http://www.seattleinsider.com/partners/kirotv/consumer/2001/05/toxicherbal.html
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Ross McLaughlin But a KIRO 7 Eyewitness
News Consumer Investigation exposes dangerous contaminants in some natural
products. You won't see what we
discovered listed on the label: Toxic substances that in large enough doses
could cause death. There's something inside
this herb. "It's a bacteria,
it's a poison," says Seattle Naturopath Dr. Dan Labrioloa. It's fecal matter. And
it's in this Astragalus root. "Everyone is at risk
depending on the dosage," Labriola says. Dr. Labriola prescribes
herbs. "This is something
that should not be in the product period," he says. He fears contaminants
could make his patients sick. So he took us shopping to
prove the point. We purchased 10 herbal supplements at random. Some were
produced in the United States, others imported from China. We got a state-certified
lab to do the testing. Not only did we find
fecal matter, we found heavy metals, too. Six of the samples tested
positive for heavy metals. Like arsenic, a poison,
cadmium, a carcinogen and lead, which can cause neurological disorders. "Some of them [had
levels] 10 to 20 times higher than what the federal government says is safe
for drinking water," says Kathy Fugiel of AM TEST. That's not all. All of the imported
Chinese herbs we tested contained mercury. The highest amount was in
a product called "zi sheng wan." "I say 'wow,
mercury.' I see that level in sewage sludge. DOE would not even like this in
soil outside your door. What's it doing in the tablet?" Fugiel says. "Heavy metal
poisoning, even at low levels -- that's chronic [and] can create severe
health problems, even death," she says. So what are the companies
saying? "Every contaminant
in a raw material is a concern," says Joanne Roberts of Oregon's Wild
Harvest. We traveled to Sandy,
Oregon to visit Oregon's Wild Harvest. It grows most of its own
herbs, but the astragalus root that contained fecal matter and heavy metals
was imported from China. As a result of what we
found the company is going to do more testing. "I have concerns of
pesticides, heavy metals and I encourage all supplemental companies to screen
for all these things," Roberst says. Two other companies whose
products we tested didn't see a problem. Planetary Formulas sent KIRO 7
Eyewitness News a statement disputing our testing. The company says heavy
metals occur in all natural and synthetic compounds and that the levels we
found were not significantly high enough to be a concern. Frontier, which makes
dong qai root, says their heavy metal levels were far below safety levels
established by the FDA and EPA. But the Food and Drug
Administration told us it has no established standards for herbs. "Right now, no one's
looking at this that's why this has come up as a big issue," Dr.
Labriola says. "These kinds of substances do not belong in products that
people are ingesting orally," he says. The Food and Drug
Administration is in the process of developing new regulations for herbs. In the meantime, those
who are most susceptible to contaminants are children, the elderly and
patients with compromised immune systems. Dr. Labriola says if they
are taking several herbs, the cumulative effects of contaminants could make
them sick. And he strongly
recommends you consult with your doctor before taking herbal remedies. |
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© 2001 Cox Interactive Media |
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