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Alternative remedies at risk with McCain's dietary supplement regulatory bill: 101
Examiner, DC ^ | February 26, 2010 | Deborah Oakes

Posted on 02/26/2010 3:13:44 PM PST by La Lydia

lternative remedies such as natural health supplements using vitamins and herbs, natural herbal remedies and holistic treatment are at risk...Senator John McCain proposed The Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA ), February 4, 2010, to put the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in charge of regulating natural health supplements. 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.

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 erections and “sudden death.”

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...

(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bigbrother; bigpharm; examiner; fda; mccain; waronfreedom
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To: madison10
Edited to add: Is it possible to stock up?

good Lord, not again.

We have to fight this every 15-20 years.

Bottom line: the pharma's want to control all those billions going to vitamins/supplements. They, nor the gov't, care a white about safely. I have had 5 or 6 different prescription meds given to me over the past few years that, after I researched the side effects, opted not to take, only for them, subsequently, to be taken off the market for killing people.

Name me one case of a death due to natural vitamins/supplements.

I have used them for decades, My 2 sons and daughter used them - and our doctors can't understand why we are so healthy...indeed, my oldest son, 57, has the health of a 27 year old. His doctors now want to run tests to see HOW, especially as he has epilepsy. They don't want to hear about natural vitamins/supplements.

My 2nd son had a heart attack following an insanely long plane trip - a clot in his leg traveled up and he was minutes from dying.

After he got back on his feet, they had him on 3 meds and scheduled a check up in 3 months. (He's a long-hauler - not known for a healthy liefstyle - sitting for 10 hours a day driving and eating on the road.

He missed his 3 month check up - made it at 6 months. the doctor ran all the tests and smiled, tells him the regiment was working - that he was in excellent health! I'd like to do a video of you to show my other truck driver patients how it's done."

My son told him: "Well, I have a confession to make. The only prescription I've been taking is the enalapril. the other two were $300 a month and with no insurance, I couldn't do it. I've been using things like folic, cod liver oil, CoQ10,..." The doctor stopped him, rather chagrined and just said. "Well, keep it up.". He didn't want to hear any more. (My son cooks all his meals in his trucks - many with a crock pot, and lots of fresh fruits, vegs, and nuts.)

I had a heart attack due to stress and chemicals at work over 15 years ago. It left me with CHF and a bunch of prescripts. I, too, only took the enalapril....and the vitamin-supplement routine.

With CHF, I was expected to get progressively worse and to have 'checked out' long before now. Instead, I'm stronger than ever. Doc didn't want to hear about my natural regimen. Actually, the last doctor was 2 times removed from the doctor I had at the time of attack. He said: "I don't think you could have had a heart attack". (All the records were in the file.)

My daughters little girl had a very bad bout with retrovirus when a baby during an epidemic on base where they lived. For the next 8 years, she suffered from stomach pain after eating.

They took her to doctor after doctor, to specialists in Maine, Canada and Texas as they went from base assignments. Nothing.

My daughter had to keep her on tums. and in researching online, she came across something with the same symptoms: celiac disease, or "leaky gut". the doctors pooh poohed her.

Then they transferred from the Navy to the Coast Guard and got stationed in Florida. she went to a health food fair where a Naturopath was offering blood test analysis for $50. (In Florida, one must also be a full fledged physician in order to practice naturopathy.)

She asked him to do her daughter. He took a drop of blood and put in his - I forget what its called, but it allows him to examine it right then and there. Without knowing her medical history or anything about her, he turned to her and said, "Honey, does your tummy hurt after you eat?"

Yep. Celiac disease - prescription: a gluten free diet.

She took her to her regular doctor and told her the story. "Well," doc huffed, " I guess if you try it and it works, you'll know."

It worked immediately. And that poor little girl had suffered for 8 years. (In looking up the causes of the disease, I found that one indicator is having retrovirus in your past. So, not only did all the doctors not find the problem, they never connected the past history.

I could go on - but you get the drift.

NOW: Naturopathy is not allowed to be covered by insurance. THAT would be a health care bill I could support. Think of the billions of dollars it could save - and the lives and suffering. But the politicos and their pharma friends will never let it happen.

21 posted on 02/26/2010 4:04:24 PM PST by maine-iac7 ("He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help" Lincoln)
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To: La Lydia

the FDA should be abolished not expanded. We have the RIGHT to put what we want into our own body’s.


22 posted on 02/26/2010 4:11:01 PM PST by Monorprise
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To: La Lydia

They (FDA) tried this in 2007. FDA Docket number 2006D-0480

There was a public comment period to which I responded. I can’t believe we see this coming back around AGAIN. This time as legislation.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/228140/fda_to_regulate_vitamins_and_nontraditional.html


23 posted on 02/26/2010 4:13:12 PM PST by EBH (The warning bell of Freedom is ringing, can you not hear it?)
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To: La Lydia

Repeat after me....”McCain is a PROGRESSIVE and therefore a danger to our Constitution!”


24 posted on 02/26/2010 4:13:19 PM PST by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannolis. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: La Lydia

This seems to be out of the blue. Does anyone know why Juan McCain is pushing a bill to regulate supplements? Has he pushed this in the past, or does big Pharma fill his campaign coffers?


