Citation

Sakharkar P. Indian J. Clin. Biochem. 2017; 32(4): 500-501.

Affiliation

Clinical and Administrative Sciences, Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy, 1400 N Roosevelt Blvd, Schaumburg, IL 60173 USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Association of Clinical Biochemists, Publisher Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s12291-017-0678-x

PMID

29062186

PMCID

PMC5634984

Abstract

Many herbal products are harmless or possess minimal toxicity, whereas, some contain toxic ingredients that may not be identified due to lack of quality control or not listed on the label. Over the years, several case reports and studies have documented that herbal medications may contain ingredients that are toxic. Several studies have documented that some herbal medications contained high concentrations of heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. Publications of such case reports and studies have repeatedly reminded us that we have failed in our legal and civic duties of educating users of herbal medications and general population about the grave concerns posed by the herbal medications and their associated toxicities.

Language: en

Keywords

Arsenic poisoning; Ayurvedic medicines; Heavy metal poisoning; Herbal medications; Lead poisoning; Mercury poisoning