How Panchakarma Removes Dangerous Chemicals from the Blood — 50% Reduction Verified by Study
A study published in the Sept./Oct. 2002 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that Panchakarma—the centuries-old Ayurvedic purification program—reduced fat-soluble toxicants such as DDE (a by-product of DDT) and PCBs by about 50 percent. These chemicals can remain in the body for decades (up to 40 years), and to date, no other proven method has been shown to eliminate this class of disruptive chemicals from the physiology.
Lipophilic (fat-soluble) toxicants are among the most concerning environmental contaminants. They accumulate in plants and animals and concentrate up the food chain, leading to higher levels in humans as we age. These toxins can even be passed from mother to child. Scientific research has linked them to hormone disruption, immune suppression, reproductive disorders, breast cancer, other chronic diseases, and even childhood obesity. Recently, DDE has also been associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The results of this two-month longitudinal study showed that levels of PCBs were reduced by 46 percent, and levels of several pesticides including DDE were reduced by 58 percent after just a five-day Panchakarma program. Without intervention, the natural drop over the same period would be only a fraction of one percent. Importantly, the treatment produced these dramatic reductions without negative side effects.
Robert Herron, Ph.D., lead author of the study, observed that PCB and DDE levels in the general population were unexpectedly high:
“These toxicants were banned decades ago and were assumed to be declining to negligible levels in the U.S. population. Our findings, however, suggest that they are still entering the food chain and may even be increasing. One possible explanation is that produce imported to the U.S. from other countries may contain banned toxicants, since these hazardous chemicals are still widely used for agriculture and malaria control in other regions.”
For over 33 years, The Raj has been offering authentic Maharishi Ayurveda programs that go far beyond what is available in spas. This landmark study underscores the unique, time-tested effectiveness of Panchakarma in removing some of the most persistent and harmful environmental toxins from the human body.