Some Ayurvedic medicines have harmful metals: study

By Andrew Stern

CHICAGO (Reuters) - One in five Ayurvedic medicines commonly used by followers of the ancient Indian health philosophy were found to contain the metallic poisons lead, mercury or arsenic, researchers said on Tuesday.

Ayurveda is an ancient system that includes medicines, meditation, exercise and dietary guidelines practiced by millions of adherents on the Indian subcontinent and increasingly in the West.

Ayurvedic medicines made in the United States and India were ordered from 25 Web sites and tested for the metallic poisons by a team from Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center.

Nearly 21 percent of 193 Ayurvedic medicines analyzed had detectable levels of one or more of the metals, and at least half of those exceeded established standards for unhealthy exposure levels, Dr. Robert Saper and colleagues reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Saper said the findings raise concerns about the ingredients found in the lightly regulated dietary supplement market that includes vitamins and traditional Chinese medicines.

He said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relies on manufacturers to report ingredients accurately and then investigates complaints.

"We suggest strictly enforced, government-mandated daily dose limits for toxic metals in all dietary supplements and requirements that all manufacturers demonstrate compliance through independent third-party testing," he wrote.

"There's some studies that show that some herbs have a very promising anti-diabetic effect, anti-high blood pressure effect, a cholesterol-lowering (effect)," Saper said in a telephone interview.

ORIGINS UNCLEAR

"In Ayurveda and all those traditional systems there certainly are some promising wisdom and heritage that we need to harvest. But the key thing is we need to separate out what's helpful and ... what needs to be looked at and perhaps set aside."

The report follows up the team's study published in the same journal in 2004 when they purchased Ayurvedic medicines produced in South Asia from Boston-area stores and found similar contaminants.

How the metals get into the medicines is unclear, Saper said. He agreed with Wynn Werner of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that there could be several sources.

Some metals occur naturally in soil, and plants and herbs used to make Ayurvedic medicines may concentrate the contaminants. The metals may come from human-made pollutants and industrial sources, particularly in India where lead pollution is widespread.

The metals also may be introduced during the manufacturing process, accidentally or intentionally.

One class of Ayurvedic medicines, called rasa shastra, contained very high levels of lead or mercury, as well as precious metals and processed gemstones. Indian practitioners say extensive preparation of the metals elicits the benefits while rendering them harmless, but Saper called this doubtful.