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Herbal drugs, not without side effects: ITRC director
Lucknow, Nov 14: Every therapeutic drug, whether herbal or modern, has inherent side-effects and companies claiming otherwise are only fooling gullible consumers, said Prof Y K Gupta, director Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC) here.
Lucknow, Nov 14: Every therapeutic drug, whether herbal or
modern, has inherent side-effects and companies claiming otherwise
are only fooling gullible consumers, said Prof Y K Gupta, director
Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC) here.
He said a number of herbal preparations in the market, both
therapeutic and cosmetic, are claimed to be ''absolutely safe'' by
their companies and without side-effects, but ''it is just not
possible although the level of the effect may vary from drug to
drug.''
Prof Gupta was addressing the valedictory function of the seminar on 'new millennium strategies for quality, safety and good manufacturing practices (GMP) of herbal drugs' at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) here yesterday. Uttar Pradesh Governor Prof Vishnu Kant Shastri was the chief guest on the occasion.
NBRI director Dr P Pushpangadan claimed the annual global herbal market was worth USD 100 billion, but India accounted for only a miniscule percentage of that figure.
''Despite having a rich and ancient knowledge pool of herbal and traditional medicines, we are yet to conform to the Ayurvedic way of life. It will not only cut medical costs, but provide a healthier approach to curing diseases,'' he said.
The Governor, berating people who blindly adopt western ways said, ''our youths do 'yoga' and not 'yog' to stay fit, because it has been authenticated by the west.''
The three-day national event was attended by over 250 scientists from across the country, apart from a seven-member team from Sudan.
''It is time we authenticated with experiments the medical procedures laid down in our scriptures and bring before the world the truth about our ancient wisdom,'' added Prof Gupta.
After long deliberations and knowledge sharing, the seminar has recommended 21 points to medical researchers and manufacturers that lays stress upon standardisation of herbal drugs and creating awareness about them, said Dr Pushpangadan.
Bureau Report
Prof Gupta was addressing the valedictory function of the seminar on 'new millennium strategies for quality, safety and good manufacturing practices (GMP) of herbal drugs' at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) here yesterday. Uttar Pradesh Governor Prof Vishnu Kant Shastri was the chief guest on the occasion.
NBRI director Dr P Pushpangadan claimed the annual global herbal market was worth USD 100 billion, but India accounted for only a miniscule percentage of that figure.
''Despite having a rich and ancient knowledge pool of herbal and traditional medicines, we are yet to conform to the Ayurvedic way of life. It will not only cut medical costs, but provide a healthier approach to curing diseases,'' he said.
The Governor, berating people who blindly adopt western ways said, ''our youths do 'yoga' and not 'yog' to stay fit, because it has been authenticated by the west.''
The three-day national event was attended by over 250 scientists from across the country, apart from a seven-member team from Sudan.
''It is time we authenticated with experiments the medical procedures laid down in our scriptures and bring before the world the truth about our ancient wisdom,'' added Prof Gupta.
After long deliberations and knowledge sharing, the seminar has recommended 21 points to medical researchers and manufacturers that lays stress upon standardisation of herbal drugs and creating awareness about them, said Dr Pushpangadan.
Bureau Report