25 posted on 02/26/2010 4:15:39 PM PST by Will88
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To: Don Corleone

McCain is a Soros puppet. Freedom and liberty are not on his radar screen.


26 posted on 02/26/2010 4:17:01 PM PST by TigersEye (It's the Marxism, stupid! ... And they call themselves Progressives.)
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To: Will88

Send this to Arizona and McCain competition and uses it to Kill McCain re-election efforts!

McCain is a threat to the freedom of Arizonans just as he is a threat to the freedom of all Americans.


27 posted on 02/26/2010 4:17:58 PM PST by Monorprise
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To: EBH

There was a similar bill back in the mid-90s.


28 posted on 02/26/2010 4:24:34 PM PST by La Lydia
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To: La Lydia

Find a reliable source for your black market vitamins.
You don’t want to get the stuff cut with strychnine.


29 posted on 02/26/2010 4:26:47 PM PST by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll keep getting what you always get.)
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To: philetus

What are you talking about?


30 posted on 02/26/2010 4:42:31 PM PST by La Lydia
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To: La Lydia

Orin Hatch has been opposing these vitamin/supplement regulation schemes for years. One of the few things I like him for. Lot of vitamin/health food manufacturers in Mormon-Land


31 posted on 02/26/2010 4:45:39 PM PST by dennisw (It all comes 'round again --Fairport)
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To: La Lydia
That is the only positive thing I have ever heard about Harkin in my life.

At the health care summit on Thurs he mentioned that he sold insurance in his youth. I was impressed to learn that he hasnt been part of the windbag class his entire life.

32 posted on 02/26/2010 5:14:12 PM PST by freespirited (We're not the Party of No. We're the Party of HELL NO!!!)
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To: La Lydia

I think most health-food claims are horse crap, and that high doses of vitamins give you nothing more than expensive urine, but Johnny Mac is way off base here. Let people throw their money away any way they want. This is none of the gooberment’s business.


33 posted on 02/26/2010 5:15:22 PM PST by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: La Lydia
Puleeeese John, go away!
34 posted on 02/26/2010 5:21:41 PM PST by Happyinmygarden (Yes, actually, I have pretty much seen and heard it all before...)
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To: maine-iac7
Name me one case of a death due to natural vitamins/supplements.

Steve Belcher and more than 100 other people were killed by ephedra.

L-tryptophan killed at least 19 and as many as 300 people.

The herb Aristolochia fangchi has caused more than 70 cases of complete kidney failure and is known to cause cancer.

I say, let people buy all the expensive and toxic herbs they want, and kill themselves off as fast as possible. None of my business, or the government's, except insofar as it removes idiots from the gene pool.

35 posted on 02/26/2010 5:26:37 PM PST by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: La Lydia
I reached my limit with the McLames a few months ago when I read in the New Yorker of all places, that Cindy McCain was asking Congress to grant $5 million to study migranes, from which she suffers.

She was quoted as saying, "They give money for other things so they can afford to give me $5 million for migrance research".

The arrogance of this rich b@#$% ! If she wants to spend $5 million on migrance research then let her donate it herself!

They all, DEMS and REPUBS, act like we taxpayers are just a handy slot machine for their whims. I'm sick of all of them.
36 posted on 02/26/2010 5:27:52 PM PST by Happyinmygarden (Yes, actually, I have pretty much seen and heard it all before...)
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To: ccmay
L-tryptophan

It was not the L-tryptophan, but a batch that was contaminated - Japanese. However, they yanked L-tryptopahn off the shelves.

That's okay, I get it naturally in things like bananas and turkey.

I don't take things that have been cobbled together by man - nor herbals from, say, Japan/China. My rule of thumb is that the herbs we need are natural in the area of the world we live in... I wouldn't take things like Shark cartilage, either - it's from a different species, for crying out loud. I stick to natural supplements/vitamins from my health food store and from the fields and woods. For ex: I grow and make my own St. John's Wort for tincure - and oil. Ditto comfrey. I'm aware of the hawkers out to make money - most sell their snake oil on line. Like anything else, people have to use their heads. The gov't wants to take all decisions out of our obviously inferior hands. I will also be a little ole granny, after the mandate for mercury light bulbs goes into effect, that burns contraband light bulbs - ones I can SEE with and paint under. I'll make my own decisions - not that I won't be wrong at times. After all, I'm not omniscient, like our politicians.

37 posted on 02/26/2010 6:37:17 PM PST by maine-iac7 ("He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help" Lincoln)
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To: maine-iac7; MamaDearest
after the mandate for mercury light bulbs goes into effect, that burns contraband light bulbs - ones I can SEE with and paint under"

Does anyone know when this is - I've been stocking up - but probably need more.

38 posted on 02/27/2010 5:43:25 AM PST by WestCoastGal
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To: La Lydia

I wish they would stay the hell out of our business - there are much more dangerous Rx products out there by prescription.

Leave our damn vitamins alone McCain - I’m sad that he was the only choice we had to beat the one :( I had to vote for Mc but ugh!


39 posted on 02/27/2010 5:46:34 AM PST by WestCoastGal
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To: madison10
Edited to add: Is it possible to stock up?

No, vitamins and herbs all have a shelf life. Dried herbs can last longer but even they lose potency as they age.

40 posted on 02/27/2010 5:50:11 AM PST by McGavin999
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