Toxic metals in ayurvedic preparations from a public health lead poisoning cluster investigation

Abstract

Background: Herbal formulations, traditional medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine are used by the majority of the world’s population. Toxicity associated with use of Ayurvedic products due to metal content is an increasingly recognized potential public health problem. Objectives: Report on toxic metals content of Ayurvedic products obtained during an investigation of lead poisoning among users of Ayurvedic medicine. Methods: Samples of Ayurvedic formulations were analyzed for metals and metalloids following established US. Environmental Protection Agency methods. Results: Lead was found in 65% of 252 Ayurvedic medicine samples with mercury and arsenic found in 38 and 32% of samples, respectively. Almost half of samples containing mercury, 36% of samples containing lead and 39% of samples containing arsenic had concentrations of those metals per pill that exceeded, up to several thousand times, the recommended daily intake values for pharmaceutical impurities. Conclusions: Lack of regulations regarding manufacturing and content or purity of Ayurvedic and other herbal formulations poses a significant global public health problem.