right name is the first step.
Annual in the Boraginaceae family. Recorded native range: Western and central Mediterranean. The listed pharmacopoeial material is aerial parts; flowers.
Also known as: No synonyms listed.
Check the species, plant part and complete botanical name together. A photograph alone cannot identify a harvest safely for consumption.
An illustration is not enough to identify a plant for consumption. Do not forage for a species based solely on this profile.
Uses & evidence
UNDERSTANDING THE USES
Properties & uses.
Pharmacopoeial material: aerial parts; flowers
The inventory has entries for aerial parts and flowers. Seed oil is a different material; its evidence is not transferred to leaf tea. This notice infers no therapeutic indication.
The references do not establish a benefit. Lack of evidence is not assurance of safety.
Read the sourcePyrrolizidine-alkaloid caution
EFSA includes a Borago officinalis infusion in its exposure assessment. This supports offering no flower or aerial-part tea here.
This entry describes a risk or interaction, not a beneficial property.
Read the sourceThe traditional uses described are not clinical proof of effectiveness. Evidence for one preparation cannot automatically be applied to another.
Precautions before use
BEFORE ANY USE
Precautions & contraindications.
This guidance does not cover every individual situation. Missing information is not a guarantee of safety.
The following warnings do not constitute a complete review of interactions or contraindications. An unstudied combination cannot be considered compatible.
Contraindications & precautions
- No homemade flower or aerial-part preparation is recommended. This precaution is not an exhaustive contraindication list.
Medicine interactions
- Interactions have not been sufficiently assessed in the sources retained for this notice; an incomplete assessment guarantees no compatibility.
“Reported” does not prove causality; “possible” may reflect indirect evidence. “None reported” means none in the cited source, not that all combinations have been studied. Do not stop a prescribed treatment based on this profile.
Adverse effects
- The alkaloids concerned present hepatic and genotoxic risks; exposure varies with the material and product.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding
No medicinal use is offered during pregnancy or breastfeeding; this dossier cannot establish safety in these situations.
Children & adolescents
No paediatric preparation or dose is offered in this notice.
If symptoms persist, worsen or are unusual, consult a healthcare professional. In an emergency, contact the emergency services.
Available evidence
EXPLORE THE EVIDENCE
The available evidence.
The flowers and aerial parts in this notice are not seed oil; their evidence must remain separate.
Reactive metabolites: a toxicological concern
Some unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids form reactive metabolites that can harm the liver and interact with DNA.
This entry describes a risk or interaction, not a beneficial property.
Read the referenceLimitations to keep in mind.
A decorative flower or historical use does not justify making it into tea.
Studies, findings & limitations
THE RESEARCH
What the research shows.
A laboratory or animal result alone does not demonstrate a benefit in humans. Each result must be read alongside the preparation studied and its limitations.
Reactive metabolites: a toxicological concern
This entry describes a risk or interaction, not a beneficial property.
- Type of research
- EFSA assessment of exposure and toxicology for this substance family.
- Preparation concerned
- Infusions and supplements, including a borage infusion, are examined.
- Observed results
- The assessment highlights risk associated with products made from plants producing these alkaloids.
- Limitations to consider
- An individual product’s composition cannot be inferred solely from the species name.
What can we take from this?
An individual product’s composition cannot be inferred solely from the species name.
Documentary review dated 09/10/2026. The references remain available to check the context.
Sources & last review
CHECKING REFERENCES
Sources for this profile.
- ANSM — French Pharmacopoeia, List A, January 2026, p. 8Accessed on 09/10/2026
- Kew POWO — Borago officinalis L.Accessed on 09/10/2026
- EFSA CONTAM Panel (2017) — Statement on the risks for human health related to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey, tea, herbal infusions and food supplementsAccessed on 09/10/2026
Image: Duarte Frade · CC BY 4.0. View the original image and its licence. Image resized and converted to WebP.