H.R. 3156 The Dietary Supplement Access & Awarene

למה זה רלבנטי גם עבורנו? כי משרד הבריאות הישראלי מחובר בטבורו ל-FDA האמריקאי ודברים רבים מוצאים את דרכם מארה"ב אל ארצנו הנאורה. Knowledge of Health, Inc. 457 West Allen Avenue #117, San Dimas, CA 91773 Bill Sardi, President H.R. 3156 The Dietary Supplement Access & Awareness Act Elected representatives Susan A. Davis (CALIF), John D. Dingell (MICH) AND Henry A. Waxman (CALIF) have introduced legislation [HR 3156] before the House of Representatives, now in committee, that would virtually destroy the dietary supplement industry. The legislation is identified as the "Dietary Supplement Access & Awareness Act," but it does not address free access AND only creates a negative awareness of these products. Previous FDA Warning Eliminated One Dietary Supplement Here is why HR 3156 poses such a threat to the availability of dietary supplements. Not long ago the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued just a similar warning, asking physicians to report adverse reactions associated with kava kava supplements, an anti-anxiety herbal product. The public was also warned to report any side effects AND the FDA warning was published in newspapers AND on TV news reports. Later, published studies cleared kava kava from any suspicion, but the damage had been done. The public backed away from kava supplements based upon the bulletin issued by the FDA, AND today kava farmers in the South Pacific have plowed up their fields. A $25 million product was destroyed by FDA meddling. The same destruction could result from the passage of HR 3156. Guilt By Assumption This legislation was written without adequate prior evidence that vitamin, mineral OR herbal products pose a mortal OR serious risk to humans. HR 3156 requires the public AND their physicians to report to federal health authorities within 15 days of the onset of any serious adverse reaction. This legislation assumes the industry is hiding product hazards that have escaped normal monitoring. Guilt By Association Every physician who treats a patient that has had a stroke, heart attack, or experienced sudden death, will now be obligated to report any dietary supplements after an adverse event. This is guilt by association. The Dietary Supplement Information Bureau reports that six in ten Americans (59 percent) report taking dietary supplements on a regular basis. Subsequent reports will read there is an association between mortal and near-mortal events AND dietary supplements. But there is little if any evidence of cause AND effect. Imagine the government commissioned a study of hit-and-run auto-pedestrian accidents AND found that 95% of children hit by cars were wearing tennis shoes. Would we then mistakenly conclude that the tennis shoes caused the accidents? Such non-scientific association would likely be aired in news reports to frighten the public away from relatively safe products. For example, this recently occurred when researchers at Harvard Medical School published a report showing more lutein in fatty tissues of people who have heart attacks. The researchers publicly suggested this was a concern that required more investigation. But lutein accumulates in fatty tissues to protect them from turning rancid, AND individuals with more body fat will exhibit higher concentrations of lutein in these tissues. There is simply no evidence that lutein, provided in spinach AND from marigold extracts in dietary supplements, causes heart attacks! Dietary Supplements Relatively Safe For many years running the American Association of Poison Control Centers has reported the mortality AND morbidity associated with dietary supplements to be relatively low, with no mortality associated with multivitamins for a period of more than 8 years running. Even though dietary supplements are safer than food (food borne infection strikes millions annually), safer than table salt, AND safer than many over-the-counter remedies such as aspirin, onerous reporting requirements would be mandated by HR 3156. The dietary supplement industry has nothing to hide. These reporting requirements are unjustified. Mandates Scare Tactics HR 3156 would require that millions of dollars of public money be spent to educate the public to report alleged side effects to their physicians. HR 3156 will likely result in labeling that will say "Report any serious adverse reactions to your physician." OR imagine listening to the radio and a government sponsored ad says: "If you OR a loved one experience a serious side effect such as a stroke, heart attack, OR even death) that you believe may be related to a dietary supplement, please notify your physician." Such efforts to label products OR educate the public in this manner only serves to create doubt in the public's mind over the relative safety of these products AND assumes serious adverse reactions are a major but unreported problem. Timing of Legislation Questioned HR 3156 appears misdirected. It comes at a time when the side effects emanating from properly prescribed AND ingested prescription drugs result in the needless death of more than 100,000 Americans annually. Where is legislation that would adequately protect the public from unsafe over-the-counter OR prescription drugs? Relatively troublesome drugs like Vioxx AND Bextra have been returned to pharmacy shelves with black box warnings that put the burden on consumers to check for potential side effects. FDA