Fw: Health Ministry Rejects Jama (USA), august 27, 2008 Report on 'Heavy Metals in Ayurvedic Medicines'

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India Health Ministry Rejects Jama (USA), august 27, 2008 Report on 'Heavy

Metals in Ayurvedic Medicines'

 

PROPAGANDA AND MISINFORMATION AGAINST AYURVEDIC MEDICINES - SAYS DEPARTMENT OF

AYUSH

--

 

14:19 IST Press Information Buereau, Government of India

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=42239

 

Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and

Homoeopathy (AYUSH) has in a press release issued on 2.9.2008 has stated that

the reports regarding Heavy Metals in Ayurvedic herbal medicinal products

originating from South Asia and available in Boston South Asian grocery stores

containing potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury and/or arsenic are flawed

and disclose a strong bias against Ayurvedic medicines. The above article by

Doctor Robert B. Saper of Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Centre

and others published in the Journal of American Medical Association, August 27,

2008 is a rehash of his earlier article published in JAMA, December 15, 2004.

 

In Table 3 of his August 27, 2008 article Dr. Robert B. Saper et al have

included even those herbal medicines in which Lead, Mercury, Arsenic is below

the WHO permissible limits which discloses the bias of Dr. Saper and his team

against Ayurveda medicines. The Department also mentioned a study of 600

medicinal plants samples collected by Central Council for Research in Ayurveda

and Siddha in association with ITRC (CSIR) Lucknow Sriram Institute of

Industrial Toxicology, New Delhi and Shastra University, Thanjavur, which

disclosed that these Indian medicinal plants did not have Lead, Mercury, Arsenic

above WHO permissible limits.

 

It needs to be emphasized that as per the directions issued by Department

of AYUSH, herbo-metallic compounds are not being officially exported because of

heavy metal concerns and only purely herbal Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha medicines

are being exported from India with effect from 1st January 2006 after

certification of heavy metals below the permissible limit by the manufacturing

unit. Testing of heavy metals and other contamination in purely herbal Ayurveda,

Siddha and Unani products is already a part of Good Manufacturing Practices

(GMP) notified by the Department of AYUSH in 2003.

 

A project for Physico chemical characterization and toxicity studies of 8

widely used Bhasmas (Rasa Aushadhies) in CSIR laboratories found them to be

non-toxic after 28 days toxicity studies. 90 days toxicity studies are underway.

Supplementary Good Manufacturing Practices for Rasa Aushadhies have also been

prepared of which draft publication has been done.

 

Department of AYUSH asserted that issues raised by Dr. Saper, howsoever

flawed, will be responded to by Indian Scientists on the basis of their research

on Ayurveda herbal and herbo-metallic medicines through research publications in

due course.

 

DS/GK/Ayush/385

 

 

 

 

Comments of the Department of Ayush on " Heavy Metals in Ayurvedic

Medicines " Article Published In Jama, August 27, 2008

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17:12 IST Press Information Buereau, Government of India

Dr.Robert B. Saper of Department of Family medicine, Boston Medical Center

along with others had published an article in JAMA, December 15, 2004 " Heavy

Metal Content of Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine Products " which on the basis of

testing of 70 samples of herbal medicinal products collected from grocery stores

of Boston Area for heavy metals concluded that one out of every 5 Ayurvedic

Herbal Medicinal Products originating from South Asia and available in Boston

South Asian grocery stores contains potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury

and/or arsenic. This article was widely reported in the Indian print media.

Inspite of methodological infirmities in the study carried out by Dr. Robert

Saper and his associates, the Department of AYUSH enforced mandatory testing for

heavy metals in respect of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani herbal products being

exported from India w.e.f. 1.1.2006. Testing for heavy metals and other

contaminant in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani products is already a part of Good

Manufacturing Practices notified in 2003.

 

A project for Physico chemical characterization and toxicity studies of 8

widely used Bhasmas (Rasa Aushadhies) was also sanctioned under the Golden

Triangle Project which is being carried out by various laboratories of CSIR i.e.

