Studies Raises Questions and Concerns
About Safety of Herbal Supplements

      A 2004 study by researchers from the University of Notre Dame raises important questions about the safety of herbal dietary supplements. These supplements, also known as phytopharmacuticals, are medicinal plant preparations that historically have proven effective in treating diseases. These herbal medicines include substances such as St. John's Wort, cayenne, goldenseal root and echinacea.

       There is growing demand for herbal supplements in industrialized nations due to mistrust of prescription pharmaceuticals and the consumer perception that "natural" means safe. The World Health Organization estimates that 65 percent to 80 percent of the world's population meets its primary health care needs through plant-based medicines.

       This increased demand has resulted in indiscriminate harvesting of wild species of plant material. The Notre Dame team theorized that commercial preparations of medicinal products from the roots of wild harvested medicinal plants may be subjected to pollution contamination, including heavy metals and organic contaminants, and might pose a serious health risk.

       The Notre Dame team used the University's Inductively Couple Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) facility and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze the metal and organic composition of dietary supplements. The analyzed supplements were found to contain one or more heavy metals in surprisingly high abundances. The analysis also showed that two organic compounds, n-hexadecanoic acid and octadecanoic acid, were tentatively identified in the herbal medicines with relatively high concentrations. The two compounds are skin, eye and respiratory irritants.

       The researchers suggest that further research is required to identify possible pesticides in herbal medicines. They also note that plant-based medicines are not regulated by governments and those legislative reforms and new technologies are needed to ensure the safety of consumers and the effectiveness of the supplements.

       The Notre Dame team included Jinesh C. Jain, manager of the ICP-MS; Clive R. Neal, associate professor of civil engineering and geological sciences; Jeffery W. Talley, assistant professor of civil engineering and geological sciences; Xiangru Zhang, a graduate student; and Matt Padberg, an undergraduate student. Jain received a Plaque of Honor for the study at the International Symposium for Recent Advances in Pharmacology, held Jan. 7-8, 04 in New Delhi, India.

Source: ascribe.org SOUTH BEND, Ind., March 2, 2004 (Ascribe Newswire)

COMMENTARY

This is not the first that this has been documented. Many herbal products have been found to contain the dangerous types of heavy metals. Many have been found to contain PRESCRIPTION DRUGS! One "supplement", PC-SPES, patented and marketed to enhance prostate health, and by some was used to treat prostate cancer, was found on chemical analysis to contain diethylstilbestrol, an estrogen more commonly known as DES, indomethacin, a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly known as indocin, and/or warfarin, an anticoagulate known as coumadin, used primarily to treat and prevent reformation of blood clots. This product was removed from the market and retail suppliers shelves.

Scientists from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and OB/GYN Doctors from Rochester Hospital in Rochester, Michigan released this statement April 11, 2001:

"While characterizing natural anti-inflammatory substances in human placental blood, we discovered a factor that affected human neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) and their adherence. Rigorous chemical and stereo chemical analyses revealed this factor to be the well-known alkaloid, cholchicine. When samples from individual patients were analyzed, significant levels (49-763 micrograms/L) of colchicine could be found in the placental blood of patients using nonprescription herbal dietary supplements during pregnancy. We confirmed the presence of cochicine in commercially available gingko baloba. Due to its potential harmful effects, it would appear that such supplements should be avoided by women who are pregnant or trying to conceive." (Chem. Res. Toxicol.2001,14,1254-1258.)

Colchicine is a well known antiinflammary prescription drug used for gout. It is found in approximately 200 species of plants across 20 genera. It is teratogenic, meaning it is harmful to a developing fetus and can be fatal depending on dose. It causes pause and wonder as to how many miscarriages may have been caused by it's hidden presence in herbal dietary supplements.

The California department of Health reported that 32% of Asian herbal medicines sold in that state contained undeclared pharmaceuticals or heavy metals. The drugs most frequently found were ephedrine, chlorphemiramine, methyltestosterone and phenacetin (removed from the US market in the 70's as it causes renal failure). Also 10 to 15% contained lead, mercury and arsenic. The FDA and other regulatory agencies subsequently screened 500 Chinese herbal medicines and 10% were found to contain undeclared drugs and metals.

Source: Natural Medicine Law Newsletter