Ayurvedic Medicines may contain high concentrations of lead, mercury, and arsenic
Dec 15, 2004 National Public Radio had a report on a study out of Boston University that determined that about 20% of nutritional supplements labelled as containing natural supplements useful for Ayurvedic medicine contained extremely high levels of lead and other toxic heavy metals. One formulation had lead levels several thousand-fold above acceptable levels, and had caused serious brain damage to a regular user of the product before the cause of the brain damage was identified. Because of the 1994 Federal law, nutritional supplements do not have to be proven safe before they are marketed to the public – like the old days when charlatans sold snake oil. It is important to be very cautious about what you put in your body.
Ayurvedic medicine has been the traditional medicine of India and Sri Lanka for at least the past two thousand years. It is a comprehensive healthcare system (in Sanskrit, Ayur-Veda means “science of life”) that treats disease with natural therapies and considers that each person must be treated individually. It is concerned with the mind and spirit as much as the body, and seeks to guide individuals to their natural, inner harmony.
As a truly holistic approach, Ayurvedic medicine also concerns itself with the intangible aspects of being human. Focusing on the mind and the spirit, it seeks to improve and raise them to a higher level by reducing stress and negative emotions. The United Nations World Health Organization recognizes Ayurvedic medicine and supports its integration into modern medicine. There are a growing number of clinics, or wellness centers, in the United States that offer a somewhat modified version of Ayurvedic medicine, such as concentrating only on its “cleansing and rejuvenating” treatments.
Risks
Using Ayurvedic medicine in cases of severe trauma, acute pain, diseases in an advanced stage, or in place of needed surgery would present a major risk to the patient. Because of the danger of unhealthful chemical interactions, it would be unwise to mix an Ayurvedic herbal treatment with other treatments which use drugs, chemicals, or herbal remedies.
In many ways, there are actually two types of Ayurvedic medicine–one practiced on the sick and another practiced preventatively on the well. Proponents of Ayurveda claim that it does especially well with allergies, anxiety, asthma, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, common colds and flu, colitis, constipation, depression, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, immune disorders, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, menstrual cramps and premenstrual syndrome, obesity, skin problems, and ulcers. A further claim is that Ayurvedic medicine can reduce the toxic side effects of certain drugs (like cancer chemotherapy). As a preventive system, its emphasis on promoting good health and taking active steps to avoid serious illness is making it increasingly attractive to modern western medicine.
