News & Analysis
FDA to Ban Food Nutrients
FDA Set to Ban Your Supplements ... The FDA has issued a proposed mandate that represents the greatest threat to dietary supplements since 1994. Back in the early 1990s, consumers were so alarmed by FDA bullying that they staged a massive revolt. The result was that Congress passed a law prohibiting the FDA from banning popular nutrients (as the agency had threatened to do). There was, however, a loophole in the 1994 law. The FDA was given authority to regulate ingredients introduced after October 15, 1994. It has been 17 years, but the FDA just issued draconian proposals as to how it intends to regulate what it now calls "new dietary ingredients." If implemented, some of the most effective nutrients you are taking will be removed from the market. This includes many fish oil formulas and natural plant extracts. – Mercola's Blog
Dominant Social Theme: Raw milk and fish oil can kill you. It is much better to eat "heart healthy" potato chips.
Free-Market Analysis: Dr. Joseph Mercola is out with a "red alert" posted on his website reporting on new regulations from the Food and Drug Administration that may reduce or eliminate people's access to such food additives as fish oil.
Dr. Mercola is a leading authority on non-pharmaceutical nutrition and he has even posted a letter on his website that people can copy, personalize and email to their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill regarding these new regs. The letter makes the point that Congress actually passed a law (DSHEA) back in 1994 to try to prevent the FDA from doing exactly what its bureaucrats intend to do now.
According to Dr. Mercola, the FDA wants to require manufacturers to conduct "outrageously expensive studies using absurdly high doses, in some situations multiplied by a safety factor up to 2,000-times the recommended dosage on a per product basis." Here's some more:
The FDA defines dietary supplements as being "new" if they were introduced after October 15, 1994. That means that even certain nutrients that have been safely used over the course of three decades will be subject to the FDA's oppressive policies that mandate costly animal testing. According to the new guidelines, the FDA believes that "new dietary supplements" must be regulated similarly to synthetic food preservatives.
The FDA guidelines have modeled the outrageous safety thresholds after those in place for food additives. This appears to be in direct violation of DSHEA, the law enacted in 1994 to protect consumer access to dietary supplements, which classifies dietary supplements as foods, not food additives. The FDA proposes that new dietary supplement ingredients should adhere to aggressive safety margins, which are typically reserved for chemical compounds known to be dangerous in all but the most miniscule concentrations.
Since food additives or preservatives such as aspartame, monosodium glutamate, and sodium nitrate are known to cause cancer or other severe health problems, the FDA has implemented safety guidelines which limit allowable concentrations of these food additives to levels that are supposed to be physiologically inert. The fact that the FDA is trying to impose the same limits upon dietary supplements seems to be arbitrary and completely unfounded.
What concerns Dr. Mercola, especially, is that new guidelines would declare as "unsafe" even nutrients that are obviously harmless and have been proven so in numerous human clinical studies. Each manufacturer of certain fish oils, he reports, would have to conduct a one-year study where animals would have to consume the human equivalent of 240,000 milligrams each day of fish oil. The guidelines, he writes, will thus make it impossible for certain omega-3 supplements to be sold.
There is the issue of cost. No manufacturer, he observes, will be able to afford these studies as the margin for profit in supplements is not nearly as high as that of pharmaceutical drugs. New players will therefore enter the market with re-priced supplements, and prices will go far higher. Then there is the issue of the danger itself. Pharmaceutical drugs are statistically far more dangerous than supplements. He writes:
According to the 2001 report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), of the substances implicated in fatal poisonings in 2001, 84.6 percent were pharmaceutical drugs, with analgesics being implicated as the primary cause of death in 32 percent of fatalities or 341 deaths. This compares with 0.8 percent for all dietary supplements combined, even including substances such as dinitrophenol, a dangerous (and illegal) substance banned in 1938, as well as the central nervous system stimulant Ma Huang (Ephedra).
For Dr. Mercola the damage is clear. Many companies that provide food supplements will be forced out of business and those that remain or come back into the market will have to offer the same products at significantly higher prices.
Consumer choice is inevitably whittled down. Instead of being able to use a nutritional supplement no longer on the market, many people will be forced to turn to "side-effect laden" prescription drugs. In fact, according to Dr. Mercola, the drug industry will receive another benefit because people will get sicker sooner without supplements, further increasing the sale of drugs to treat various degenerative diseases that might have been kept in check with proper nutrition.
