The Daily Star April 27, 2003 


      An antidote to arsenic patients!

      Bangladeshi scientists find remedy for chronic arsenic poisoning patients

      Naimul Haq


      An experimental preparation called (VMS6) containing a blend of six 
      vitamins and minerals has been found to be safe and useful in the 
      treatment of patients with chronic arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh. 
      Scientists who carried out the research claimed that the discovery would 
      save millions of lives suffering from arsenic poisoning.
      This was disclosed to the Star Health last week by the president of 
      Bangladesh Arsenic Control Society (BACS).
      In a fifteen months of painstaking trial the scientists of the society 
      carried out a double-blind clinical trial among 330 adult patients in 
      Hajiganj upazilla in Chandpur district, with support from the government 
      and the Unicef. The results were remarkable and the scientists term the 
      discovery as a 'break-through' in the history of modern science.
      Dr Golam Hasan Rabbani, an senior researcher at the most reputed research 
      centre - ICDDR,B who is also the director of the project under which the 
      research was carried out said that it is the first scientific evidence 
      showing successful treatment using vitamins and minerals including vitamin 
      C, E, beta carotene, selenium, folic acid, and zinc. 
      Dr Rabbani pointed out, "The findings will not only be useful for 
      arsenic-affected patients of Bangladesh but millions of patients in 
      Taiwan, China, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, USA, and India where large scale 
      arsenic poisoning have also been reported but Bangladeshis would benefit 
      from the discovery most as the magnitude of the problem is manifold here"
      Dr Rabbani continued, "The importance of this experimental study has been 
      recognised internationally by the Global Health Council and I have been 
      invited to present the findings in its Annual Conference in Washington DC, 
      USA next month (26-30 May 2003)."
      The magic pill!
      In this study, each patient was given two caplets of VMS6 daily for six 
      months and then on alternate months for another six months (total 12 
      months) along with arsenic-free water using simple two-bucket Sono water 
      filter. Laboratory analyses were carried out at the same time at the 
      Intronics Laboratory in Dhaka in collaboration with Wagner College, City 
      University, New York.
      The mean age of patients were 42.2 years, most patients were malnourished 
      and were exposed to arsenic for 4 - 8 years. The highest concentrations of 
      arsenic in drinking water was 1400 parts per billion (ppb) with a mean of 
      619 ppb, most of the arsenic in water is in the inorganic form (AsIII and 
      AsV) and the maximum level of arsenic allowed in drinking water by 
      Bangladesh standard is 50 ppb.
      The findings indicate that daily intake of two VMS6 caplets for 12 months 
      significantly increased arsenic elimination through urine. In the body 
      VMS6 enhances the chemical breakdown of arsenic into less toxic products 
      such as MMA and DMA which are increasingly eliminated through the urine. 
      Because of urinary elimination, arsenic contents in hair and nail tissue 
      are also reduced by 2-3 folds in 12 months. 
      The results show that Bangladeshi patients excrete less arsenic in urine 
      and retain more in the body because of poor ability to convert 
      (methylation) arsenic into less toxic MMA and DMA due to malnutrition and 
      protein deficiency. In these patients, treatment with VMS6 significantly 
      increases MMA /DMA contents in urine by stimulating methylation or the 
      process of breaking down of the toxic arsenic into less toxic elements. 
      Thus VMS6 would be useful in for patients to eliminate arsenic from the 
      body through urine.
      These observations indicate that arsenic toxicity can not be fully cured 
      by giving arsenic-free water alone, as believed by many scientists. For 
      better effects it needs to be supplemented with antioxidant agents such as 
      vitamins and minerals. 
      Dr Rabbani explained, "A combination of vitamin-minerals and arsenic-free 
      water could be an important strategy for arsenic mitigation in Bangladesh. 
      However, more studies will be needed to determine the best combination of 
      vitamins, their doses, and duration of treatment. The effect of treatment 
      in reducing the risks of long-term complications such as cancers need to 
      be determined. Once the product is scientifically validated, it can be 
      recommended for general use." 
      Professor S M Keramat Ali, Professor M Alauddin (from New York), Dr H K 
      Das, Dr Afzal Hossain, Dr P K Sengupta, Dr M Nasir, Moyenul Islam, and Dr 
      S K Saha were co-researchers who also took part in the same study mostly 
      spending time in the village.