Indian Institute of Toxicological Research (IITR), Lucknow, Indian Institute of

Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad. Under this project, one of the reputed

manufacturers of Rasa Aushadhies was chosen for manufacturing of the selected

Rasa Aushadhies as per the classical texts which were made available to CSIR

laboratories for physio chemical characterization and their toxicity studies. On

the basis of 28 days toxicity studies, all the 8 Rasa Aushadhies have been found

to be non-toxic. 90 days chronic studies are under progress. CSIR would be

getting the results of this scientific research published to set at rest doubts

regarding the safety of Rasa Aushadhies prepared properly as per classical

texts. Further, the work of finalizing SOPs for the various herbo metallic

compounds (Rasa Aushadhies) used in Ayurveda has been undertaken by the

Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia Committee of India. Supplementary Good Manufacturing

Practices for Rasa Aushadhies have also been prepared of which draft publication

has been done.

 

Samples of 600 Indian medicinal plants collected from the wild as well as

various medicinal plant gardens in India by the Council for Scientific Research

in Ayurveda and Siddha were sent to the Indian Institute of Toxicological

Research (CSIR), Lucknow, Sri Ram Institute of Industrial Toxicology, New Delhi

and Centre for Research in Indian Medicine, Shastra University, Thanjavur. The

test reports received from these three laboratories disclose that Lead, Mercury

and Arsenic have not been found in these 600 Indian medicinal plants samples

above the permissible limits laid down by WHO which is 10ppm for Lead, 1ppm for

Mercury and 3ppm for Arsenic. This study clearly indicates that Indian medicinal

plants collected from the wild or cultivated have been found to be free from

lead, mercury and arsenic contamination contrary to the claim made by Dr. Robert

Saper et al in their second article " Lead, Mercury and Arsenic in US- and

Indian- Manufactured Ayurvedic Medicines sold via the Internet " published in

JAMA, August 27, 2008.

 

The bias of Dr. Saper against Ayurvedic medicines becomes very apparent

from the fact that he has included even those Ayurvedic medicines being sold in

USA in Table 3 of the above mentioned article in which lead is below WHO's

maximum permissible limit of 10ppm. Further, as per Dr. Saper's article, these

medicines are sold by internet which does not indicate the source of their

origin. Further, some of the medicines mentioned in Table 3 of the article,

namely Akangvir Ras, Agnitundi Bati, Arogyavardhini Bati are herbo metallic

compounds which contain these metals as therapeutic agents after purification

process. Dr. Saper has visited India and has been in touch with several Ayurveda

experts and is fully aware that these herbo-metallic preparations used in

Ayurvedic system of medicine contain heavy metals like lead, mercury and arsenic

as therapeutic agents after proper de-toxification process and no significant

adverse drug reactions have been reported regarding their use in India. Dr.

Saper is also fully aware that a high level scientific research is being

undertaken in India for physio chemical characterization and safety of herbo

metallic preparations for Rasa Aushadhies.

 

It needs to be emphasized that as per the directions issued by Department

of AYUSH, herbo metallic compounds are not being officially exported because of

heavy metal concerns and only purely herbal Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha medicines

are being exported from India with effect from 1.1.2006 after certification of

heavy metals below the permissible limit by the manufacturing unit. In view of

the above, the above mentioned article of Dr. Saper and his associates is

seriously flawed and discloses a strong bias against Ayurvedic medicines. Indian

scientists and research institutions will be responding to the issues raised by

Dr. Saper, howsoever flawed they may be, through research articles based on

their work on Ayurvedic medicines in due course.

 

DS/GK/Heavy metals/383

________

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: Margot Süttmann

Gesendet: Freitag, 5. September 2008 13:53

Betreff: Health Ministry Rejects Jama (USA), august 27, 2008 Report on 'Heavy

Metals in Ayurvedic Medicines'

[Guest guest]

Nmaste:

 

IMO - It does not matter what AYUSH, NAMA or anybody says. US has

established their own thresholds of toxicity. Therefore, if Indian

wish to make money by selling their products in US then they must

comply. No one is telling them not to sell it in India.

 

Dr. Yadu

 

_________________________

India Health Ministry Rejects Jama (USA), august 27, 2008 Report

on 'Heavy Metals in Ayurvedic Medicines'

 

PROPAGANDA AND MISINFORMATION AGAINST AYURVEDIC MEDICINES - SAYS

DEPARTMENT OF AYUSH

> --

 

14:19 IST Press Information Buereau, Government of India

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=42239