Heavy metals in Ayurvedic medicines

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a warning about the possible availability of unlicensed Ayurvedic herbal medicines containing heavy metals in the UK. Concern follows a recent warning issued by Health Canada which stated that specific herbal products within the Canadian marketplace have been found to contain high levels of heavy metals. The MHRA suspects that these products may have also entered the UK market. The MHRA urges individuals who believe they may have taken any of the affected products to discontinue use and consult their pharmacist or doctor. A list of the affected medicines is available on the MHRA website.

<http://medicines.mhra.gov.uk>, accessed November 3, 2005.