Home
>
Political
>
Regulatory Hooey Protects Us From Our Own Health

Regulatory Hooey Protects Us From Our Own Health

Legislation is getting legs to further curtail your use of nutritional supplements. Not too long ago, prior to passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) ? which was accomplished by millions of letters to legislators by people like you ? the FDA acted like a Gestapo against supplements, manufacturers and professional advocates. They would raid at gunpoint the medical offices of doctors advocating the merits of nutritional supplements, shut down manufacturers, harass stores, confiscate products and prevent education of the public on nutritional labels. You know, because so many people were dying of supplements like Coenzyme Q-10 and herbs like the natural sweetener stevia.

Not really. Actually, not at all. While they were busy making sure natural and safe substances were tightly controlled, millions of people were becoming ill and dying from their "approved" pharmaceuticals. It's like a policeman arresting jaywalkers while letting rape occur in the alley.

I'm all for regulation that makes sense. The tight control over nutritional substances, however, is nonsense. Yes, there can be found evidence somewhere that some natural substances have caused harm. But so can water and oxygen cause harm if not used properly. Everything has a risk, but many things have great benefit, too. That is why full and honest disclosure is important and should not be impeded. This is actually a free speech issue that we should insist upon.

The FDA is basically an arm of the conventional medical establishment. Supplements and self-care are a threat to that establishment, and the resultant paranoia is what underlies onerous and picayune regulatory intrusion.

On to pet food regulation. Here it gets even more ridiculous. The freedoms extended by DSHEA to humans are not given to animals. Why? Because legislators forgot to write it in. So pet food regulators approve "dehydrated garbage" (actual listing in the pet food regulators' handbook) and "dried poultry waste," but ban beneficial substances like Coenzyme Q-10, most amino acids, pollen, chondroitin, glucosamine, quercitin, ginkgo, certain omega-3 fatty acids and many others. Regulators busy themselves editing pet food labels to make sure the lethal "100% complete and balanced" claim is stated carefully and placed in the right label spot, and issue "stop sale" orders on products with labels not perfectly complicit. (To review these issues in detail, see Chapter 21 in The Truth About Pet Foods.) Each state (count 'em ? 50!) has its own regulatory body, which can have its own rules. Plus there are regulations from The American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) as well as the FDA and USDA. The cost to manufacturers for scrapping and revising labels adds huge costs to the end consumer ... and not only brings no benefit but creates immeasurable harm by distracting from the central issue of pet health, namely, pets should be fed in variety and enjoy fresh foods offered, not force fed so-called "100% complete" processed foods at every meal.

How do regulators justify not at least extending the freedoms of DSHEA to animals? Well, they say what is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in humans may not be in animals. They can then cite the potential toxicity of chocolate or aspirin in cats. These are the same people who justify millions of animals tortured in laboratories to prove the safety of drugs in humans. In other words, GRAS substances should not be used in animals because human physiology is different than animals, but pharmaceutical substances and biocides can be used in humans if they are deemed safe in animals. You figure the logic in that.

I'm sure there are many well meaning, hard working, honest folks in regulatory agencies. They are just doing what law mandates. On the other hand, there are some budding little Hitlers amongst the groups as well.

But this is America and in America the government is supposed to be servant to the people, not vice versa. Your voice is important and does have incredible power. Legislators want votes and that is the currency you can use to swing the system to your favor.

Tell regulators and legislators you want at least the rights afforded under DSHEA maintained. (Please go to http://www.wysong.net/ehealth/appropriationscommittee.htm for contact information.) E-mail your senators today and ask them to vote to preserve your rights to free access to dietary supplements and that you would like your pets to have these rights as well. Fax also is effective, but mail will be too slow and may not even be opened for fear of terrorist bugs. Forward this to your friends and encourage them to take action also.

Dr. Wysong is a former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. He is author of The Creation-Evolution Controversy now in its eleventh printing, a new two volume set on philosophy for living entitled Thinking Matters: 1-Living Life... As If Thinking Matters; 2-The Big Questions...As If Thinking Matters, several books on nutrition, prevention and health for people and animals and over 15 years of monthly health newsletters. He may be contacted at wysong@wysong.net and a free subscription to his e-Health Letter is available at wysong@wysong.net

affordable house cleaning Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

Regulatory Hooey Protects Us From Our Own Health

Political