Health Sciences Institute e-Alert
July 22, 2003
Dear Reader,
"This bill will save lives and restore America's confidence
in the use of dietary supplements."
Those were the words of Senator Dick Durbin last March when
he introduced Senate Bill 722 (S. 722) titled the "Dietary
Supplement Safety Act of 2003."
What Senator Durbin didn't mention is that S. 722 will
broadly expand the FDA's authority to control the dietary
supplement market.
Simply put: these regulations will seriously inhibit your
current freedom to make your own health decisions. But there
is something you can do to help prevent this from happening.
Lives left behind
First let's talk about saving lives.
There are many hundreds of deaths each year associated with
aspirin and acetaminophen. (By some estimates, aspirin-
related deaths alone number more than 1,000 per year.) These
pain killers are manufactured by many companies, but the
major players are Bayer (the maker of Bayer Aspirin, of
course), and Johnson & Johnson (the maker of Tylenol) - two
of the largest drug companies in the world. They both have
deep pockets to fuel very aggressive lobbying efforts in
Washington.
So don't expect to hear any senators calling for a ban of
aspirin or acetaminophen. (Deaths? What deaths?)
Ephedra, on the other hand, is a sitting duck.
S. 722 doesn't mention any specific supplements, but Senator
Durbin's press release uses the recent controversy
surrounding ephedra to promote the fear of supplements.
Senator Durbin states that 117 deaths have been attributed to
ephedra. (That's 117 deaths TOTAL - not 117 per year.) What
he doesn't mention is that almost all of these deaths
involved a synthetic form of ephedra - a drug, in other
words - called ephedrine, in which the active agent of
ephedra is boosted to levels that can be dangerous if not
taken as directed.
When used properly, ephedrine is a strong weapon in the
battle to control your weight. And, more important, the
actual herb ephedra is an effective treatment for asthma. If
ephedra is banned, the main winners will be pharmaceutical
companies that make asthma drugs.
So when you hear lawmakers talking about "saving lives,"
and "protecting the public," be aware that their targets are
very selective when it comes to the products they want to see
banned.
Get out your handkerchiefs
Senator Durbin wants you to think that the poor folks over at
the FDA are working with their hands tied behind their backs.
His press release states, "The burden is currently placed on
the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to prove that they
are unsafe before the agency can take any action against
dangerous dietary supplements." And according to
Durbin, "this places an unreasonably high hurdle in the path
of effective agency action."
Senator Durbin knows better. The FDA currently has the power
to pull any product off the market that it deems to be
unsafe.
The inquisition
Under S. 722, the FDA will have the power to remove an entire
class of supplements from the market if there is even a
single serious adverse reaction complaint filed. This will be
the case even if the complaint is filed by someone who has
used the supplement in contradiction to the instructions and
warnings of the manufacturer.
In such an instance, the manufacturer will be required to
demonstrate the safety of the supplement. This process is
expected to put a heavy financial burden on accused
manufacturers - heavy enough to drive some out of business.
For those supplements that do reach the evaluation stage, the
FDA will set the standards for the evaluations and then
determine if the standards are met. In effect, the FDA will
act as prosecutor, judge, and jury, while accused
manufacturers foot the bill against a stacked deck.
That's like asking a death row inmate to pay an electric bill
in advance for his electrocution.
Chipping away at freedom
Will S. 722 save lives? I seriously doubt it. Behind this
bill there's a naive idea that a law to strengthen
regulations can make everything all right. And yet the
current regulations that promise safety for prescription drug
users somehow let many thousands of lives slip through the
cracks every year. Increased regulations can't guarantee
safety, but they do guarantee greater power for regulators.
And when that power is increased, what then? Here's a comment
from a recent e-mail I received from HSI Panelist Allan
Spreen, M.D.: "I'm convinced the Dietary Supplement Safety
Act is merely a stepping stone to complete control. The FDA
has been very upset about the passage of DSHEA (the Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 -
specifically designed to help protect the supplement industry
from unnecessary constraints). I think the FDA will piecemeal
DSHEA away as fast as possible, if possible (and I believe it
is)."
