| Title |
Heavy metals in traditional Indian remedies
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, December 2001
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s00228-001-0400-y |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
E. Ernst |
| Abstract |
The growing popularity of traditional Indian remedies necessitates a critical evaluation of risks associated with their use. This systematic review aims at summarising all available data relating to the heavy metal content in such remedies. Computerised literature searches were carried out to identify all articles with original data on this subject. Fifteen case reports and six case series were found. Their collective results suggest that heavy metals, particularly lead, have been a regular constituent of traditional Indian remedies. This has repeatedly caused serious harm to patients taking such remedies. The incidence of heavy metal contamination is not known, but one study shows that 64% of samples collected in India contained significant amounts of lead (64% mercury, 41% arsenic and 9% cadmium). These findings should alert us to the possibility of heavy metal content in traditional Indian remedies and motivate us to consider means of protecting consumers from such risks. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 2 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 2 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 1 | 50% |
| Scientists | 1 | 50% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 78 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 1 | 1% |
| Unknown | 77 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 15 | 19% |
| Student > Master | 11 | 14% |
| Researcher | 7 | 9% |
| Other | 5 | 6% |
| Student > Bachelor | 5 | 6% |
| Other | 11 | 14% |
| Unknown | 24 | 31% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 14 | 18% |
| Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 10 | 13% |
| Chemistry | 8 | 10% |
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 6 | 8% |
| Social Sciences | 3 | 4% |
| Other | 13 | 17% |
| Unknown | 24 | 31% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 27. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 04 August 2023.
All research outputs
#1,432,369
of 25,350,078 outputs
Outputs from European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
#72
of 2,746 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#2,129
of 132,557 outputs
Outputs of similar age from European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
#2
of 11 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,350,078 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 94th percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,746 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 6.4. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 97% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 11 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 90% of its contemporaries.