The FDA has been much in the news recently for helping to prosecute Amish farmers who produce raw, unradiated milk. (Some have even gone to jail.) Dr. Mercola and others have made the point that while people die of cancer from smoking and liver disease from drinking alcohol, there are few if any modern instances where people's health has been undermined from drinking whole milk.
For Dr. Mercola as for many others, the FDA and regulators like it around the world are not supporting the best interests of consumers but are actively working with major pharmaceutical companies to reduce or eliminate consumer choice.
There are plenty of alternative therapies that do not involve drugs, but the FDA and similar regulators are regularly removing choices from the market. It SEEMS as if the pharmaceutical model is winning the war in the marketplace, but actually when one looks more closely the pharmaceutical model is actually failing and is being propped up by Western regulatory authorities.
Why should this be so? It is well known that pharmaceuticals, with their tremendous profits and legally sustainable patents, are an industry that has benefited considerably from an alliance with the Anglosphere power elite – which may own a considerable interest in the larger companies.
In fact, restrictive FDA regs are only a minor part of the attack on nutritional supplements and traditional health care (acupuncture, herbal healing, etc.). The much-criticized Codex Alimentarius promoted by world health care organizations is a fundamental source of barriers to traditional treatment. Here's how Dr. Mercola describes it:
The "Codex Alimentarius" itself is a compilation of food standards, codes of practice and guidelines that specify all requirements related to foods, whether processed, semi-processed, genetically engineered, or raw. Their purpose is to protect consumers' health, ensure fair business practices within the food trade, and eliminate international food trade barriers by standardizing food quality.
This sounds all well and good, but there are major problems with the strategies they use to "keep you safe." There are many problems with Codex, many of which are not immediately recognizable unless you have the proper perspective. But one of the most bizarre and potentially dangerous issues is their Vitamin and Mineral Guideline, finalized on July 4, 2005, which classifies nutrients as toxins.
Yes. This is what you end up with when you use Risk Assessment to assess the safety of nutrients. Risk Assessment is a branch of Toxicology, also known as the science of toxins. In a sane world, it is used to assess how much of a toxic substance you can safely consume without noticing any physical effects or problems. As soon as there is a biological effect, you have hit the upper, maximum limit for that substance.
Codex Alimentarius has, slowly but surely, been shimmying into position to mandate the universal maximum "safe" level of every vitamin, mineral, supplement and herb that may legally be manufactured, used or sold -- with "safe" being a level that has no physical effect ... The final goal is global "harmonization" with Codex' insanely restrictive rules and flawed ideas about nutrition.
There are countervailing forces, however. As we can see from the recent GOP presidential debates, there is a good deal more awareness of the abuses of the pharmaceutical industry in the 21st Century than the 20th. For instance, during a recent debate, Rep. Michele Bachmann, (R-Minnesota), alleged that Texas Governor and presidential hopeful Rick Perry had come under the influence of pharmaceutical dollars.
She claimed that an executive order issued by the governor in 2007 that mandated teenage girls in Texas be inoculated against a virus that may cause cervical cancer was motivated by pharmaceutical donations. Perry claimed that the donations only amounted to US$5,000, but various recent investigations show that Perry's ties with the pharmaceutical industry are deep and wide. He is still fighting off the controversy.
Here at DB, we've often reported on the furor that has resulted from linking vaccines to autism and even interviewed Dr. Andrew Wakefield who worked on research that led to some of these speculations. The pharmaceutical industry has launched a vicious attack on Dr. Wakefield that lasted for years and resulted in him being disbarred in England. You can see our interview here: Dr. Andrew Wakefield Exclusive Interview.
Questions about vaccines persist and have grown significantly larger. It is perhaps impossible in this era of the Internet Reformation for the pharmaceutical industry to hide behind legislation and regulation. The controversy over vaccines continue to grow.
Why? Because professional medical people like Dr. Wakefield and Dr. Mercola can present their message effectively via the Internet. Thus they can circumvent the elaborately constructed pastiche of mainstream media and scientific and academic journals that the power elite previously depended upon to effectively silence those who opposed the pharmaceutical model of medicine.
Conclusion: We would argue this is a trend that is gathering strength and that people's health may actually improve in the 21st Century as the hold of the pharmaceutical model over health care information is eroded by the alternative media. It is another area where power elite mainstream memes may gradually be seen to be in retreat.
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Posted by Rod Farmer on 09/19/11 07:54 AM
Hillerman has the lawyers Darbyjie.
It's all about population growth. Socialists would like us to die young.
