Study: Chinese herbs may increase risk of urinary tract cancer
Published On: December 30, 2009, 12:13 am
By Ishpreet Bindra
By Ishpreet Bindra
While many of us may be banking upon traditional Chinese herbal remedies for our ailments, a recent study by researchers from the Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University (NTU); has put a big question mark on some such herbs, linking their usage to an increased risk of urinary tract cancer.
Shocking though it may sound, but going by the study, many Chinese herbal products contain ingredients rich in Aristolochic acid, the consumption of which was linked with an increased risk of urinary tract cancer by the researchers.
During the course of their study the researchers followed 4,594 patients with urinary tract cancer and compared their past medicinal records and history with those of 174,701 other people, who did not suffer from this ailment. The researchers aimed at establishing a relation between the prescribed Chinese herb Mu Tong, a rich source of aristolochic acid and the occurrence of urinary tract cancer.
It was discovered that the patients who were prescribed more than 60 grams of Mu Tong and had been consuming almost 150 milligrams or more of aristolochic acid were linked with an increased risk of urinary tract cancer.
This increased link although was independent of other risk factors contributing to the development the disease.
There have been many other studies which have indicated towards the ill-effects of consumption of aristolochic acid. Thus, formulations using it have already been banned in many countries, Taiwan being one of them.
The lead author of the study Jung-Der Wang of the Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, NTU, wrote:
"In addition to a ban on products that contain any amount of aristolochic acid, we also recommend continued surveillance of herbs or Chinese herbal products that might be adulterated with aristolochic-acid-containing herbs."
He also suggested regular monitoring of patients who had been consuming medicines rich in aristolochic acid before it was banned as according to him they surely were at an increased risk of urinary tract cancer.
Common diseases for which these herbs are used are - hepatitis, urinary tract infection, rhinitis, dysmenorrhoea and eczema.
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