US - AER BILL will outlaw supplements AUG 2006??

If you firmly believe that this bill should be struck down call or write or local Congress-person.

My Thanks,

-ADHD

I too have pumped a lot of stomachs of people who have overdosed but never once has it been an herbal supplement responsible for their trip to the ICU (or morgue).
If the problem is lack of educating the masses, that is easily corrected. Whenever I go into a health food store to get my supplements I see stacks of reading/educational material available (much of it free) regarding the supplement de jour. Never, in 26 years, have I walked into a hospital or clinic and seen any information about a particular drug. Information about diseases/conditions, yes, but about the allopathic drugs used to treat them? Never. If MSM doesn't even educate about their pet drugs how are they expected to educate about a subject in which they get very little education themselves? If it's not printed in JAMA, doctors rarely know about it.
To date, I have had to educate doctors about colloidal silver-not one of them was aware of the work by Margraf Brentano, MD, J. Alexander (chemist), et al; electromagnetism and the work done in that field by Robert Becker, MD; hydrotherapy and the fact that if you go through the proscribed treatments offered at Hot Springs, Arkansas the Health Dept. is willing to grant that you have been cured of TB. No pills are taken.
I have had 2 of my daughters nearly die from doctors lack of knowledge regarding the allopathic medicines they were prescribing. Where was the AER on those meds?
Pharmaceutical companies do make drugs out of herbal concoctions, ie: digitalis from foxglove, aspirin from the compounds found in white birch trees etc.
I am not against allopathic medicine. They have their place. They've made great strides and advances in gadgetry. Some of it has even been helpful to the patients. I just want to have a choice. Not all allopathic medicine is beneficial. People should have a right to self-determination especially in regards to their health choices.
Please check out the previously mentioned urls to get an idea of the scope of this issue and how we ARE having our access to dietary supplements/alternative therapies stolen from us through the back door method of trilateralism of Canada and Mexico joining politically with USA to become "North America". Not only our dietary supplements but what's to become of our constitution?

some details about those who 'know what's best'

www.lawyersandsettlements.com...

best for whom, that's the question...

Long Lance,
Thanks for the post/link. Scarey stuff. In order to get a new drug FDA approved, years of research and tens of thousands of dollars must be invested. If it turns out that the drug has a nice side effect (Minoxidil is a blood pressure medication that has the side effect of growing hair), the same process is supposed to be repeated so that it can also be FDA approved for THAT use as well. I think the Minoxidil got fast-tracked and passed right on through even though blood pressure medications have serious side effects.
Thalidimide was FDA approved and many women just wanting to control their nausea during pregnancy, instead gave birth to children with no arms (or "flippers"). PhenPhen was FDA approved and overweight people taking it began dropping like flies. Vioxx and Celebrex were FDA approved and people are still fighting lawsuits on those 2. Anthrax vaccine was FDA approved and given (under threat of court martial) to our military personnel even though it had sat on the warehouse shelves for over 40 YEARS and it had absolutely no chance of preventing an airborne anthrax infection. If it hadn't been 40+years old, it might have had a chance of preventing cutaneous anthrax infection. Who could guess that those uncooperative Iranians would not pelt our soldiers with infected sheep? Just in case, though, our guys were protected.
The issue with labeling our dietary supplements is that they will be regulated by the FDA and subject to the same requirements that scentists go through to get a new drug approved. Supplements are not synthetic, untried compounds. They've had millenia of human testing. Not to say that supplements can't have serious effects on your body, even harmful ones, but usually people don't eat ground up peach pits unless they've done a little research.
The problem comes in when you need, say, vitamin C for your cold symptoms. Vitamin C is only FDA approved for a documented Vitamin C deficiency, not for the treatment of cold symptoms. (It's one of the few supplements that are FDA approved for any use.) So now you have to develop scurvy, go pay a doctor to tell you that you have scurvy, get a prescription for Vitamin C, pay your pharmacist to fill a "drug" prescription and take only the amount prescribed at the times prescribed or risk being reported to the DEA (or some agency created to monitor supplement abuse). If you currently take shark cartilage, you'll just be SOL trying to get that one. Iron pills? Do you have a documented case of anemia? Too bad-you get nothing.
There is a lot of research going on right now to document the efficacy of almost all known herbs and supplements. The drug companies are gearing up to take over a very lucrative business-the alternative medicine business.

