Herbal medicines’ heavy metal problem - August 27, 2008
A “substantial proportion” of Ayurvedic herbal “medicines” from India contain lead mercury and arsenic, according to research published this week in JAMA.
The team behind the work says the Food and Drug Administration should start putting the screws on the industry.
“Current regulations governing the quality of herbal supplements made and sold in the US and India are inadequate,” author Robert Saper told Reuters. “We recommend strictly enforced government-mandated daily dose limits for toxic metals in all dietary supplements.”
Saper’s team tested 193 Ayurvedic “medicines” purchased via the internet in 2005 and tested them for contamination. Just over 20% of products contained toxic metals.
This number is clearly not helped by the practice rasa shastra, where herbs are combined with metals and minerals. Of Rasa shastra “medicines” 41% contained metals, compared to 17% of non-rasa shastra “medicines”.
“All metal-containing products exceeded 1 or more standards for acceptable daily intake of toxic metals,” write the authors.
This isn’t the first time a JAMA paper has raised concerns about such ‘medicines’. In 2004 a paper from many of the same team found “One of five Ayurvedic HMPs produced in South Asia and available in Boston South Asian grocery stores contains potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury, and/or arsenic.”
According to the LA Times “Ayurvedic practitioners lashed out at the research as alarmist, saying that it only showed there were problems with mixtures from India, not with US-made products.” So there you have it: just make sure your unproven, potentially toxic, pseudo-scientific herbs are American.
Actually maybe not. The paper clearly states “The prevalence of metals in US-manufactured products was 21.7% (95% CI, 14.6%-30.4%) compared with 19.5% (95% CI, 11.3%-30.1%) in Indian products (P = .86).” IE: there was no significant difference.
“The raw material is all coming from India,” Kush Khanna, who runs a manufacturer of ayurvedic “medicines” in Berkeley told the Times all the raw material comes from India. However Khanna insists his products are safe by WHO limits (where lead levels can be far higher than California limits).
Comments
In fact, the paper cited in this news concludes:"One-fifth of both US-manufactured and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines purchased via the Internet contain detectable lead, mercury, or arsenic". Well! What accounts for the reason that FDA has not withdrawl every incriminated drug?
Posted by: Sergio Stagnaro MD | August 27, 2008 09:16 PM
I.am an ayurvedic doc.No,ayurdic medicins contain any metrial other than natural.In Kerala from centuriesthis practice is going on.If u like to fell the good come here...
Posted by: Dr. Seema | August 28, 2008 07:56 AM
"No,ayurdic medicins contain any metrial other than natural."
Lead, mercury, and arsenic are "natural" materials also. Science tests and confirms or refutes the purported benefits of any alleged medicine. It can also test for materials such as lead, mercury or arsenic present in the medicine, which are widespread and harmful pollutants in the environment - air, water and soil - of many countries.
Posted by: Richard | August 28, 2008 07:47 PM
I have been prescribed by an Ayurvedic doctor in Kerala ( during my travel there from the USA ) to supplement Kerala massage with internal medicine to grow back quadricep muscles which, I believe, were weakened by Lipitor. I have noticed improvement in legs stability after nine massage sessions but have not yet started to take orally the medicine because of concern about metal toxicity.
will appreciate your advice.
Can I get the medicine tested for metals? How do I ensure that any of other ingredients wouldn't harm
lever, kidneys----? Thanks.
Kewal
Posted by: Kewal Likhyani | February 6, 2009 10:13 PM