Inaction Over Unsafe Drugs Has Prompted The Search for Safer Alternatives Furthermore, the public has become aware the FDA has approved drugs that have not undergone adequate safety testing, AND permitted pharmaceutical companies to advertise these very same drugs on television, making unsubstantiated claims of their effectiveness AND safety, which resulted in the demise of thousands of Americans. This has prompted millions of Americans to search for safer alternatives to unsafe drugs, namely dietary supplements, to allay symptoms posed by arthritis, headaches, menopause AND other conditions. Dietary supplements are concentrated foods, just as table salt is concentrated sodium. Will physicians be required to report strokes induced by patients who ingest excessive amounts of salt? Would Patients Be in a Position to Report Serious Side Effects? Pray tell, how would a patient experiencing a serious side effect (death, stroke, cardiac arrest, etc.) be in a position to even ascertain their harmful health event was related to a dietary supplement? The average older American takes 2.4 prescription drugs in addition to dietary supplements. Why are the dietary supplements being fingered for reporting and not the more hazardous drugs? Drugs AND Other Agents Would Be Unreported For example, a patient taking aspirin therapy to prevent a heart attack, and steroids to treat arthritis, estrogen replacement therapy for menopause, along with vitamin E, AND experiences a heart attack, would have to disclose to their doctor they were taking vitamin E pills. Aspirin, estrogen AND steroids deplete the body of vitamin C which weakens blood vessels, induces their collapse, AND can result in blockage of a coronary artery that produces a heart attack. But the vitamin E might be unfairly blamed for inducing this event. The patient may also be a smoker and/or alcohol drinker, which further depletes vitamin C AND increases the risk for a heart attack. But only the vitamin E pills would be reported to the FDA! No Demonstration Project Virtually all patients AND their physicians would be obligated under HR3156 to report to the FDA such adverse events, at a cost of millions of dollars, with no demonstration project that proves threats to public health would be eliminated OR the public welfare improved. HR 3156 Sponsor: <http://cp.perfora.net:8000/p=&v=0000000002B9C14D091C87AB&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F74686F6D61732E6C6F632E676F762F6367692D62696E2F626471756572792F3F2644623D6431303926717565727962643D404649454C44253238464C443030332B403425323825323840312532385265702B44617669732B2B537573616E2B412E2532392532392B3031363431253239253239>Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] (introduced 6/30/2005) Co-Sponsors: <http://cp.perfora.net:8000/p=&v=0000000002B9C14D091C87AB&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F74686F6D61732E6C6F632E676F762F6367692D62696E2F626471756572792F3F2644623D6431303926717565727962643D404649454C44253238464C443030342B403425323825323840312532385265702B44696E67656C6C2B2B4A6F686E2B442E2532392532392B3030323939253239253239>Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] - 6/30/2005 <http://cp.perfora.net:8000/p=&v=0000000002B9C14D091C87AB&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F74686F6D61732E6C6F632E676F762F6367692D62696E2F626471756572792F3F2644623D6431303926717565727962643D404649454C44253238464C443030342B403425323825323840312532385265702B5761786D616E2B2B48656E72792B412E2532392532392B3031323039253239253239>Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30] - 6/30/2005 To find out the status of this bill go to: <http://cp.perfora.net:8000/p=&v=0000000002B9C14D091C87AB&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F74686F6D61732E6C6F632E676F762F6367692D62696E2F71756572792F7A3F633130393A482E522E333135362E4948>http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.3156.IH: To read the bill: <http://cp.perfora.net:8000/p=&v=0000000002B9C14D091C87AB&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F7777772E616870612E6F72672F30355F303633305F4852333135362E706466>http://www.ahpa.org/05_0630_HR3156.pdf To contact your elected representative: <http://cp.perfora.net:8000/p=&v=0000000002B9C14D091C87AB&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F7777772E686F7573652E676F762F77726974657265702F>http://www.house.gov/writerep/ Bill Sardi, Knowledge of Health, Inc, San Dimas, CA. Website: <http://cp.perfora.net:8000/p=&v=0000000002B9C14D091C87AB&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F7777772E6B6E6F776C656467656F666865616C74682E636F6D2F>www.knowledgeofhealth.com

האבסורד הגדול ביותר לדעתי בכל העניין הזה, חוץ מהאבסורד הבולט לעין שתרופות יכולות להימכר ללא בעיה על המדפים למרות הרעילות שלהן, הוא שלפי החוק המוצע (גם באירופה אותו סיפור), רק רופאים יוכלו לרשום נוגדי חימצון, למרות שהם לא לומדים על נוגדי חימצון בבתי הספר לרפואה. בבתי ספר לרפואה קונבנציונלית לומדים מעט מאוד על תזונה, רק דברים בסיסיים. הם לומדים על תרופות לא על תוספי מזון. אין להם את הידע כדי לרשום מינונים שונים או סוגים של אנטי אוקסידנטים. באותה מידה אפשר לחוקק חוק שיאפשר רק למטפלים אלטרנטיביים לרשום תרופות או לתת כימותרפיה. זה הרי דבר אבסורדי לגמרי. לפי התקנות החדשות המינונים של אנטי אוקסידנטים ירדו לרמות כל כך נמוכות שהאפקטיביות שלהם תיפגע, תהליכי הייצור ישתנו על ידי כך שחברות התרופות, שעבורן החוק הזה מיועד, יוזילו את הייצור על ידי הכנסת כימיקלים מסוימים (שאושרו למרות רעילותם) לתוספי המזון, ותוספים מסוימים יורדו לגמרי מהשוק, למשל וונדיום.

