BENGALURU: Maggi may be in a soup over its excess lead content. But a 65-year-old from Bengaluru has shown how lead can accumulate in the body from other sources too, like some ayurvedic drugs, and cause serious health hazards.

When the senior citizen was brought to a city hospital with signs of dementia, doctors were shocked to find 150 microgram of lead per deci litre in his blood. It was 10 times above the limit of 15 mcg/dl and the reason for his neurological disorder.

Two of the seven ayurvedic drugs he was administered for five years had high lead content, resulting in its accumulation in his body.

The patient had been brought to St John's Medical College hospital with symptoms of memory loss, forgetfulness, mood swings, confusion, irritability and urge to run away from home. Investigation was done and the high blood-lead levels prompted doctors to enquire what other medication he was taking.

"He also suffers from cancer and diabetes for which he was taking ayurvedic medicines. We sent those medicines for testing. The results were shocking, as two of the seven drugs were high in lead content," said Dr GRK Sarma, head of the hospital's neurology department.

One of the drugs contained 5,000 ppm (parts per million) of lead whereas the other contained 10,000 ppm of lead, when the permissible limit is 25 ppm. The drugs were tested in National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning in India (NRCLPI). However, doctors refused to reveal the drugs given, type of cancer and details of the doctor treating the patient.

'Not all contain lead': "This is quite surprising and unprecedented. Ayurvedic drugs are made up of metal ash (bhasma) and plant extract. It does not mean all ayurvedic products have lead," clarified %DR Sarma. This case has been a shocker for Dr Tuppil Venkatesh, director NRCLPI, who tested the drugs.

"Even among labourers in the lead and automobile industry who are most exposed to lead, the blood lead levels will not be more than 30-35 microgram per deci litre. This case is shocking. Lead was present in the medicines he was taking," Dr Tuppil told TOI.