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Posted by DarbyJie on 09/16/11 09:11 PM
How is it possible for this vile Hilleman person to *publicly* admit to what amounts to willful/deliberate murder, and yet have no fear of arrest or prosecution? What is the nature of this society we are living in --? Is this tyranny, or anarchy, or just Hell...
This is no longer civilized.
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Posted by SwifterMan on 09/16/11 06:08 PM
. . .
A fascist attempt to kill health food by the criminal FDA - paid for by big pharma.
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Posted by abdulHadiscott on 09/16/11 05:59 PM
It's more than a possibility, here in Europe the EU government has already put into effect laws banning common medicinal herbal preparations with the same type of irrational demands for testing and long term health effects proving that is demanded of new pharmaceuticals. It's has come into effect only a few short months ago and was to me totaly unexpected. I've noticed a lot of strong attacks recently in the media against homeopathy as well. There seems to be something very sinister about it all.
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Posted by Dave Jr on 09/16/11 05:09 PM
What to do with those hyperactive kids. Their minds are so busy. They are bored while the classroom has to cater to the lowest common denominator so that no child is left behind. Instead of challenging their intellect, we drug em. Much better for the overworked underpaid union member.
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Posted by reegje on 09/16/11 02:59 PM
Don't let me get started on the Pharmaceutical industry with their drug peddling to children, Ritalin, which is a synthetic heroin and after 6 weeks the children are hooked! Just because the children are behaving like children. Not only that but this industry has compromised the medical profession well, doctors are now marketeers for these Pharma boys.
The Pharmaceutical industry want the monopoly, it is a simple as that.
They want to sell Vitamin C or whatever through prescriptions for exorbitant prices. Was there not a scandal with some Harvard physician some years back with kick backs? It was in the WSJ, which I do not read anymore.
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Posted by William3 on 09/16/11 02:37 PM
Thanks, DB, for keeping this most personal issue in the media forefront for your readers. What is more personal than what we consume for our health?
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Posted by Dave Jr on 09/16/11 02:27 PM
Just another example of the US reulatory environment we are being forced to live in.
I have a lot of respect for Dr Mercola after my Dad suffered a mild stroke and was prescribed lipitor. Mercola suggested that cholestrol is a bodies defence mechanism against processed sugars and that lipitor will attack muscle mass. Sure enough Dad was complaining about aches all over. I gave him the article, he got off the drug, changed his diet and has felt great since.
When I took my youngest daughter in for a sports physical, sitting in the waiting room, there was a stream of salesmen coming in and they conducted their business right there in front of us. I was applalled by these drug pushers offering free samples and promises of future profits if they prescibed these "approved miracles". After the physical, I was counseled, that my daughter should be innoculated with Guardisol for preventavive measures. I refused, and we got the hell out of there.
I like Mercolas recommendation of eating natural foods, plenty of greens, instead of eating industrial by products. If a healthy person eats natural, I believe there would be little need of suppliments.
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Posted by David_Robertson on 09/16/11 02:19 PM
The introduction of viruses into the vaccination stream may be an official, but secret, government policy. These alien microorganisms can also introduce DNA that will affect the brain and induce conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease and even religious belief as indicated in this video: Click to view link
The autism manifested in children who have been vaccinated has been attributed by many to mercury but it may also be a result of experimentation with these DNA carrying viruses being introduced into the vaccination channel. Physical control of the mind has been an important area of scientific research for many decades and if I recall correctly it has been under the control of the military and intelligence agencies since at least the end of WWII.
Childhood vaccinations are heavily promoted by all governments as are those claiming to immunise against STDs like Hep B and HPV and of course those given to the older generation claiming to immunise against influenza and pneumonia. It does not require a great deal of imagination to see how these channels could be used to influence the mental health and beliefs of an entire nation.
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Posted by memehunter on 09/16/11 12:39 PM
Actually, I had been wondering about the Eskimos for a long time whenever these diet issues come up, but I had never heard about Stefansson. Thanks for the link.
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Posted by Avatar on 09/16/11 12:09 PM
Great Article. Our food guide since its inception has become more and more under the influence of big food corporations with more and more corporate money going to the National Science Institute. In fact 6 of 11 people on the panel for one of the recent food pyramid reviews had ties to the processed food industry. Since supplements are proving as effective as drugs and cost much less, Big Pharma needs to eliminate them before the general population catches on. I believe their will be a significant backlash should Big Pharma succeed. Read: THE CHINA STUDY and you will see why we have the high rates of obesity, cancer and heart disease in many western nations.
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Posted by Avatar on 09/16/11 12:02 PM
Governor Perry supported the same vaccine scheme in Texas.
