The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)'s recent findings that close to 21 per cent of ayurvedic medicines manufactured and distributed by US and Indian companies through Internet contain heavy metal contamination such as lead, mercury or arsenic beyond the permissible limit has come in for severe criticism from the Union Health Ministry. It has termed the findings as highly biased.

In an unequivocal statement against the report, authored by Dr Robert B Saper of Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center along with his associates, the Ayush department of Indian Health Ministry said that various test reports conducted experts in the country prove contrary to Dr Robert's findings.

Samples of 600 Indian medicinal plants collected from the wild as well as various medicinal plant gardens in India by the Council for Scientific Research in Ayurveda and Siddha were sent to the Indian Institute of Toxicological Research (CSIR), Lucknow, Sri Ram Institute of Industrial Toxicology, New Delhi and Centre for Research in Indian Medicine, Shastra University, Thanjavur.

The test reports received from these three laboratories disclose that lead, mercury and arsenic have not been found in these 600 Indian medicinal plants samples above the permissible limits laid down by WHO which is 10ppm for lead, 1ppm for mercury and 3ppm for arsenic. This study clearly indicates that Indian medicinal plants collected from the wild or cultivated have been found to be free from lead, mercury and arsenic contamination contrary to the claim made by Dr. Robert Saper et al in their article published in JAMA, August 27, 2008.

The bias of Dr Saper against Ayurvedic medicines becomes very apparent from the fact that he has included even those Ayurvedic medicines being sold in USA in Table 3 of the article in which lead is below WHO's maximum permissible limit of 10ppm. Further, as per Dr Saper's article, these medicines are sold by internet which does not indicate the source of their origin. Further, some of the medicines mentioned in Table 3 of the article, namely Akangvir Ras, Agnitundi Bati, Arogyavardhini Bati are herbo metallic compounds which contain these metals as therapeutic agents after purification process.

Dr Saper has visited India and has been in touch with several Ayurveda experts and is fully aware that these herbo-metallic preparations used in Ayurvedic system of medicine contain heavy metals like lead, mercury and arsenic as therapeutic agents after proper de-toxification process and no significant adverse drug reactions have been reported regarding their use in India. Dr. Saper is also fully aware that a high level scientific research is being undertaken in India for physio chemical characterization and safety of herbo metallic preparations for Rasa Aushadhies.

It needs to be emphasized that as per the directions issued by Department of AYUSH, herbo metallic compounds are not being officially exported because of heavy metal concerns and only purely herbal Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha medicines are being exported from India with effect from 1.1.2006 after certification of heavy metals below the permissible limit by the manufacturing unit. In view of the above, the above mentioned article of Dr. Saper and his associates are seriously flawed and discloses a strong bias against Ayurvedic medicines, the Ayush department said.