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Dangerous Solvents in Curcumin and Other Supplements – Evidence

C. Ingram
With dietary supplements there is a presumption of safety. This can prove somewhat dangerous for those who take them with impunity and/or who fail to scrutinize the source. Even so, by no means are such supplements as dangerous as pharmaceutical drugs.  Let us keep this in perspective. Drugs are responsible for countless cases of extreme illness, including organ failure, in fact, in North America alone millions of such disastrous cases occur each year. Plus, standard drugs are a major source of premature death. In hospitals alone some 110,000 people die from toxic reactions to prescription drugs – and this is yearly, making such medications far more toxic than illegal drugs. Then, too, vaccinations are highly poisonous, sickening tens of thousands of Americans yearly but also causing cases of outright fatality.
In contrast, on a yearly basis botanical medicines do not cause such fatalities. Yet, no toxin should be given a free pass, even if found in the natural medicine industry. This is why it is so crucial to outline safety issues. Here is the critical element. Dietary supplements are deemed inherently safe. There’s sense of trust involved that at a minimum in it could only help and never harm them. It is from a plant, after all. In contrast, drugs are presumed toxic. Thus, only rarely do people take more than the prescribed or minimum dose. With supplements, people may take extra or even massive doses. Yet, should they do so if they are solvent-tainted?
Solvent corruption is a major issue, and it should never be understated. The typical solvents used for botanical extraction include ethanol, ethyl acetate, acetone, hexane, isopropyl alcohol, and 1, 2 dichloroethane, the latter being a chlorinated hydrocarbon (Note: hexane is rarely used, today, as a primary solvent for curcumin extraction). Many of these solvents are deliberate carcinogens. All are poisonous to the liver, although the most noxious of all are the petrochemical sources. Ethyl alcohol is the least toxic and, if fully driven off, does not cause any untoward effects. Regardless, how can an herbal medicine aid bodily function, while it is intoxicating the cells with petrochemical residues, including liver cells?
Per GoogleBooks via the text, Sweet Smell of Success there is the following report:

Dichloroethane is particularly poisonous. It’s a monster of a chemical, the formula and structure as follows:

Image result for 1,2 dichloroethane; formula; image
What a heavily chlorinated hydrocarbon it is, noxious beyond measure. Yet, not uncommonly, it is being used for herbal extracts. However, now, because of its known carcinogenic properties its use is restricted, at least officially.  Here is a summary of the degree of its toxicity from the chemical industry literature:

It truly is noxious, being a published carcinogen in animals as well as humans, notably a significant factor in lymphoma:

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