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Home > Archive > Ayurveda > October 2004 > Danger! Heavey metals in traditional Indian drugs
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Danger! Heavey metals in traditional Indian drugs
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| drugdo@goodguy.com 2004-10-04, 2:24 am |
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Heavy metals in traditional Indian remedies.
Ernst E.
Department of Complementary Medicine, School of Postgraduate
Medicine and Health Sciences, university of Exeter, UK.
The growing popularity of traditional Indian remedies
necessitates a critical evaluation of risks associated with
their use. This systematic review aims at summarising all
available data relating to the heavy metal content in such
remedies. Computerised literature searches were carried out to
identify all articles with original data on this subject.
Fifteen case reports and six case series were found. Their
collective results suggest that heavy metals, particularly
lead, have been a regular constituent of traditional Indian
remedies. This has repeatedly caused serious harm to patients
taking such remedies. The incidence of heavy metal
contamination is not known, but one study shows that 64% of
samples collected in India contained significant amounts of
lead (64% mercury, 41% arsenic and 9% cadmium). These findings
should alert us to the possibility of heavy metal content in
traditional Indian remedies and motivate us to consider means
of protecting consumers from such risks.
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| GMCarter 2004-10-04, 2:24 am |
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On 27 Sep 2004 21:41:56 GMT, drugdo@goodguy.com wrote:
>
> Heavy metals in traditional Indian remedies.
> Ernst E.
Poorly cited. Here is the full citation:
Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2002 Feb;57(12):891-896.
Another article below from Malaysia. Contamination with heavy metals,
mold, bacteria, fungi, etc. is indeed a serious problem with natural
products. Each nation must do better to assure national quality
control standards, for imports and exports. Each company must develop
standards of testing and evaluation, preferably independent methods as
well, to assure their customers of the quality of their products.
George M. Carter
**
Ang HH, Lee EL, Matsumoto K. Analysis of lead content in herbal
preparations in Malaysia. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2003 Aug;22(8):445-451.
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden,
11800, Penang, Malaysia. hhang@usm.my
In Malaysia, the phase 3 registration for traditional medicines was
implemented on 1 January 1992 under the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics
Regulation 1984, emphasizing quality, efficacy and safety (including
the detection of the presence of heavy metals) in all pharmaceutical
dosage forms of traditional medicine preparations. Therefore, a total
of 100 products in various pharmaceutical dosage forms of a herbal
preparation, were analysed for lead content using atomic absorption
spectrophotometer. Results showed that 8% (eight products) possessed
10.64-20.72 ppm of lead, and therefore, do not comply with the quality
requirement for traditional medicines in Malaysia. One of these
products, M-Tongkat Ali (exhibited 10.64 +/-0.37 ppm of lead), was in
fact already registered with the DCA Malaysia. The rest, Sukarno
Tongkat Ali, Eurycoma Madu, Super Pill Tongkat Ali, Force Pill Tongkat
Ali, Tender Pill Tongkat Ali, Super Pill Tongkat Ali Plus and Great
Pill Tongkat Ali Plus have not registered with the DCA Malaysia and
exhibited 12.24-20.72 ppm of lead. Although this study showed that
only 92% of the products complied with the quality requirement for
traditional medicines in Malaysia, however, they cannot be assumed
safe from lead contamination because of batch-to-batch inconsistency.
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| harmony 2004-10-04, 2:24 am |
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<drugdo@goodguy.com> wrote in message
news:41588924$0$248$4d5ecec7@reader.city-net.com...
>
> Heavy metals in traditional Indian remedies.
that should make great music.
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