วันอังคารที่ 26 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2553

What is the FDA's Mission Statement?

People want to trust that their so-called elected government is doing the right thing when it passes regulations to enhance public safety. When the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed in 1906 a new watchdog agency, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was born. It would be many years before we as a nation had such luxuries as refrigeration, sanitary food processing standards, and good manufacturing processes (GMP), so in many respects, this law was necessary. So, what exactly does the FDA do?

According to the FDA:

"The FDA's mission is to promote and protect the public health by helping safe and effective products reach the market in a timely way, and monitoring products for continued safety after they are in use. Our work is a blending of law and science aimed at protecting consumers."

But times change and unfortunately, sometimes so do mission statements. The growth in knowledge of biochemistry, natural medicine, physiology, molecular chemistry and chemical process methods have yielded millions of new synthetic drugs and treatment options, far more than our grandparents would have imagined at the turn of the century. To ensure growing profits, these new synthetic drugs are aimed at symptom management rather than cures for diseases or chronic conditions. This can be seen by the continued and growing reliance on synthetic medicine. For example, from 1985-1999, there was a 35% increase in medicines used by Americans to treat (not cure) chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and arthritis. In the year 2000, about $116.9 Billion was spent on prescription drugs. The number of prescriptions dispensed is projected to grow to 2.07 billion by the year 2005! By way of comparison, our up and coming war on Iraq is estimated to cost about $90 Billion. But $90 Billion for a war somewhere in the world every 12 years is chicken feed compared to the costs of drugs and medicines that Americans shell out each and every year. This is approximately $26.9 Billion less than what Americans spent on drugs in the year 2000. Let's see, $90 Billion for a war once in a while and over $1Trillion (yes that's "T" for toy Trillion) for prescription drugs. That's a lot of pills. As pharmaceutical business has grown, the FDA has changed from an institution that was trying to protect public health from bad food to a rubber stamp government organization that only takes public safety into account when it is forced to by some form of gross public error.

In other words, blind loyalty to doctors and their "symptom hiding pills" is not without consequence; Americans are getting fatter and sicker. Today you can be confident that about 800 Americans will die from obesity, which averages out to be 300,000 obese people dying every year. Interestingly, scientists have already discovered the cure for obesity, yet the FDA and doctors are ignoring it! Additionally, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported that by comparing 16 "health markers" considered indicative of good health, the U.S ranks on average 12th out of the top 13 countries in regard to the health of it's citizens.

Few people realize the impact of these statistics. As we spend more on health care in the form of FDA approved drugs, we becoming sicker. Wrap your brain cells around that! Still though Americans, like cattle, are lining up at the pharmaceutical trough for their daily dose of "just what the doctor ordered". And they are bringing their children with them.

Researchers writing for Pediatrics showed that between 1997 and 2000, approximately 3,750 serious injuries, birth defects and deaths occurred among children under 2 who were secondary recipients of prescription drugs compliments of their mothers via pregnancy, labor, or breast feeding. The study, conducted by researchers at George Washington University and the University of Maryland, found 769 childhood deaths and 664 cases of birth defects or disabilities that could be directly linked to prescription drug use. The FDA has stated that these numbers really only account for about 2% of the actual number of deaths and negative side effects reported! In spite of the carnage committed against the young and innocent, the FDA does not require pharmaceutical companies to test newly released drugs for potentially hazardous effects on children. Yet, according to the New York Times and JAMA, spending on central nervous system (CNS) drugs for pediatric patients increased by 85% from 1985-1999!

Call it lack of sufficient funding, integrity, human nature, greed or plain old corruption, the protective motivation that was once the driving force of the FDA is gone! A new kind of bureaucracy has risen up in its place and very few professionals are aware of the change, especially among media channels. Undoubtedly, the general population is grossly ignorant of the FDA's new mission, to approve life-threatening drugs that will profit the pharmaceutical companies and to suppress non-toxic, inexpensive and effective natural therapies.

Jay R. Cavanaugh, PhD, Member, California State Board of Pharmacy 1980-90, said it best when referring to the FDA and international pharmaceutical companies:

"This collection of serial killers with reckless disregard of human life, extinguishes the hopes and lives of over 100,000 Americans every year. In the past decade they have been responsible for over one million innocent deaths, yet not only have they not faced justice, they have enriched themselves with profits that would make Bill Gates envious. These parasitic killers come not from some cave in Afghanistan, but from plush office suites..."