S. 722 may come before the Senate for a vote before the end
of this month. And although it has good support, its passage
is not a foregone conclusion. I strongly urge you to take a
moment to send a brief letter or e-mail to your state
Senators. (You can easily find Congressional addresses and e-
mail addresses at congress.org just by entering your zip
code.)
Tell your Senators that you oppose S. 722 (the "Dietary
Supplement Safety Act of 2003"), which will limit your
freedom to make your own health care choices with the
responsible use of dietary supplements. Tell them that S. 722
unnecessarily expands the authority of the Food and Drug
Administration, while offering no more protection for
consumers than is already granted under the Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.
Think of S. 722 is a staging area from which the FDA will
prepare to slowly but surely dismantle the dietary supplement
freedom that we've enjoyed for almost a decade under DSHEA.
The first line of defense is to convince our senators that
this act is unnecessary and will do more harm than good.
Please share this e-Alert with a friend and help get the word
out about S. 722.
www.hsibaltimore.com/ea2003/ea_030722_p.shtml
TREAT HEART TROUBLE WITH SUGAR AND MUSTARD
If you told your doctor he could effectively treat heart
trouble, chronic disease and this type of cancer with...
Sugar & Mustard... He'd say, "Baloney!" But now we have
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braved ridicule and hostility to pioneer a new kind of
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and cure the causes of chronic diseases.
www.agora-inc.com/reports/NAH/WNAHD736
.. and another thing
What's a vegetarian to do?
That's the gist of this e-mail from a member named Linda:
"With regard to your July 1 alert on macular
degeneration... would flax and walnuts be as effective as tuna
in fighting m.d.? Or are there other choices for
vegetarians?"
Linda is referring to the e-Alert "Rockets' Red Glare"
(7/1/03) in which I told you about two studies concluding
that regular consumption of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish
(especially dark meat fish like tuna and swordfish) may help
prevent both heart disease and age-related macular
degeneration.
Although these two studies examined fish intake, omega-3 in
general has been shown to improve age-related vision problems
such as macular degeneration. And Linda is right: flaxseed is
a very good omega-3 source for vegetarians or for those who
don't eat fish to avoid the mercury content.
In the e-Alert "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" (5/12/03) I
shared an e-mail from a member named Scott who says he uses
freshly ground flaxseed in most of the meals he prepares.
Scott wrote: "The flaxseeds when freshly ground provide not
only the worlds best flaxseed oil but fiber also! The golden
flax has a slight almondy flavor. The seeds keep forever, not
like the oil, which must be guarded in black bottles, etc.
Flaxseeds are one of the best natural sources of essential
omega three fats, so enjoy and be healthy!"
An excellent source of flaxseed that we've recommended in the
past is a brand from Heintzman Farms called Dakota Flax Gold.
Heintzman Farms can ship flaxseed directly to your home,
along with a small grinder you can use to grind the seed into
fresh meal in whatever portions are best for you. For more
information about Dakota Flax Gold, read below:
www.agora-inc.com/reports/AFLX/W600D734/home.cfm
And Linda also mentioned walnuts, which are high in omega-3
fatty acids, as are pumpkin seeds. So if you choose to pass
on the fish, you still have other natural options for
boosting your omega-3 intake.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Black-Listed Cancer Treatment Could Save Your Life!
The key to stopping many cancers has been around for over 30
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protect your health--the FDA.
A German research scientist discovered a natural formula that
could prevent and even cure cancer. Her findings, which were
barred from the medical journals, are now finally available
in an updated English translation.
To learn more about this incredible black-listed formula, visit
www.agora-inc.com/reports/FCBK/W680D734/home.cfm
Sources:
"Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003" Senate Bill 722,
3/26/03, www.congress.org
"Durbin Moves to Prevent Sale of Dangerous Dietary
Supplements like Ephedra" Dick Durbin Press Release, 3/26/03,
www.durbin.senate.gov
"FDA Moving to Dismantle DSHEA" Smart Publications, 4/25/03,
www.smart-publications.com
"An Urgent Call to Action: Your Right to Use Nutritional
Supplements is in Jeopardy" Julian Whitaker, M.D., 7/17/03,
www.drwhitaker.com
"Toxicity, Acetaminophen" Susan E. Farrell, M.D.,
www.emedicine.com
Copyright (c)1997-2003 by
www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C.
The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without
written permission.
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