A product called Nzu that is used to treat morning sickness contains high levels of arsenic and lead and should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women, the Food and Drug Administration warned in a statement posted on the agency's MedWatch site.
Nzu, a traditional remedy for morning sickness, is sold at African specialty stores and is also called Calabash clay, Calabar stone, Mabele, Argile, and La Craie. “It generally resembles balls of clay or mud and is usually sold in small plastic bags with a handwritten label identifying it as 'Nzu' or 'Salted Nzu,'” the statement said.
Lead exposure can harm the brain and nervous system of developing children. Long-term exposure to arsenic, a carcinogen, has been linked with bladder, lung, and skin cancer, according to the agency.
The high levels of arsenic and lead were detected in laboratory tests performed by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), which issued a warning about the potential health risks associated with these products. DSHS inspectors tested products at two African specialty stores, one in the Dallas area and one in Houston. A DSHS statement announcing these findings said that the Nzu products may be covered in a brown or white “dust.”
“This report supports the evidence that so-called natural remedies are not always safe or effective,” said Gerald G. Briggs, B.Pharm., a clinical professor of pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco. Instead, he recommends doxylamine and vitamin B6, which are available over the counter.
A link to the notice is available at www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm196045.htm