How safe are Ayurvedic formulations?

Ayurvedic medication cannot be considered immune to the general side effects or minor allergic reactions that might be encountered at the time or after their intake. Reportedly few Ayurvedic medications are believed to be containing traces of metallic components. This calls for a precautionary measure to consult your doctor before taking any herbs or Ayurvedic supplements. Special care is to be taken if alternative therapy of Ayurveda is being combined with some conventional medical treatment.

One of the prime safety measures to be meditated is built-in toxicity of herbal medications due to metal contents. Although processes of shodhanas’ are believed to reduce toxicity of Ayurvedic medication, authentic tests should be done to prevent adverse effects of metals. Toxicity can invade these medications through ingredients like herbs, metals, minerals etc. There is mention of various adverse reactions in traditional Ayurveda texts also.

With a view to keep the consumers well informed, Indian Government has made it mandatory for the manufacturers to specify the metallic content of Ayurvedic concoctions on the labels of the product. Concerns have been raised by a few pharmaceutical companies about certain Ayurvedic medicines containing herbs, metals, minerals, or other materials. These worries have got spurred due to some of the revelations, such as:

•    Many Ayurvedic ingredients do not have validations in either Western or Indian research. Hence, they are used as dietary supplements that do not have to meet the standards of conventional medicines.

•    During an American study, around one-fifth of the 70 Ayurvedic remedies, that were being retailed, contained lead, mercury, and arsenic upto harmful levels.

Concisely speaking, any side effect from Ayurvedic medicine may result from the misuse of drug, either in processing or in prescribing. The safety of any Ayurvedic medicine or practice can be best described by the belief that Ayurveda is patient-centric rather than disease-centric. The focus of Ayurveda being mainly on herbs and natural resources, this nature-based therapy has minimal side effects.

Since most of the Ayurvedic medications are combinations of herbs and other medicines, the consumers have to be aware of their use. They must know which component is having a side effect and why. Whenever two or more medications are used, there is a strong possibility that they come into clash with each other. The effectiveness of one of the component gets overloaded by another.

Notwithstanding all these safety concerns, the fact remains that Ayurveda carried on its shoulders centuries-old effectiveness. This proven practicality outweighs the brief trials of allopathic medicines that, inspite of many trials and safety regulations, have claimed many casualties.