VITAMIN WARS, EPISODE THREE: The Fight Intensifies Your access is to nutritional supplements will likely be restricted in the next few years. The Doctor Yourself Newsletter has been discussing (some would say harping on) this looming health threat for years. If you still wonder why, may I recommend you watch a superb, free, online health freedom documentary called "We Become Silent." The highly-professional, 28 minute video includes some exceptionally brilliant moments. My two favorites are the famous Mel Gibson SWAT-team arrest scene ("Hey, guys, it's only vitamins!") and the FDA Deputy Commissioner, while under interrogation about supplement safety vs. drug dangers, saying "Turn the camera off AND we can talk." Watch "We Become Silent" right now at http://www.welltv.com or http://herballure.com/Special/WeBecomeSilent/QuickTime.html UPDATES Many of my readers have requested news updates on the national (and international) government anti-vitamin agendas. This has already been done by others, AND I urge you to go to these links, do a Google search for more, and see for yourself. CAFTA CAFTA stands for Central American Free Trade Agreement, which makes the USA even more susceptible to more supplement restrictions. Be sure to read http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/update07.13.05.htm The US House of Representatives vote on CAFTA is expected within days. CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN NOW AND say "Vote NO on CAFTA." CODEX The United Nations CODEX unit wants everyone on earth to have non-prescription access only to low dose supplements. Take a look at these: "Your dietary supplements: Under attack again" http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44713 A Physician's Summation of Vitamin Regulation: http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/dshea.htm "Controversial EU vitamin ban to go ahead" http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1690686,00.html ACTION If you do not mind losing your access to your vitamins, you can relax: all you have to do is nothing. But if you want to keep nutritional supplementation freely available for yourself, AND particularly for your children AND grandchildren, there are two things you need to do right away: First: WRITE, AND CALL, CONGRESS. A congressional directory is posted at http://capwiz.com/liberty/dbq/officials/ Tell your representative, "There is not even one death per year from vitamins. Vitamins supplementation saves lives AND saves healthcare dollars. Do not limit my access to vitamin supplements! No to CODEX. No to CAFTA." Then: WRITE TO YOUR NEWSPAPERS. Short letters to local papers have the best chance of being published. Tell everyone, "There is not even one death per year from vitamins. Vitamin supplementation saves lives AND saves healthcare dollars. Do not limit my access to vitamin supplements!" Here is just one more big reason why we need supplements:

VITAMINS ENHANCE CHEMOTHERAPY by Erik T. Paterson, M.D. (Creston, British Columbia, Canada) A recent article (National Post of Canada, 6 June 2005) gave an interesting account of problems with the use of supplements with cancer therapy. As far as the antioxidants are concerned, the article is far from as balanced as it would like the readers to believe. In low doses, those usually advocated by conventionally minded professionals, there is little OR no value in the use of such substances. In high (remarkably safe) doses they can be highly valuable. For example, high dose vitamin C given experimentally to cultures of any type of cancer cells is lethal to them, but entirely harmless to similar cultures of normal cells. In clinical practice, when prescribed by knowledgeable doctors, high dose vitamin C does not ever interfere with chemotherapy, helps to protect against the adverse (often enough lethal) effects of chemotherapy, enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy, AND frequently induces complete remission of cancer (disappearance of all clinical signs of tumour) where chemotherapy cannot. The evidence for this efficacy of high dose vitamin C is voluminous, a good starting point being Hoffer, A. & Pauling, L., Vitamin C AND Cancer: Discovery, recovery, controversy, Quarry Health Books, 2000. But similar research shows the value of the other antioxidant supplements, but only when given in high, but safe doses. I am living proof that this works, having fallen ill with a near lethal Acute Mylegenous Leukemia nearly nine years ago. The effects of the chemotherapy nearly killed me. Once in remission (not cure) I have kept myself healthy with vitamin C 8,000 milligrams, niacin 3,000 milligrams, vitamin E 1000 units, vitamins A AND D (in Halibut liver oil) AND selenium 500 micrograms, along with other supplements all per day.