The is no question the pharmaceutical companies are pulling out all the stops to gain more profits at the expense of health. It is no secret that no pharmaceuticals are in any way nutritious, rather being synthesized from coal tar and petrochemicals. Pharmaceuticals have the highest profit rate of any commodity.

Doctors are inundated with literature recommending pharmaceuticals, as television also has been over saturated with commercials for all intensive purposes self medicating consumers.

Health food stores carrying herbs and other "alternative health products," including supplements, vitamins, and other things, face the possibility that expensive prescriptions will be required. All of these things are simple sociology vested in a world wide monopoly or cartel. All science has proceeded with some skepticism of any prevailing world view, including physics, chemistry, astronomy, and other such subjects of study. In the end the study of the history of science shows different paradigms, ways of viewing things, or in the strictest sense a "conjugation," about the stuff of what science gives thought.

Dismissals of people talking about healthy food, without evidence is the opposite of science, it is superstition. We want proof when scientists tell us what the pharmaceutical companies want us to believe and act upon as being "good for us." Too often clear science is lacking, say on the FDA position on Aspartame, which includes a molecule that breaks down into methanol, a poison.

While accusing others of "bad science," all too often profit motivated "science," establishes preeminence. This happens by political rather than rigorous laboratory technique, duplication, and experimentation. Aspartame was approved by politics and power, not by the available science at the time. Having had our essential trust violated too many times, and being peppered with crude ad homonym political styled "arguments," it is no wonder people are skeptical and quite possibly rightfully so upon a litany of bad political decisions regarding modern medicine.

Originally posted by whitewave

Supplements are not synthetic, untried compounds. They've had millenia of human testing. Not to say that supplements can't have serious effects on your body, even harmful ones, but usually people don't eat ground up peach pits unless they've done a little research.

I think this is part of the problem.
When you use natural remedies, you tend to educate yourself.
Also, there tends to be few side effects and those that exist are usually known about. They have been around for a long time. And largely ignored by MSMedicine.
Now that they are popular and raking in billions, MSM feels threatened and is taking notice

So, why do we take these alternative substances?
We are tired of MSM not helping us.
We are tired of being treated like virtual guinea pigs when new drugs hit the market.
We are tired of the expense of drugs.
We are tired of our doctors not having time for us and not listening when we do see them.


Mainstream Medicine are cowards

I would advise everyone taking dietary supplements to stock up now and to educate yourself about the benefits of essential oils (which may actually escape the trilateral commissions ax). either that or save up a lot of money and tradable goods for the inevitable black market that will arise once the TC has its way. There are Rife machines that can be built for under $100.00. (won't be able to buy the preassembled ones after TC is done). there are ways around everything but now is definitely the time to prepare. there are seed companies that sell plant seeds so if you know the chemical needed by your body, it is possible to grow your own. all this requires a lot of self-education. best of health to all.

For a while now, along with my vegetable gardening, I have been putting down plants with healing properties as a preparation in case it would ever get so messy like people think it may. I simply allow the plants to go to seed, and then collect them, replant them, and get an exponential number of seeds each time.

I do not believe that these lunatics that are the same ones who approved our aspartame, vioxx, and a myriad of other medicines deserve the trust that some may give them. The MSM (very good Mirthful Me) have realized the threat posed to them by people learning about options. Options scare the bajeezus out of their pocketbooks, and rightfully so.

Folks, just make sure you know what you're doing. Get some good herbals and stick with that. Experimentation can be such a bad, bad thing, as I can speak from experience. No use turning ourselves into guinea pigs while avoiding the MSM for doing the same thing. There is a great book written by two Pharm. Doctors called "The Complete Guide to Herbal Medicines" that discusses the interactions between many of the chemicals to make sure you don't produce a deadly cocktail for yourself.

Also be careful of plants that look similar in the wild. Sheep sorrel can pack a mean punch if it's the wrong plant.

