Saturday, February 27, 2010

Alternative remedies at risk with McCain's dietary supplement regulatory bill: 101

Alternative remedies bill

Alternative remedies are protected because they are classified as food. However, the new bill reduces potency a product with 1/2 carrot's worth beta carotene for example and provides a list of acceptable ingredients.

FDA in charge?

This is the same FDA that allows dangerous prescription drugs on the market with long lists of side-effects. Watch any commercial on television that has 15 seconds on therapeutic effects of the drug and 45 seconds on side-effects including 4 hour erection and “sudden death.” Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

New natural health supplements at risk

The new bill even requires minor adverse effects from natural health supplements to be reported which is believed opens the door of harassment and allowing the FDA to pull products from shelves they deem appropriate. “A dietary supplement which contains a new dietary ingredient shall be deemed adulterated under section 402(f) unless there is a history of use or other evidence of safety.”

This wording means new ingredients can be squashed. The difference between regulation of drugs and natural health supplements is astounding. What is suggested is drugs are safe and food is not. If alternative remedies are to be protected, many feel this bill needs to be stopped.

Protect alternative remedies by contacting legislators

To do so, contact your representatives and ask they do not vote for the Dietary Supplement Safety Act (S. 3002). Then contact your friends and ask them to do the same. The John Birch Society offers a very easy-to-use form to do both.

If complementary and alternative medicine is to remain viable and to continue to buy vitamins, then legislators need to know about this bill. Vitamins and herbs, nutrition products and natural health supplements are at risk for continued use as alternative remedies.

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