- Fri Feb 19, 2010 1:00 pm
#1105
Supplements are one of the means many people use to maintain good health. No wonder, since it can be far cheaper and more convenient to prevent disease than to rely on the United States’ flawed, contentious health system once you do get sick. When used with proper diet and exercise, supplements can form part of a great holistic package to keep you healthy.
Of course, supplements are subject to regulation, ostensibly to protect the customer. The main piece of legislation that concerns users and producers of supplements is the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. This act subscribes some limits to the power of the FDA to, say, ban supplements or otherwise conduct intervention in the supplement market. Supplements that were allowed into the market before the enacting of the law are “safe,” as are supplements made of or from food products that form part of the normal American food supply. However, things might be set to change.
This is because of the possible introduction of a new piece of legislation, which is the Dietary Supplements Safety Act. It is being pushed forward by, among others, John McCain. Ironically, this act makes things not safer, but more dangerous for many producers of supplements, and even perhaps for users. This new legislation makes it much easier for the FDA to pull supplements from the market after unproven complaints of adulteration, and even to ban new products by drawing up a strict list of permitted supplements. Of course, this legislation favors bigger companies, who are better able to survive losses caused by the banning of certain products, and to go through the paperwork and further tests to show that their product should be allowed to return to the market.
Now, some people think this is a good thing. However, it must be understood that just because a drug comes from a large corporation does not mean it is a better option than one from a smaller company. Big drug companies can and have made mistakes in their products, too. Furthermore, it is possible that the very eminence of a certain company or product can make it a bigger, more attractive target for saboteurs. Case in point: the incident several years back of the cyanide being added to bottles of Tylenol on shelves in drugstores. Furthermore, you as a consumer will have fewer options to choose from when it comes to finding the supplement that is just right for your needs and habits.
Perhaps, after all this, you are wondering how you might contribute to efforts to block McCain’s bill. If you like, you can write to politicians and ask them to vote against the bill, or better yet, make public statements against it, too. Actually, why not turn your attention to influential actors beyond top-level legislators, and write to newspapers, as well? If you happen to have your own venue for voicing your opinion, such as a blog, well, you now have a topic for your next post. Help yourself and others like you hold on to your medical freedom by fighting this bill.
Of course, supplements are subject to regulation, ostensibly to protect the customer. The main piece of legislation that concerns users and producers of supplements is the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. This act subscribes some limits to the power of the FDA to, say, ban supplements or otherwise conduct intervention in the supplement market. Supplements that were allowed into the market before the enacting of the law are “safe,” as are supplements made of or from food products that form part of the normal American food supply. However, things might be set to change.
This is because of the possible introduction of a new piece of legislation, which is the Dietary Supplements Safety Act. It is being pushed forward by, among others, John McCain. Ironically, this act makes things not safer, but more dangerous for many producers of supplements, and even perhaps for users. This new legislation makes it much easier for the FDA to pull supplements from the market after unproven complaints of adulteration, and even to ban new products by drawing up a strict list of permitted supplements. Of course, this legislation favors bigger companies, who are better able to survive losses caused by the banning of certain products, and to go through the paperwork and further tests to show that their product should be allowed to return to the market.
Now, some people think this is a good thing. However, it must be understood that just because a drug comes from a large corporation does not mean it is a better option than one from a smaller company. Big drug companies can and have made mistakes in their products, too. Furthermore, it is possible that the very eminence of a certain company or product can make it a bigger, more attractive target for saboteurs. Case in point: the incident several years back of the cyanide being added to bottles of Tylenol on shelves in drugstores. Furthermore, you as a consumer will have fewer options to choose from when it comes to finding the supplement that is just right for your needs and habits.
Perhaps, after all this, you are wondering how you might contribute to efforts to block McCain’s bill. If you like, you can write to politicians and ask them to vote against the bill, or better yet, make public statements against it, too. Actually, why not turn your attention to influential actors beyond top-level legislators, and write to newspapers, as well? If you happen to have your own venue for voicing your opinion, such as a blog, well, you now have a topic for your next post. Help yourself and others like you hold on to your medical freedom by fighting this bill.
