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http://www.southasianpost.com/portal2/c1ee8c441910daf80119119af25.
When medicine turns toxic
Wed, April 02 2008
For millions of people aroundthe world, ayurveda is anancient system of holistic healthcare that provides a therapeuticsalve for the mind, body andsoul. But as two recent andalarming cases in MetroVancouver have demonstrated,these naturopathic treatmentsare proving increasinglydangerous.
Two Indo-Canadians have beendiagnosed with heavy-metalpoisoning after ingestingayurvedic remedies, in this case tainted powders comprising herbal formulas combined withthe toxic heavy metal lead.
Native to the Indian subcontinent, the 5,000-year-oldayurveda system of naturopathic treaments includes aplethora of herb-based powders, pills, oils and dietarysupplements often laced with heavy metals, including arsenic,mercury and lead.
In many instances, small quantities of these heavy metals areknowingly ingested in the belief they will cure what ails. Inother cases, the practitioners have no idea what they areingesting, or to what degree.
“Both patients suffered from extremely high levels of leadpoisoning from taking ayurvedic remedies,” said Rob Gair, apharmacist with B.C.’s Drug and Poison Control InformationCentre, commenting on the two recent poisonings. In the firstcase, the patient suffered from vomiting and diarrhea.
Gair said that the first patient had been taking one tabletdaily of an ayurvedic medicine purchased in India to “increasevigor” for several years. His blood lead level was 5.2 µmol/L,nearly three times the threshold for toxicity.
Lead generally causes stomach ache, constipation, headaches,irritability, troubles concentrating and anemia. And in theworst-case scenarios, it can cause a type of encephalitis, oracute inflammation of the brain.
The second Indo-Canadian patient was admitted to anotherhospital after he complained of nausea, vomiting and acuteabdominal pain. For the previous six weeks the patient hadbeen taking three teaspoonfuls twice daily of a “herb” for hisdiabetes, said Gair. The victim purchased the concoction froma temple in India.
“Most people buy ayurvedic remedies in India and bring themback but apparently there are some products inIndo-Canadian grocery stores . . . and they are fairly widelyavailable,” added Gair.
Ayurvedic medicines, known as bhasmas, have been used in http://www.southasianpost.com/portal2/c1ee8c441910daf80119119af25.
Ayurvedic medicines, known as bhasmas, have been used inIndia for thousands of years. India’s Union Cabinet recentlyannounced the establishment of the North Eastern Institute ofAyurveda and Homeopathy in Shillong to promote the naturalremedy. The ayurvedic method of healing even includes asophisticted system of surgery called “salya-chikitsa.” There are a total of 225 ayurveda colleges in India, anddemand for more schools continues to grow. Ayurveda is alsogrowing in popularity in the West, already enamoured byyoga and eastern mysticism.
It remains unclear why the remedies are now presenting ahealth problem. Gair suspects there is a lack of quality controlat modern production facilities. “In the old days, ayurvedicbhasmas were made by the practitioners themselves,” hesaid. “As a result, a lot of the heavy metals were likely burnedoff from the multiple heating and cooling cycles until theherbs were reduced to an ash-like substance, which werethen given to patients.
“Today, we’re not clear why these products that are beingmanufactured in Indian factories have such higher heavymetal content. It could be that the herbs themselves arecontaminated with heavy metals just from environmentalcontamination, but we’re not entirely sure.”Since ayurvedic treatments laced with heavy metals are notapproved in Canada, Health Canada has warned the publicthree times since 2006 not to ingest them.
“The reason we issue advisories, called Foreign ProductAlerts, is in case anyone travelling abroad brings thoseproducts back with them or if they purchase them over theInternet,” said spokesperson for Health Canada, PaulDuchesne.
In June 2006, Health Canada cautioned people against usingIndia-made Annai Aravindh Herbals Rheuma-7 Capsules,Himalaya Diabecon Tablets, Laurel’s Diabecs Capsules andGoodcare Diabet Guard Granules, citing excessive lead andmercury content in each of the products.
Similarly, in June 2005, Canada listed India-made Karelatablets, Maha Sudarshan Churna powder, Yogaraj Guggultablets, Sudarshan tablets, Shilajit tablets and Safi liquid asdangerous remedies. “Those specific products contain heavymetal and were not approved by health Canada,” saidDuchesne.
Safi liquid, produced byDelhi’s Hamdard Labs, wasfound to contain arsenic at40 times the permissiblelevel for an ingestibleproduct. “Ayurvedictreatments can be risky ifthey are not administeredproperly,” said BelindaBabbage, who has beenpracticing the ancientmedicine for seven years.
“There needs to be moreeducation about how to usethe remedies properly.” http://www.southasianpost.com/portal2/c1ee8c441910daf80119119af25.
Babbage is the founder ofBablends in Vancouver, which blends Western science with holistic and ayurvedicsystems. She believes that there is a stigma surroundingayurveda in Western medicine that hampers productivedialogue in the larger community. “People often look formedicinal alternatives when they randomly come acrossayurvedic remedies,” she said.
“Unfortunately though, it’s not talked enough about. As aresult, many will improperly use ayurveda, which could havedetrimental consequences.”

Source: http://bablends.ca/pdfs/Whenmedicineturnstoxic.pdf