Ayurvedic Heavy Metals

It’s long been known that certain Chinese herbal medicines contain potentially dangerous metals, but no one has determined whether Ayurvedic supplements pose the same problem. Now, for the first time, Ayurvedic herbs from India have been given a closer look, and the news is not good.

Researchers at Harvard bought 70 Ayurvedic products, nearly all of them made in India, and found that one in five contained potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury, and arsenic. Heavy metal toxicity can damage the nervous system, raise blood pressure, stunt cognitive development in children, and cause cancer.

Occasionally the metals are listed on labels, but to be safe, stick to products manufactured in the United States, which are are not allowed to contain heavy metals. For a list of products that failed the test, consult the Journal of the American Medical Association (December 15, 2004, vol. 292, no. 23), where the study was published.

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