Safety Information

Alert communication

Ayurvedic medicines update

1 April 2025

In March 2024, Medsafe issued an alert about cases of lead poisoning in people taking Ayurvedic medicines in New Zealand. We said in the last alert that we would update you when we had new information.

Since then, Medsafe has been working with the National Public Health Service which tested samples of Ayurvedic products available in New Zealand. Some products were found to contain high levels of heavy metals, including arsenic and mercury, which can be harmful to health.

Medsafe is working to remove these products from the market.

Advice for consumers and caregivers
Information for healthcare professionals
Products affected
More information
Useful links

Advice for consumers and caregivers

Recent testing of Ayurvedic products found that some contain high levels of arsenic and mercury, which can be harmful to health. Previous testing of different Ayurvedic products found some that contained high levels of lead, which is also harmful.
Some Ayurvedic products can contain unknown or unverified ingredients. There is a wide variation between products. Particular caution is urged when these products come with no packaging, labelling, or are from uncertain sources.
If you become unwell after taking an Ayurvedic medicine, seek urgent advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Help is also available by calling Healthline on 0800 611 116.

Information for healthcare professionals

Ask patients who present with unexplained symptoms about their use of natural health products, including Ayurvedic medicines.
Consider whether your patient may have heavy metal poisoning if they are using Ayurvedic medicine.
Call the National Poisons Centre (0800 764 766) if you think a patient may have heavy metal poisoning.
If possible, collect a sample of the suspect product for testing by Medsafe (contact medclearance@health.govt.nz for advice and instructions about forwarding the sample).

Products affected

Ayurvedic medicine is a type of traditional medicine. There are no approved Ayurvedic medicines in New Zealand.

The products shown in Figures 1 to 6 were laboratory tested and found to contain high levels of heavy metals, including arsenic and mercury.

Figure 1: Patanjali, Giloy Ghan Vati (tablets)

Figure 2: Baidyanath, Mahasudarshan Ghan Bati (tablets)

Figure 3: Patanjali, Divya, Kayakalp vati extra power (tablets)

Figure 4: Patanjali, Divya, Sanjeevani Vati (tablets)

Figure 5: Patanjali, Divya, Hridyamrit Vati extra power (tablets)

Figure 6: Pantanjali, Ashvashila (capsules)

More information

The National Public Health Service conducted a sample survey of some Ayurvedic products available in New Zealand. Testing of these samples found that some Ayurvedic products contained heavy metals, including arsenic and mercury, at potentially harmful levels.

Acute arsenic poisoning can cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and (sometimes bloody) diarrhoea, resulting in significant dehydration. Other symptoms can include fatigue, nerve pain in hands and feet, seizures, and more. Clinical testing may reveal multiple simultaneous organ injuries.

Mercury can affect the kidneys and nervous system. Nervous system symptoms can include headache, changes in mood, poor concentration or memory, incoordination, weakness, and seizure. Some forms of mercury can also cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain.

Medsafe is working with local importers to identify these products and take action to remove them from use. However, there may be some Ayurvedic products with high levels of heavy metals that we haven’t yet identified. If you have taken any of these products, talk to a doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible. Don’t throw away the product. Bring it to a health professional so they can arrange to have it tested for any dangerous contaminants.