The presence of toxins in Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM), their questionable clinical trials and lack of scientific evidence about their efficacy are raising many eyebrows.
The detailed results of the trials of TCM are also not being published in public and the presence of toxins is not indicated on the packaging of TCM products due to lack of guidelines and required regulations, according to Inside Over.
Arthur Grollman, a cancer researcher at Stony Brook University in New York, has published work showing how Aristolochic acid, an ingredient in many TCM remedies, can cause kidney failure and cancer.
Furthermore, according to a research titled “Safety Concerns of Traditional Chinese Medicine Injections Used in Chinese”, TCM injections pose serious risks to the pediatric population.
There are cases of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), especially in children that have pushed TCM into the bracket of pseudoscience. This raises concern and before any further use of these medicines, they need rigorous and unbiased research and clinical trials, reported Inside Over.
ADRs in children have been reported in most of the places where TCM is practised, within China and other countries like Nigeria, Tanzania and South Africa.
During the tenure of Margaret Chan, who served as the DG of the WHO from 2006 to 2017, China was able to include TCM in the crucial International Classification of Diseases, ICD-11, for the first time.
However, this inclusion was criticized by the global scientific community. Such a promotion by WHO, ignoring science does not leave space for unbiased and rational decision making while dealing with TCMs. (ANI)
