khat, an herbal product taken from a tree found in Africa and the Arabian peninsula. ▪ INDICATIONS: It is used for obesity and gastric ulcers, and as a stimulant to offset depression and fatigue. Its efficacy for these indications is unproven because of insufficient reliable data. Khat causes a psychologically addicting euphoria and cannot be legally imported into the United States. ▪ CONTRAINDICATIONS: It should not be used during pregnancy and lactation, in children, or in those with known hypersensitivity. People with renal, cardiac, or hepatic disease also should avoid its use.
