Is the FDA’s Interpretation of Provision 301 a Threat to Supplements?
The FDA invited comment about how to interpret Section 912, Provision 301 of the FDA Amendments Act of 2007.
16 Dec
2008
16 Dec
2008
First It’s Not Safe, and Then It Is! The FDA Position on Melamine May Give Us All a Case of Whiplash
Melamine was first synthesized by a German chemist in 1834, and melamine resin is used in Formica for countertops and dry erase boards as well as flame retardants. A 1958 patent described the use of melamine as a non-protein nitrogen (NPN) for cattle. Melamine is sometimes illegally added to food products in order to increase the apparent protein content. Standard tests that estimate protein levels by measuring the nitrogen content can be misled by adding nitrogen-rich compounds such as melamine.
16 Dec
2008
Statins and Women: An Update
In the October 21 issue of Pulse of Health Freedom, a number of issues regarding statin drug use were examined. Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, who is gathering data at www.statinsideeffects.com, has indicated there is little or no evidence to suggest that statin drugs are of benefit for women.In an important update to the story, a […]
16 Dec
2008
Survey of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among American Adults and Children
The 2007 National Health Interview Study, an annual interview of more than 23,000 Americans on their health and illness-related experiences, was developed jointly by NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or NCCAM, and the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. This year’s survey included questions about 38 different types of complementary and alternative […]
16 Dec
2008
Brain Injury in U.S. Troops — A Long-Awaited Government Study Is Published
The Institute of Medicine has issued a long-awaited government report on screening US troops for brain injury (TBI). The report calls on the military to test all new recruits for cognitive skills, then do large studies of returning combat veterans, to better evaluate for traumatic brain injury, the signature wound of the Iraq War. USA […]
09 Dec
2008
The Science of Prevention
A recent Wall Street Journal article told the story of a group of 600 volunteers at Emory University who underwent an exhaustive predictive health assessment in order to prescribe lifestyle changes. Emory plans to use the data to help identify areas for intervention, assigning half the participants to health coaches to determine their effectiveness. While […]
02 Dec
2008
A Flagrant Example of Pushing the Sponsor’s Product
Drugmakers Pay an NPR Talk Show Host/Physician $1.3 Million for Lectures
02 Dec
2008
The Power of the Placebo — Is Healing All in Our Mind?
A recent survey of doctors from the U.S. finds that nearly two out of three believe it is permissible to use placebos, and one out of two U.S. doctors prescribe placebos to their patients.
02 Dec
2008
Has Technology Failed Us? Doctors Match Machines in Spotting Heart Disease
There are many aspects of what is sometimes called the “gold standard” of medicine that have been scrutinized by science and found to be lacking.
18 Nov
2008
FDA Regulation Changes Threaten the Supplement Industry
Urgent Action Needed. The Time to Send Comments to the FDA is Now: comment period whether section 301 should be extended to include dietary supplements has been extended to November 25.