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Posted by Robert Eastman on 09/16/11 09:35 AM
Mercola's email today (9-16-11) features the fact that The State of California (bill AB499) is trying to make STD vaccines like Gardasil mandatory(?) for 12 year old girls, to be given... even without the parents' consent/knowledge.
This lunacy "MUST STOP!" I recommend that Dr. Mercola's article be forwarded to everyone on YOUR email lists. WE MUST start standing up for OUR RIGHTS!
To find the article titled... "A Parent's Horrid Nightmare: Coming Soon To Your State?" at Click to view link
Link: Click to view link
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Posted by Abu Aardvark on 09/16/11 09:28 AM
DB: "Questions about vaccines persist and have grown significantly larger. It is perhaps impossible in this era of the Internet Reformation for the pharmaceutical industry to hide behind legislation and regulation. The controversy over vaccines continue to grow"
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Indeed. Obviously there are even more questions to be asked regarding vaccinations ...
"Merck vaccine scientist Dr. Maurice Hilleman admitted presence of SV40, AIDS and cancer viruses in vaccines"
Click to view link
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Posted by Ol' Grey Ghost on 09/16/11 09:03 AM
"She claimed that an executive order issued by the governor in 2007 that mandated teenage girls in Texas be inoculated against a virus that may cause cervical cancer was motivated by pharmaceutical donations. Perry claimed that the donations only amounted to US$5,000, but various recent investigations show that Perry's ties with the pharmaceutical industry are deep and wide. He is still fighting off the controversy."
A little clarification if I may. The order was for pre-teen girls entering the sixth-grade in Texas public schools and the virus the vaccine supposedly protects the girls from is a sexually transmitted disease.
Vaccinations mandated by school officials (not government) as a contractual agreement between the school and the parents/students make sense for those airborne/contact-spread infectious diseases that students might share in their close quarters of the modern school building. In a sense, though, Perry was wanting young girls to be prepared to have sex at school and therefore they needed the protection he was mandating (for which he was handsomely rewarded by Merck).
This didn't go over too well with the Christian Right here in the Republic but Perry and they have made up nicely since then...
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Posted by Bluebird on 09/16/11 08:06 AM
Re: The autism link. I see where they are trying to fight this pushback on immunizations by declaring that autism is linked to arsenic in certain brands of apple juice. (Arsenic seems to be turning up everywhere!) I had a laugh when I read Dr. Manny's (Fox) support for Dr. Oz's report on this link. The public are not suppose to have working minds which can see what they are promoting. I hope many people let congress know what they think of the FDA police.
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Posted by John Danforth on 09/16/11 07:58 AM
Click to view link
Today's diversionary time-sink read. I found it fascinating.
Reply from The Daily Bell
Oh, the writing! He is masterful! (Though content too is most interesting.)
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Posted by Happyhippo on 09/16/11 07:31 AM
I am a member of the Weston A Price Foundation which is a non profit organization which promotes traditional diets in our modern society. It is based on Dr Price's study of indigenous diets over a ten year period in the 1930's. It was possible at that time to find traditional societies which exhibited excellent health and did not suffer any of the degenerative diseases of modern civilization. However Dr Price noted that within one generation of being introduced to "modern" foods these societies became victims to all the modern diseases such as heart problems, cancer and mental disorders. Dr Mercola is also a member and does a great job keeping us informed of what shenanigans the FDA is trying to perpetrate. The FDA and WHO are totally in the pocket of Big Pharma and the processed food industry. Its really a vicous circle because if you eat a modern processed diet you will end up sick and a victim of the pharmaceutical industry. All they do is give you dangerous drugs which mask the symptoms of illness without ever going near the underlying causes. Protect your own health and ignore any of the so called "healthy eating" food pyramids. These should be relabelled sickness pyramids. The website for anyone interested in their health is Click to view link.
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Posted by DwightMann on 09/16/11 06:48 AM
I sure get tired of these greedy corporate pirates telling me what is best for me. i am smart enough to make my own decisions. We need to tell the over reaching gubmint (sic), to get out of our lives. I have never had any raw milk, and hear it is better for you and tastes better than the pasteurized stuff. I want to make the decision of what i put in my body not some bureaucrat. . .
I read Mercola everyday!
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Posted by James21 on 09/16/11 06:17 AM
" ... prevent the FDA from doing exactly what its bureaucrats intend to do now"
Call them what they are, they are not bureaucrats, they are food industry lacky's dictating the eradication of competition.