That the FDA is a watchdog agency for public health interests is a fallacy. The FDA is a lapdog for international, multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical companies and is responsible for millions of preventable deaths.

Shane holds a Master's degree in organic chemistry and has first-hand industry experience with drug research, design and synthesis. He is committed to raising health awareness by exposing the shocking and sometimes-frightening truth behind FDA approved drugs, sports supplements, and natural medicine. His unique experience allows his clients to live naturally healthy for life without the aid of synthetic drugs!


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วันจันทร์ที่ 18 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2553

Americas Coffee Culture Enters the New Java Millenium

The American coffee craze enters the new millenium.
As I sip my extra hot, nonfat vanilla latte I realize that my Chico State University days are now just a faded, distant memory. Seven years have passed and the late night cramming sessions while sipping tepid mochas served by vapid-looking grungesters in Caf Maxx are just a hazy blur. I am now entering the New Java Millenium.

Recently, I thought about my most favorite research paper I wrote in college. I was an American Studies minor and for an American I wrote about Americas Coffee Culture. The project still burns brightly in my caffeinated brain. Whats happened to Americas coffee culture? I am slowly realizing that America has entered the Millenium and the java culture has boomed without me.

As we move into the 00s, Americas coffee culture literally spills into our every day lives. The most recent jab at the modern coffee scene was depicted in the campy, independent mock-u-mentary film, Best in Show. A whiny, yuppie couple details how they met at Starbucks. Actually, he frequented one Starbucks while she clacked away on her laptop at the Starbucks across the street. The hilarious dialogue of their soy latte whipped frappes and extra hot double capps made me laugh. Best in Shows satirical diatribe on Starbucks accurately depicts coffee culture influence amongst Millenium suburbanites.

Not only am I a certifiable java junkie but I make it a point of observing other java addicts in their natural habitats: lurking in coffeehouses and other eateries where a cup of joe is the beverage of choice. As a teenager, I thought coffee was for older people. As I stare vacantly ahead in line at Starbucks, I watch in amazement as Britney Spears-esque girls order double espressos and then shoot them down without batting an eye. Didnt their parents warn them that coffee stunts their growth? I guess not. I didnt know teenagers were drinking coffee these days.

Although, there are still many tried and true coffee drinkers that stick with their Maxwell House and instant Folgers and steer clear of froofy drinks, as my father affectionately coins espresso drinks. My dad would be one of the lingering breeds of black coffee drinkers. Although, my dad has caught up with the java elite and he now frequents Starbucks on a regular basis. Even my father has given into the Milleniums coffee culture.

The other coffee phenomenon that is catching on quickly is the cyber caf. You can grab a latte and then catch up with your email. The conception of the cyber caf depicts where our fast-paced, techno-culture is taking us: where two addictions (coffee and the Internet) are coupled together in the most sinful of relationships. The marketing concept is brilliant and appeals to those who need to satiate both addictions in one quick fix.

The other fascinating trend that reflects our current culture is the obsession with healthy coffee alternatives. My mother is a prime example. She is very health-conscious and has to watch her dairy intake. Her favorite concoction is a decaffeinated soy latte. Soy? When I was in college, soy wasnt even invented (well, it was but I think it was used to feed livestock). With the influx of Americas healthy habits, coffee establishments offer milk substitutes such as soymilk. Also organic, chemical-free coffee beans are sold and served in coffeehouses which again reflects Americas health consciousness.

As my caffeine buzz fades and I log on to my computer, I reminisce and try to conjure up the good old days of Americas coffee cultureah, when a mocha was a mocha and Starbucks was a new concept. It looks like I need to wake up, grab my soy latte, and join Americas coffee culture at the cyber cafes. Welcome to the New Java Millenium.

About the Author

Therese Pope is a non-profiteer fundraiser by day and a freelance writer and poet by night. Her works have been published in various e-zines and literary anthologies. She is a yoga fiend with a penchant for writing with latte in hand. She resides in Sacramento, Calif.


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