Are Ayurvedic Treatments Free From Side-Effects?

Often certain brands of the Ayurveda medicines contain heavy metals like lead and arsenic over the permissible limits. Some of the medicines are prescribed to children below the age of 5 years which can cause severe developmental disorders in them. Heavy metal toxicity is extremely dangerous and may present symptoms such as confusion, headache, anaemia, and in cases that are severe, may lead to coma or even death. Thus, it is important to consult qualified Ayurvedic practitioners before buying medicines.

Ayurvedic brands that are not recognised or do not undergo quality check often put steroids in the medicines. Medicines that claim to cure diseases like rheumatoid arthritis often contain non-permissible amounts of steroids in it. Prolonged use of steroids can have side-effects such as blurred vision, stubborn weight gain, swelling of face and back etc.

The addition of drugs that are of substandard quality is the most common type of substitution that is seen in ayurvedic medications. In this, the active drug is replaced with spurious drugs that have similar morphological characteristics, along with chemical as well as therapeutic properties but of a lower standard. These do not have optimum effect.

Certain herbs are recommended not to be consumed before surgeries as they can cause excessive bleeding and make clotting of blood difficult. Herbal remedies that contain gingko biloba, garlic, or ginseng can be especially dangerous to consume days before any surgery. People must let their surgeons know about the medications they are consuming before surgery, even if it is an Ayurvedic medication.