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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 Saper said that "many traditional Indian practitioners believe quite strongly that if rasa shastra is done correctly, it is safe," that he feels these practices should be "seriously called into question." Saper also said that he doesn't believe anyone should deliberately ingest lead, mercury or arsenic.
The current study included 193 products randomly selected and purchased over the Internet. The researchers found that 20.7 percent contained metals. The rate in U.S. manufactured products was 21.7 percent, and in Indian products, it was 19.5 percent.
Not surprisingly, almost 41 percent of rasa shastra products had a greater prevalence of metals, including high levels of lead and mercury. "Several Indian-manufactured rasa shastra medicines could result in lead and/or mercury ingestions 100 to 10,000 times greater than acceptable limits," the researchers wrote.
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Seventy-five percent of the products claimed to be manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practices.
Products made by members of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) were less likely to contain metals, according to the study.
Michael McGuffin, president of the AHPA, said, "It's not an accident that AHPA members performed better. We've called our members attention to the presence of heavy metals in plant materials. Lead is ubiquitous. It's in the soil and in the plants. I don't think you can get these levels to zero, but it is the manufacturers' responsibility to know the amount and to limit it."
AHPA also recommends that its members don't manufacture rasa shastra products.
Saper said that the FDA hasn't currently set a maximum level allowed for lead, mercury and arsenic in dietary supplements, but he believes they should.
McGuffin recommended buying products made by members of AHPA, because the study found they were least likely to contain metals, and he said consumers should call the makers of their medicines and "ask tough questions." He said if you call a company and ask what their limits are for lead, and the representative says they don't know, that's a red flag.
More information
Learn more about ayurvedic medicine from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
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