On the surface, a recent report from ConsumerLab.com about two supplements containing the herb turmeric or its active ingredient curcumin out of 10 failing comprehensive battery of quality testing may not seem so important in the grand scheme of things. For the record, the products that didn't pass ConsumerLab.com's quality tests contained less than 8 percent and 15 percent of the amount of turmeric or curcumin cited on their labels. And, none of the 10 products tested exceeded safety limits for lead and cadmium either.

So, why should you really be concerned about taking a turmeric or curcumin supplement?

A report by Dr. David Liva for Integrative Medicine describes loopholes in federal testing standards devised by US Pharmacopeia and enforced by the FDA that allows for the presence of higher-than-safe quantities of 1,2-Dichloroethane (a Group B2 and probable human carcinogen also known as ethylene dichloride), a Class 1 solvent used to produce vinyl chloride and other chemicals, and to extract curcuminoids from the turmeric root.

Interestingly, there are safer, less toxic solvents manufacturers can use to extract the active goodies from turmeric (the most popular is ethanol). Unfortunately, Dr. Liva's report concludes that 1, 2-Dichloroethane is more effective and cheaper than others, and US Pharmacopeia regs give manufacturers leeway if using the chemical is deemed unavoidable.

The catch: US Pharmacopeia standards also mandate that Class 1 solvents like 1,2-Dichloroethane "should be identified and quantified" when used, yet its use isn't documented often, if at all, according to Dr. Liva. And, nothing compels the FDA to demand that manufacturers test for 1,2-Dichloroethane. Among the effects from exposure to 1,2-Dichloroethane at levels above maximum levels for relatively short periods:

• Heart failure
• Central nervous system disorders
• Liver, kidneys and lungs problems

Dr. Timothy Birdsall, vice chairman of CNCA's Quality Control Unit, discussed the many problems with heavy metals and solvents that may be hiding in your supplements in this summer 2009 video. If you haven't watched it in a while, maybe it's time to take another look, then review our checklist of six questions you should be asking every time you consider taking a supplement.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

ConsumerLab.com February 16, 2011

Integrative Medicine, Vol. 9, No. 5, p. 50-54, October/November 2010