Both U.S.-made and imported Ayurvedic dietary supplements have high contamination rates of toxic metals such as mercury—though only a small fraction of the levels found in canned tuna.
Amla & Triphala Tested for Metals
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If Ayurvedic herbal preparations are often contaminated with toxic metals, should we stay away from amla and triphala, two of the three most antioxidant-packed foods in the world? Are we going to be forced to go back to cloves, number four down the list?
In the Boston study, both amla and triphala were repeatedly tested—different samples, different brands—and not a single one had any detectable lead, mercury, arsenic, or cadmium. Good news. And neither had any detectable pesticides, either. But maybe that’s just Boston. If you want to do a broad survey of the global market, you need to start shopping on the internet.
Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: “Lead, Mercury, and Arsenic in…Ayurvedic Medicines Sold via the Internet.” Once again, one-fifth of the medicines: contaminated.
When the Boston study came out, there were calls for mandatory testing of all imported dietary supplements for toxic heavy metals. But this study found that the prevalence of metals in U.S.-manufactured Ayurvedic medicine was the same, if not higher, than those imported from India. They found lead levels violating safety limits in products with names like “Worry Free,” a pediatric preparation. Mercury in products like “Breath of Life.” And arsenic levels exceeding EPA limits in triphala. Mercury in triphala, and lead in triphala. Okay, I guess we can scratch that off the list. That’s why my smoothies have amla, not triphala.
Just to put things in perspective, though, Consumer Reports recently remeasured mercury levels in canned tuna, and while a serving of triphala may have 46 micrograms of mercury, the average can of white tuna has 1,345. But as far as I’m concerned, practically any mercury is too much mercury.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is transcript contributed by Bruce A. Hamilton.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Saper RB, Kales SN, Paquin J, Burns MJ, Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Phillips RS. Heavy metal content of ayurvedic herbal medicine products. JAMA. 2004 Dec 15;292(23):2868-73.
- Saper RB, Phillips RS, Sehgal A, Khouri N, Davis RB, Paquin J, Thuppil V, Kales SN. Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet. JAMA. 2008 Aug 27;300(8):915-23.
- Rao MM, Kumarmeena A, Galib. Detection of toxic heavy metals and pesticide residue in herbal plants which are commonly used in the herbal formulations. Environ Monit Assess. 2011 Oct;181(1-4):267-71. Epub 2011 Jan 6.
- Mercury in canned tuna still a concern: new tests reinforce a need for some people to limit consumption. Consum Rep. 2011 Jan;76(1):20-1.
- alternative medicine
- amla
- antioxidants
- arsenic
- Ayurvedic medicine
- berries
- cadmium
- cans
- children
- cloves
- complementary medicine
- Consumers Union
- dried fruit
- fish
- fruit
- gooseberries
- heavy metals
- India
- industrial pollutants
- infants
- lead
- medications
- mercury
- nutrition myths
- oxidative stress
- phytonutrients
- safety limits
- smoothies
- supplements
- triphala
- tuna
If Ayurvedic herbal preparations are often contaminated with toxic metals, should we stay away from amla and triphala, two of the three most antioxidant-packed foods in the world? Are we going to be forced to go back to cloves, number four down the list?
In the Boston study, both amla and triphala were repeatedly tested—different samples, different brands—and not a single one had any detectable lead, mercury, arsenic, or cadmium. Good news. And neither had any detectable pesticides, either. But maybe that’s just Boston. If you want to do a broad survey of the global market, you need to start shopping on the internet.
Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: “Lead, Mercury, and Arsenic in…Ayurvedic Medicines Sold via the Internet.” Once again, one-fifth of the medicines: contaminated.
When the Boston study came out, there were calls for mandatory testing of all imported dietary supplements for toxic heavy metals. But this study found that the prevalence of metals in U.S.-manufactured Ayurvedic medicine was the same, if not higher, than those imported from India. They found lead levels violating safety limits in products with names like “Worry Free,” a pediatric preparation. Mercury in products like “Breath of Life.” And arsenic levels exceeding EPA limits in triphala. Mercury in triphala, and lead in triphala. Okay, I guess we can scratch that off the list. That’s why my smoothies have amla, not triphala.
Just to put things in perspective, though, Consumer Reports recently remeasured mercury levels in canned tuna, and while a serving of triphala may have 46 micrograms of mercury, the average can of white tuna has 1,345. But as far as I’m concerned, practically any mercury is too much mercury.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is transcript contributed by Bruce A. Hamilton.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Saper RB, Kales SN, Paquin J, Burns MJ, Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Phillips RS. Heavy metal content of ayurvedic herbal medicine products. JAMA. 2004 Dec 15;292(23):2868-73.
- Saper RB, Phillips RS, Sehgal A, Khouri N, Davis RB, Paquin J, Thuppil V, Kales SN. Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet. JAMA. 2008 Aug 27;300(8):915-23.
- Rao MM, Kumarmeena A, Galib. Detection of toxic heavy metals and pesticide residue in herbal plants which are commonly used in the herbal formulations. Environ Monit Assess. 2011 Oct;181(1-4):267-71. Epub 2011 Jan 6.
- Mercury in canned tuna still a concern: new tests reinforce a need for some people to limit consumption. Consum Rep. 2011 Jan;76(1):20-1.
- alternative medicine
- amla
- antioxidants
- arsenic
- Ayurvedic medicine
- berries
- cadmium
- cans
- children
- cloves
- complementary medicine
- Consumers Union
- dried fruit
- fish
- fruit
- gooseberries
- heavy metals
- India
- industrial pollutants
- infants
- lead
- medications
- mercury
- nutrition myths
- oxidative stress
- phytonutrients
- safety limits
- smoothies
- supplements
- triphala
- tuna
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Amla & Triphala Tested for Metals
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Content URLDoctor's Note
Be sure to check out my other videos on Ayurvedic medicine, especially Some Ayurvedic Medicine Worse Than Lead Paint Exposure, and Get the Lead Out.
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