Monday, August 9, 2010

FDA's Agenda to Stop Natural Health Research

I had heard about the issue of the government trying to take away supplements in the news that played as the background noise months ago and I didn't pay any attention to it since our family didn't use supplements, but once I started reading about how this effects alternative medicine as a whole, I felt that it was necessary for me to start paying attention. I read an article in Energy Times magazine (I will give a link to this article as well as many others at the end of this blog) that really unravelled the true intentions of the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA's motto is 'Safety First' (so I've read), but I think the only thing that they are trying to ensure is the safety of their wallets. Let me begin by explaining how this all works.

The reason that vitamins and herbs are so easily accessible is because of the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA). This bill was passed in 1994 and it limited the FDA's ability to regulate supplements because it categorized them as foods versus medicine. The only time that they were able to intervene was if the supplement had been reported as unsafe to use. This allows us to go to our local health shop or even pharmacy and have free choice to treat our minor ailments with vitamins and herbs rather than harmful pharmaceuticals. Not only are supplements the healthier choice, but they are more affordable. It costs less to buy a bottle of Fish Oil for high blood pressure then it does to buy prescription medication and to pay for the medical bills from the doctor. If these supplements were to be labeled as drugs then they would all be pulled off the shelves and would only be accessible over the counter or by prescription. This would mean that you would have to get a prescription from your doctor to buy Vitamin E or Ginseng. Those easy to get, $10 bottles of vitamins will not be that affordable once they are in the hands of the pharmaceutical companies, either. It gets a little scarier too.

Another area of alternative medicine that is being attacked is research that investigates the various uses of herbs, vitamins, fruits, vegetables, nuts etc. The FTC is trying to silence the benefits of natural healing to ensure that the public does not know that they can control minor health concerns with a few changes to their diet. We know that strawberries are high in vitamin C which gives us an incredible boost in our immune system or that avocados can help to regulate blood pressure; but it is the FTC (and other organizations) that are trying to stop that information from getting to the public. Imagine how much money they would lose if more and more people became aware that they can treat their ailments naturally and simply quit using their prescription meds. Here's an idea, pharmaceutical companies make up 17% of the revenue spent in the United States. Approximately $34 billion was spent on alternative medicine in 2009 (according to MSNBC). The numbers speak for themselves. If alternative medicine and free speech on natural science were taken away then that would leave us no choice but to run to the doctors for more medicine. Here's another scary thought too. If science was stopped then there would be no evidence that supplements were even effective therefore insurance companies would not cover the cost of them. Imagine that $10 bottle of vitamins reaching to $50 or even $100 per bottle and your insurance company flipping you the tab.

There is good news, though; there is still something that we can do about it. The Free Speech About Science Act (HR4913) was introduced to the House of Representatives back in March. Right now it is being pigeonholed and will most likely be discarded unless there is more interest by the public to make this more of an issue. We still have our rights in America; therefore, we still have our right to free speech and it is time that we use it. Write to your local congressmen and request that they support HR 4913 which will allow for scientific research on natural remedies be accessible to everyone. Senator McCain created a bill called the Dietary Supplement Safety Act that would eliminate these supplements, but he withdrew his bill and is now a supporter of supplements; no doubt the change of heart came from his overwhelming numbers of outraged citizens geared up and ready for battle. This just proves that we CAN make a difference and our voices are heard. To learn more just follow the links below.

Nutritional Health Alliance website: http://www.nha2004.com/index.asp
(This is a great website and it even has a tool that will help you write a letter to your congressmen and send it to them too.)

To find contact information for your local congressman: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Our source articles: http://www.nha2004.com/12_washupdate_1006.pdf, http://www.nha2004.com/12_washupdate_1007.pdf, http://www.nha2004.com/index.asp

Track the progress of HR 4913: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4913 It didn't get very far, did it?