by pemachophel » Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:50 pm
As for the arsenic, how many parts per million?
As someone who owns an herbal medicine manufacturing company, Namdrol is right. The arsenic is probably being picked up by the plants from their environment (along with other heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.). In a modern manufacturing facility, these heavy metals can be removed from the product during manufacture. The US FDA has levels of safe arsenic for food and medicinal products as does the equivalent governing body in the EU. So, if you're worried about the arsenic, you can check the parts per million in the medicine and see if they are below those published standards. If they are higher, it doesn't mean the medicine will necessarily hurt you. However, in that case, you might not want to take too much of it or take it for a long period of time. The company who makes and/or sells this medicine should be able to furnish you lab reports showing the presence of heavy metals, microbial contaminants, and pesticides. If they cannot or will not, they are not working within the framework of most developed countries. In that case, you're flying on a wing and faith. Again, it doesn't mean you shouldn't take the medicine, but you're doing it with incomplete information.
Good luck and best wishes.
Pema Chophel པདྨ་ཆོས་འཕེལ