Good for you niteboy! And thanks for the "heads up" about the book. There is another one available at Barnes and Noble (I think) call Mosby's Handbook of Herbs & Natural Supplements. It tells you what the herb is used for, if it's been banned in U.S., what allopathic medicines to avoid if you're taking it, what other herbs/supplements is interferes with, research into other uses, side effects/adverse reactions (if any), dosages and routes, etc. Written like a text book only not as boring. If any of you are interested in getting involved fighting this abominable attack on our access to dietary supplements, I recommend nogenocide-codex. John Hammell has taken an extreme role in the forefront of this fight. He just got back from getting signatures in Washington and is going back in September to get some more. Not trying to spam here but making available options. Usually the point of discussion is to discover an appropriate course of action. Of course, philosophical debates and sharing opinions is fun too.

Here's an example of the kind of thing we can expect to see as the government/MSM tries to take over the supplement industry:
Media reports that alternative methods don't work
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Convince the masses that alternative methods are hype, dangerous, unnecessary or whatever and before you know it, folks will believe it

If you have strong feelings about having the freedom to purchase supplements as you see fit, without further government intervention, you mght want to check ou the link I have provided.

www.thenhf.com...

This does kind of stink of profit minded people, who care nothing about real health. There is nothing wrong with pointing out the dangerous products, when they are legitimately "dangerous," but I somehow don't believe this movement is to benefit us healthwise.

A couple of stories to back my support of supplementation.

1) Short and sweet, dad went to the doctors because his heals hurt horribly, and he was literally limping, I guess headed for a cane. The doctors didn't solve it. I started him on supplementation. Ah, he walks again, not much limping to be seen anymore.

2) A question arises in my family about the safety of enzyme supplemenation. I dump maybe 27 or so chewable enzyme pills in my mouth and chew them up at one time. This is nine times the single dosage recommended on the bottle. Ok, so there was some gas and discomfort, but nothing major happened. Could you do his with "the purple pill" without passing blood and dying? I doubt it. I chewed another pile today, less than a day later. Ok, so I passed some gas, but I'm here typing just fine. In all fairness there are some supplements you might not want to do something like this with, but with many vitamins and such, you can multiply the RDA many times and nothing significantly negative happens, it might even get you through the cold or flu faster.

If you put the breaks on mega-dosing of some vitamins, you screw the people who have had great success with mega-dosing and helping themselves with medical problems. I don't want to have to pay $50 for an $8 box of vitamin C supplements, plus a stupid doctor visit when all I had was the sniffles. And why the hell do I need to go to the doctor to get a prescription of vitamins when I know about what I need? And I don't want a paltry 100% RDA; might as well not take it if that's all I'm allowed for fighting a cold.

This is a cry out to the doctors and pharmacists who do care for the people under their care, and I know they do exist. (thank you for your contributions to society) This is a cry out to the rest of the folks on this planet. Do not let the those individuals who are evil within the medical community screw the world! Throw your middle fingers up in defiance, and proudly say FU! This evil will shrivel and die under the light of truth! Illuminate the truth.

If we get to the worste case scenario and vitamins become regulated to the point of inneffectiveness, then I will get my nutrition from a garden, and if you even think of putting your regulatory "hand" in my herb garden, you will be bringing back a nub where your hand used to be.

Troy

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
If you have strong feelings about having the freedom to purchase supplements as you see fit, without further government intervention, you mght want to check ou the link I have provided.

www.thenhf.com...

I took the info and sent the petition to all 4 of the Legislators (2 from my state and the sponsers). It's a pain in the butt but it needs to be done.

It's a shame that we can't find a sight where a petition against any bill can be picked with a choice of who you wish to send it to, without all the cut and paste involved, (sepecially for the future) as it is my experience the easier it is for us common people to weigh in the more likely it will occur.

Anyway, I just found it interesting to see that they all have different categories you must chose from and none of them list consumer issues. Also, they all require contact info, which is obviously necessary, but some will not accept your petition without a phone number, which is not. In this day and age a mailing address and email contact should be sufficient.

Just thought I'd report what it involves. Takes 10 - 15 minutes to complete properly so set the time aside and do it if you depend on these issues not being interfered with. When the Drs. have no ansers for you, where else can you turn except to your alternatives? Yes I've wasted a lot of time and money on things that don't come through for me, but I have also found a lot of things that help when the Drs. gave up trying. I want the right to freely continue to do that. If I lose that, where is the hope when one is abondoned by the medical profession?

I do hope everyone else makes use of DTOM's links. Thanks for those DTOM.