Story at a glance
- A U.S. district court judge has ruled that the FDA went too far in adding a disclaimer to a qualified health claim about green tea and cancer; the FDA’s disclaimer effectively “negates the substance-disease relationship claim altogether,” and a revised disclaimer must be written
- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also suffered a loss in its efforts to hold a marketer of dietary supplements in contempt of a previous consent order; the FTC alleged that the company violated the order by making false and baseless claims about its vitamin C and omega-3 fat based products, but the court ruled that the FTC had failed to prove that any of the challenged claims violated the consent order
- Meanwhile, the FDA went against the recommendations of its own medical and statistical reviewers and approved a new dosage of Alzheimer’s drug Donepezil, even though scientific evidence showed the drug offered “no meaningful added benefit, just more harm”
- As unbelievable as it sounds, current law makes it illegal for natural supplement and food producers to share science-based, health information with you; you can help by supporting the Free Speech about Science Act (HR 1364), a landmark legislation that would allow the free flow of legitimate scientific and educational information
Support HR 1364 for Free Speech About Science
As unbelievable as it sounds, current law makes it illegal for natural supplement and food producers to share accurate, science-based health information with you.
Congressmen Jason Chaffetz (R–UT) and Jared Polis (D–CO) have introduced the Free Speech about Science Act (HR 1364), a landmark legislation that would allow the flow of legitimate scientific and educational information. The new bill provides a limited and carefully targeted change to FDA regulations so that manufacturers and producers may reference legitimate, peer-reviewed scientific studies without converting a natural food or dietary supplement into an “unapproved drug.” According to Rep. Chaffetz’s website, the provisions of HR 1364 do the following:iii
- Allow dietary supplements and healthy foods to cite legitimate scientific research
- Provide a clear definition of the types of research that may be referenced by growers and manufacturers
- Ensure that referencing such research does not convert a food or dietary supplement into an “unapproved (and therefore illegal) new drug”
- Retain the authority of FDA and FTC to pursue any fraudulent and misleading statements
According to Rep. Chaffetz:iv
“It is important for individuals and families to take charge of their personal health by making the right decisions to get and stay healthy. This includes accessing information so that individuals can adjust habits, eat healthfully, and take appropriate dietary supplements to prevent and even treat health conditions.
The Free Speech About Science Act helps insure their access to legitimate scientific research to make the necessary decisions to improve their personal health and the health of their families.”
Rep. Polis adds:
“Today’s science has shown that vitamins and nutritional supplements can offer successful, natural alternatives to drugs. As we begin to reform our nation’s healthcare system, supplements are an innovative way to help reduce costs.
The Free Speech About Science Act is a common sense act that will make it easier for doctors and consumers to learn about the cheaper, healthier alternatives to costly medicines that food and nutritional supplements provide.”
As of April 2012, HR 1364 was assigned to a congressional committee, which will consider it before possibly sending it on to the House or Senate. The majority of bills never make it out of committee, so we need your help.
Please lend HR 1364 your support by signing on as a co-sponsor TODAY.
Use the Alliance for Natural Health’s HR 1364 page to send a letter to your representative in support of this bill. And forward or post this article to all of your friends and loved ones who care about their health and their right to full information so they can make an intelligent choice in their health care decisions. With your combined influence we can be a powerful force for much-needed change.
From Mercola.com
To read the full story: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/05/fda-disclaimer-on-green-tea-revised.aspx?e_cid=20120505_DNL_art_2
