Canada regulator finds Ayurvedic products harmful - The Diigo Meta page

• 20 May 08
  

  gibreel ferishta

  Health Canada, a drug and health regulatory body, has once again said some Ayurvedic products may contain high levels of heavy metals, such as lead, mercury and arsenic. Saying these medicines may pose serious health risks, the Canadian regulator has asked people to exercise caution while purchasing them.
  
  The move is based on an article in the March 2008 edition of the British Columbia Medical Journal, detailing how an adult male had symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea, believed to have been caused due to heavy metal poisoning by consuming one tablet a day of Puspadhanva Rasa, manufactured by Shri Dhanwantri Ayurvedic Pharmacy of India.

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  • Health Canada, a drug and health regulatory body, has once again said some Ayurvedic products may contain high levels of heavy metals, such as lead, mercury and arsenic. Saying these medicines may pose serious health risks, the Canadian regulator has asked people to exercise caution while purchasing them.  

    <script language="JavaScript">  google_ad_client = 'businessstandard';  //google_ad_client = 'ca-businessstandard_js';  google_ad_width = 200;  google_ad_height = 200;  google_ad_format = "200x200_as";  google_ad_type = "text";  google_ad_channel = "";  //google_color_border = "FFFFFF";  google_color_border = "F7F7F7";  //google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";  google_color_bg = "ffffff";  //google_color_link = "639ACE";  google_color_link = "0253B7";  google_color_text = "000000";  google_color_url = "D63431";  //google_skip = adsenseSkip;  </script>   <script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">  </script> The move is based on an article in the March 2008 edition of the British Columbia Medical Journal, detailing how an adult male had symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea, believed to have been caused due to heavy metal poisoning by consuming one tablet a day of Puspadhanva Rasa, manufactured by Shri Dhanwantri Ayurvedic Pharmacy of India.

  • The study had alleged that 14 of these products, made by Ayurvedic firms, like Dabur, Zandu, Baidyanath, Himalaya and Jalaram, contained harmful levels of lead, mercury and arsenic. 

    Based on the JAMA study, Health Canada, the UK's drug regulator MHRA and Singapore's regulator HSA had issued warning against Ayurvedic products with high metal content.  

    The issue also caused India's ministry of health to make heavy metal tests mandatory for herbal, Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani medicine exports from January 1, 2006. The exported products also have to display on the label whether the heavy metals are within the permissible levels.

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