RE: Heavy Metals in Herbal Products

[Guest guest]

I heard similar statistics from Dr. Quig of Doctor's Data speaking

at a seminar I put on in October. DDI tested some Ayurvedic herbs and

found astonishingly high levels of heavy metals in some samples.

Mark

[ ] Heavy Metals in Herbal Products

>From the Journal of the American Medical Ass'n:

*************************************************************

Heavy Metal Content of Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine Products B.

Saper, MD, MPH; Stefanos N. Kales, MD, MPH; Janet Paquin, PhD;

J. Burns, MD; M. Eisenberg, MD; B. , ScD;

S. , MD

JAMA. 2004;292:2868-2873.

Context Lead, mercury, and arsenic intoxication have been associated

with

the use of Ayurvedic herbal medicine product (HMPs).

Objectives To determine the prevalence and concentration of heavy

metals in

Ayurvedic HMPs manufactured in South Asia and sold in Boston-area stores

and

to compare estimated daily metal ingestion with regulatory standards.

Design and Setting Systematic search strategy to identify all stores 20

miles or less from Boston City Hall that sold Ayurvedic HMPs from South

Asia

by searching online Yellow Pages using the categories markets,

supermarkets,

and convenience stores, and business names containing the word India,

Indian

cities, and Indian words. An online national directory of Indian grocery

stores, a South Asian community business directory, and a newspaper were

also searched. We visited each store and purchased all unique Ayurvedic

HMPs

between April 25 and October 24, 2003.

Main Outcome Measures Concentrations (µg/g) of lead, mercury, and

arsenic

in each HMP as measured by x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Estimates of

daily metal ingestion for adults and children estimated using

manufacturers’

dosage recommendations with comparisons to US Pharmacopeia and US

Environmental Protection Agency regulatory standards.

Results A total of 14 (20%) of 70 HMPs (95% confidence interval,

11%-31%)

contained heavy metals: lead (n = 13; median concentration, 40 µg/g;

range,

5-37 000), mercury (n = 6; median concentration, 20 225 µg/g; range,

28-104

000), and/or arsenic (n = 6; median concentration, 430 µg/g; range,

37-8130). If taken as recommended by the manufacturers, each of these 14

could result in heavy metal intakes above published regulatory

standards.

Conclusions One of 5 Ayurvedic HMPs produced in South Asia and

available in

Boston South Asian grocery stores contains potentially harmful levels of

lead, mercury, and/or arsenic. Users of Ayurvedic medicine may be at

risk

for heavy metal toxicity, and testing of Ayurvedic HMPs for toxic heavy

metals should be mandatory.

Author Affiliations: Division for Research and Education in

Complementary

and Integrative Medical Therapies, Osher Institute, Harvard Medical

School,

Boston (Drs Saper, Eisenberg, , and ); Division of General

Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine (Drs Saper, Eisenberg,

, and ), and Division of Toxicology, Department of

Emergency

Medicine (Dr Burns), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston; The

Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge (Dr Kales);

Occupational Health Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard

School of Public Health, Boston (Dr Kales); and New England Regional

Laboratory, Environmental Protection Agency, North Chelmsford (Dr

Paquin),

Mass. Dr Saper is now with the Department of Family Medicine, Boston

University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.

=======================================================

[Guest guest]

They can report on heavy metals in herbal medicine, But what about

injecting babies with mercury via vaccines?

Damn jerks at the FDA and the CDC should all lose thier jobs for NOT

protecting American children!

Donna

> From the Journal of the American Medical Ass'n:

> *************************************************************

>

> Heavy Metal Content of Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine Products

> B. Saper, MD, MPH; Stefanos N. Kales, MD, MPH; Janet

Paquin, PhD;

> J. Burns, MD; M. Eisenberg, MD; B. , ScD;

> S. , MD

>

>

> JAMA. 2004;292:2868-2873.

>

> Context Lead, mercury, and arsenic intoxication have been

associated with

> the use of Ayurvedic herbal medicine product (HMPs).

[Guest guest]

In the FDA, CDC, and IOM, eager hypocrisy is a qualification for top

(mis)management.

Donna wrote:

>They can report on heavy metals in herbal medicine, But what about

>injecting babies with mercury via vaccines?

>

>Damn jerks at the FDA and the CDC should all lose thier jobs for NOT

>protecting American children!

>

>Donna

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hell would be to good, for these idiots at the " top " of the FDA, CDC

and the IOM.

Donna

>

> >They can report on heavy metals in herbal medicine, But what

about

> >injecting babies with mercury via vaccines?

> >

> >Damn jerks at the FDA and the CDC should all lose thier jobs for

NOT

> >protecting American children!

> >

> >Donna

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >