Quality Problems Widespread Among
Ginseng Products Sold in Japan
By ConsumerLab.com
(HealthNewsDigest.com).. WHITE PLAINS, NY, EMBARGO UNTIL June
20, 2005 Among 14 brands of ginseng dietary supplements recently
purchased in Japan and tested by ConsumerLab.com, only 5 products
passed independent testing by ConsumerLab.com. Six products did
not contain the ginseng they claimed on their labels and 3 others
exceeded acceptable pesticide levels. One product that failed
testing carried the JHFA seal (Japan Health Food & Nutrition
Food), indicating that its quality had been checked and approved
by an agency sanctioned by the Ministry of Health. This is the
second major dietary supplement Product Review reported by
ConsumerLab.com for the Japanese market. ConsumerLab.com, which
independently tests popular dietary supplements, has conducted
similar testing in the U.S. since 1999. ConsumerLab.com published
a report on Japanese CoQ10 supplements in May.
ConsumerLab.com's Ginseng Product Review focused on two related
types of ginseng American (sometimes labeled as Western or Panax
quinquefolius) and Asian (often labeled as Korean, Chinese, or
Panax ginseng). Ginseng dietary supplements are taken primarily to
improve energy, although this effect has not been clinically
demonstrated. Ginseng products are sold in many forms including
drinks, tonics, pills, capsules, tablets, and pastes and cost as
much as 12,000 yen.
Products were purchased through stores, on-line retailers,
catalogues, or multi-level marketing companies. The products were
then tested for their levels of ginsenosides (key markers for the
quality of ginseng) and for potential contamination with the heavy
metals (lead, cadmium and arsenic) and pesticides including
hexachlorobenzene (HCB), quintozene, DDT, and benzene
hexachlorides (BHCs).
No ginsenosides could be detected in two products -- a popular
energy drink and a tonic although both were sold as pharmaceutical
products and subject to strict regulation by the Ministry of
Health. A product sold widely in convenience stores that carried
the JHFA seal contained only 60% of its claimed amount of
ginsenosides. Three other products contained only 23% to 41% of
the expected minimum amount of ginsenosides based on their claimed
levels of ginseng.
The three products contaminated with pesticides included one
sold online, another sold through drug stores, and a third sold
through a major multi-level marketing company. These products
exceeded acceptable levels of BHCs by 80 to 500%. BHCs are
potentially carcinogenic and toxic to various organs and include
the compound
lindane
(gamma-BHC). Two of the products also exceeded the acceptable
level for hexachlorobenzene (HCB) by 36% and 49%, respectively.
HCB is a probable human carcinogen banned from most food crop uses
throughout the world and is a breakdown product from another
pesticide, quintozene. One of the products that high in HCB also
exceeded the acceptable level of for the pesticide quintozene by a
small amount.
The ginseng products that passed testing included three
products in tablet form, a liquid (sold as a pharmaceutical), and
a paste that carried the JHFA seal.
"These results are very disturbing. It is sad that individuals
hoping to enhance their well-being with ginseng are, with some
products, exposing themselves to potentially harmful substances or
are getting ripped off. said Tod Cooperman, M.D., President of
ConsumerLab.com. We found similar problems in the U.S. in 2000,
which, on testing again in 2003 had significantly diminished. We
hope that our findings will steer consumers toward better quality
products and cause the market to fix these problems.
The Ginseng Product Review is found at http://www.consumerlab.com/ja-JP/results/gingseng.asp.
The report identifies and lists the five products that passed the
testing and provides general descriptions of those that did not.
Subscription is required for the report, which also includes
expert information on how to buy and use ginseng. Subscription is
$9 (approximately ¥950) for the report or $24 (approximately
¥2,500) for 12 months of reports online.
Tests of many other types of supplements are in progress, with
Reviews of Alpha Lipoic Acid, Ginkgo Biloba, and Multivitamins due
in coming months. The www.consumerlab.jp website also allows
consumers to view results for hundreds of U.S. and Canadian
products listed on ConsumerLab.coms English-language site.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information
and independent evaluations of products that affect health and
nutrition. The company is privately held and based in New York,
U.S.A. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that
manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. Subscription
to ConsumerLab.com is available online. For group subscriptions or
voluntary product testing contact Elena Yoo, Japan Manager at
Elena.Yoo@ConsumerLab.com.
© Health News Digest.com 2004 All Rights Reserved.
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