Very Interesting excerpts from an article about the upcoming ban

[Guest guest]

I grabbed a few interesting paragraphs from a WebMD article. The last two paragraphs are particularly poignant. It is very, very telling of what the real intent of the FDA is.

 

The FDA admits there is no definitive proof that ephedra caused Bechler's death or any other serious injury. But lots of circumstantial evidence links the herb to death and injury. And there's no proof that it has any meaningful health benefits. In the end, said FDA Commissioner Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD, the FDA found that the "risk/benefit calculation" for ephedra tilts decidedly toward unreasonable risk.

The FDA is not taking action on over-the-counter cold remedies that contain ephedrine-like drugs. That's because these products are properly labeled and are for short-term use only.

If they succeed, they say, it will create a "framework" that can be used to go after other dietary supplements deemed harmful.

 

The drug supplement industry is very happy with the 1994 law. It already gives the FDA the power it needs to regulate harmful herbs like ephedra, Annette Dickinson, PhD, told WebMD in a previous interview. Dickinson is president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association of dietary supplement manufacturers and the acting industry representative on the FDA's food advisory subcommittee.

*******"We are glad to see the FDA taking action against unsubstantiated claims, and we are glad to see Commissioner McClellan grapple with the ephedra issue," Dickinson told WebMD. "If the FDA can deal with that, it goes a long way to show that even in the most controversial situation the law gives the FDA authority to act." *******

 

Thompson today said that he'd like to see the law amended to force manufacturers to hand over to the FDA any reports of adverse events linked to their products. But he says that the ban on ephedra is in full compliance with the law as it now exists.

Chris says, "If you would like to read the full article, the link is below".

http://aolsvc.health.webmd.aol.com/content/Article/79/96033.htm?pagenumber=1

 

[Guest guest]

Hi!

I also grabbed an interesting excerpt here:

 

>Drugmakers have to prove their product is safe and effective. They

must submit all the evidence they have to the FDA, including later

injury reports that might be drug related. But a 1994 law

specifically exempts the makers of dietary supplements from having to

do this.

 

We all know they are not safe and most are ineffective, not to

mention the side effects.

 

In the case of Ma Huang, those manufacturers were looking for the

quick fix. In one case, an M. D. even prescribed it for his patient's

weight loss program despite his patient's known heart problems, etc.

His patent then took 5 times the recommended dose and died. Who's to

blame here?

 

many prescription drugs are pulled from the market months and

sometimes within a year or two for liver and kidney damage, etc.

aShouldn't the FDA have guarded us from that? They're all in bed so

deeply with these manufacturers that they agree to things like this

year's flu vaccine which the researchers who submitted it even deemed

relatively ineffective and definitely ineffective against this

particular strain.

 

My biggest question is Who regulated the FDA?