London: August 28, 2008 – IR Summary/BBC - Herbal medicine manufactured and used in India for thousands of years are considered effective for most of the diseases and these are increasingly getting popular in the Western countries including the United States but there are certain objections by American Medical Association that some of them contain objectionable content.

A study at Boston University analyzed 193 products of which 20@% contained high level of lead, mercury and other arsenic supplements, not permissible for human consumption.

A fifth of Indian herbal medicines sold on the internet contain potentially lethal substances, according to a new study in the United States.
 
The researchers want that there should be a proper control over herbal supplements of such medicines so as to prevent any damage to the users.
 
BBC Input

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, lead researcher Dr Robert Saper said there was some evidence that herbs used in ayurvedic (Indian herbal) medicines could help against diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

"But the key thing is we need to separate out what's helpful and.... what needs to be looked at and perhaps set aside," he added.

"Our first priority must be the safety of the public. Herbs and supplements with high levels of lead, mercury, and arsenic should not be available for sale on the internet or elsewhere."

The researchers discovered the presence of toxic metals in ayurvedic medicines made both in India and the US.

Two types

Some of the tested products, they said, would result in eating toxic materials as much as 10,000 times more than acceptable levels.

According to the study, there are two types of ayurvedic medicines.

One of these combines herbs with metals, minerals and gems, and its proponents argue it is safe when properly prepared and administered.

But Dr Saper said there had been more than 80 reported cases of lead poisoning in the world through such remedies in the past 30 years.

The UK has already started a registration system for herbal medicines. Full