The Natural Products Association and the Council for Responsible Nutrition respond to an initiative by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency targeting illegal drug products labeled as dietary supplements.
Category: Regenerative Health
Drug Ads
According to Nielsen Media Research, spending on direct-to-consumer drug ads reached $5 billion in 2008, with every American seeing up to 16 hours of these commercials on television each year. A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine warns how direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising escalates the cost of prescription drugs.
FDA Misses Own Deadline
Over the past year, Pulse of Health Freedom has focused on safety concerns regarding bisphenol A (BPA) and the FDA’s puzzling about-face on this issue. In February 2009 the American Association for Health Freedom filed a petition with the FDA, asking that it rule on the practice of giving children BPA in the form of dental sealants and composite fillings. But according to the Journal Sentinel, the FDA requested more time so its scientists could consider hundreds of new studies on the effects of this chemical.
EMRs Don’t Reduce Healthcare Costs
President Obama insists that electronic medical records will help cut healthcare costs, and as part of the February 2009 economic stimulus bill, Congress has offered $19 billion in incentives to adopt them. But Sue Blevins of the Institute for Health Freedom has continually warned that EMRs could endanger privacy and freedom of choice.
Dangers of Bisphenol A/BPA Well-Established
Three recent studies fuel criticism already scorching the FDA for its failure to respond to the petition by AAHF/ANH-USA regarding exposure of children to bisphenol A/BPA. Research by the University of Rochester, published in the Journal of Andrology, found that males exposed to phthalates — found in dental sealants, composite fillings, soft plastic water bottles,… Continue reading Dangers of Bisphenol A/BPA Well-Established
Privacy, Science at Risk
In 2006, then President George W. Bush signed into law the dietary supplement and OTC bill dealing with reporting on adverse events. Now, the French food safety agency, AFSSA (Agence française de sécurité sanitaire des aliments), has launched a program to monitor the consumption of dietary supplements and any adverse events.
FDA’s Lax Ways
Despite increasing calls for transparency at the FDA, the agency’s sloppy performance continues to put consumers at risk both medically and financially.
Weigh in on Transparency at the FDA
Seize the opportunity to share your suggestions on how the FDA can improve its currently opaque “transparency policy.“ A second public meeting will be held November 3, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the National Transportation Safety Board Conference Center at 429 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC (https://secure3.convio.net/aahf/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=431). The three discussion groups are:
Citing Steroids in Supplements, Congress Considers Tweaking Dietary Regulations
According to the New York Times, federal agents have recently raided several companies suspected of making bodybuilding products that illegally contain steroids and selling them as over-the-counter dietary supplements. On September 29, 2009, Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., chair of the Senate sub-committee on Judiciary, Crime and Drugs, convened a hearing on the topic. The forum… Continue reading Citing Steroids in Supplements, Congress Considers Tweaking Dietary Regulations
The US and UK Insist Aspartame is Safe Despite Reports of Serious Side Effects
Aspartame, the controversial artificial sweetener that is broken down to methanol and formaldehyde, has prompted thousands of reports to the FDA about adverse reactions, including Dr. Russell Blalock’s 1994 book Excitotoxins. In some people, aspartame, which is found in over 4,000 consumer products, causes symptoms ranging from headaches to dizziness, vomiting, fatigue and diarrhea.