SweetJade1980

Facts are a very important thing here.  If anyone can direct me to specific regulations please do so.  Here's the informatin that should cover your concern:



DSHEA Act of 1994

HTH  


SJ

Ahh, OK...I understand the concern....I am not dismissing anything.  I mentioned the points that I thought were important (i.e. natural flavorings, proprietary blends), but those points alone are not a reason to pass a bill that would alter other benefits that supplements provide us.  You don't approve a bill if there is fault with it.  Instead, you adjust the proposed bill so that your concerns are met, but they don't cause harm to the industry and most importantly...the consumer.

As it is now, you cannot saying anything about a supplement.  You cannot make medical or disease claims, even if it they were true, or the FDA will crack down on you. It is already in effect and the FDA has done so to both supplement manufacturers (New Chapter, Garden of Life) and food manufacturers (General Mills, Dannon).  Not because the products don't contain the ingredients listed that would be beneficial for a health condition, but because it would then be considered a drug...

I do not believe in conspiracy theories.  I believe that knowledge is power and the more we as consumers know, the more informed we are, the better we can be at effecting change.  So write, better yet call, your senators and tell them what you like about the bill and what you do not.

Again, there is currently regulation to support everything that the DSSA (and now possibly a revised S.510) was trying to accomplish, minus the nasty stuff.  From all the manufacturers that I have trained with (just like pharmaceutical companies do trainings)...there is documentation:

• Some don't actually just base their formulations off of studies, but actuallly conduct their own studies on the product lines.  
  
• Others actually will test the effectiveness of their formulations for several years before they release it into the public.  
  
• Thanks to technology, there are those that do guarantee potency of a product at expiration date (applies more so to probiotics).
  
• Whether the raw materials are coming from the U.S., China, Canada, New Zealand or Norway, they also incorporate rigourous 3rd party standards for testing the safety and purity of the products.
  
• Amazingly some companies will opt to not buy raw materials from China (sometimes they are the only producer) if they can get it elsewhere.  The benefit may be less lead in the materials, which costs more, but at least that company knows they are selling a purer product to the consumer.
  
• They maintain lot numbers so that if there is a problem, they can go back and test that lot to see if that lot indeed was faulty.
  
• All supplement manufacturers are required to be apart of the Good Manufacturing Practices regulation, so quality standards will be in place for all.

I have no idea what Whole Foods standards are for selling supplements, but I know that Sunflower Markets and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, go through several panels and wait many months or even years before we (natural grocers) will approve a product for sale on our shelves.  This may disappoint some consumers, but it's because we want to insure the quality and integrity of the products we sell. If a company were to change their forumalutions (and they do so without telling us), we willl pull it from our shelves if it contains an additive or an ingredient we do not sell.

Again, everything that I hear frustration about in this thread is already being regulated or can be.  The FDA just needs the manpower and resources (shutting down labs does not do anyone good) to do their job, not just in the food industry, but also in the supplement industry. So perhaps we should also write our congressmen about that. Below are regulations currently in place:

• The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA)
  DSHEA Act and labeling requirements
  
• Dietary Supplement and Non-Prescription Drug Consumer Protection Act, S. 3546, 2006 (“the SAER bill”) The SAER Bill
  
• Good Manufacturing Practice Regulations, 2007 (GMP, cGMP) - There are supplement manufacturers that have followed these practices for over 10 years prior to the FDAs final ruling. http://www.cgmp.com
  
• United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Verificaiton - Voluntary participation (but it has been used to test ingredients in China since 2007)  USP Verifed - see list of companies participating

All the best,


SJ

I have no idea what supplements people are purchasing but if they are sold in a reputable grocery/health food store, they are labeled.  The only catch is the "proprietary blend" which will list the ingredients but not give us a specific amount for each ingredient, instead you get a total amount.

If CODEX were to become apart of the U.S. regulatory system, you could not take 100mg of Vitamin C at any frequency you choose because you are only limited to a certain number of pills per bottle.  IF these fall under a prescription, you will run out of your prescription within a matter of days if you are taking 1000mg - 3000mg or more a day of Vitamin C. Not to mention the high level of cost either method will impose on the consumer.  


Sadly, it ain't over....

Ever hear of S. 510? Well, it's McCain's Food Safety bill (most bills may have some good intentions, but there's also the bad). Apparently, his focus will go back to this bill which has been stalled for a few months now.  I haven't been able find this letter that is mentioned, but apparently, they are going to combine the Food Safety bill so that it includes parts of the DSSA:


McCain/Dorgan Anti-DSHEA bill dies… or does it?

Dietary Supplements, Clean Foods Next Victims of Fake "Safety" Bills

(you can sign the above petition if you like)

One more thing, I had a customer come up asking for a specific form of vitamin B6, Pyridoxamine.  We looked at all the bottles on shelves and among the three main forms of B6 in nature, pyridoxamine was not one of them on our shelves. I was disheartened so I hopped on the Internet to see if any of the brands we carry offer this supplement.  Sadly, what I found out is that since 2009 there has been an attempt to ban this supplement or the FDA has become successful in banning this product (only see one supplier).

I know we don't want to believe that this is about profit and control, but I am finding it hard to understand why the FDA would want to ban Pyridoxamine, when the FDA knows that it has powerful health benefits (breaks down AGEs, prevents diabetic neuropathy, etc).  Reason...a drug company wanted to patent it and...because they realized it was a supplement being sold for less in stores, they had to devise a way to change that....

Currently LEF is the only company I've been able to find online that is selling this (through various retailers), until their supply runs out, and below is their write up about this:

FDA Seeks to Ban Pyridoxamine (July 2009)
(Stores are carrying the coenzymated form of B6, P5P, which has similar benefits)


Shame on You, FDA: Pyridoxamine and Health Freedom… and Truth!
(The above article also covers foods that have been under attack by the FDA)


All the best,

SJ

To this day, and I started avoiding dairy products over 7 years ago, I will still breakout if I consume a dairy product. I try not to do so, but sometimes when eating out you may still get caught (e.g. Tandori chicken..yummy but still marinated in yogurt, buttery flavoring...may have a milk protein, etc.).

That said 99% of the time I will have a mucous reaction (i.e. evidenced by throat clearing) within minutes of consuming something with dairy in it so I usually know when it has happened, even if the meal did not taste or look like it would have any. The **fun** result of all of this is that get a very specific type of cystic acne (1 - 3 cysts from just mild exposure) about 5 days later. It can be quite persistant lasting 2 - 3 weeks each time I am exposed to dairy products.

It does not matter if it is Regular Milk or Organic Milk (tosses the extra hormones only theory out),  Yogurt, Cheese, Butter, Rice Cheese (has casein) or Whey Protein Isolate (Whey is another rmilk protein)....I will break out.  So...I do my best to avoid as it is never ever worth it!  

My milk alternatives for drinking on occasion, cereal, cooking or baking are as follows:

• So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk (cereal, baking, homemade ice cream)
• Canned Coconut Milk (baking)
• Pacific Unsweetened Oat Milk (sometimes for baking)
• West Soy Unsweetened Enriched Plain Rice Milk (less gritty than Rice Dream, many purposes)
• Rice Dream Unsweetened (Enriched) Rice Milk ....Original, Carob, Chocolate (many purposes)
• Unsweetened Hemp Milk (baking)
• Unsweetened Soy Milk (sometimes for baking)

HTH

SJ

Hi Quanta,

I do not have a preference. I would go with the one that gives you the most Quercetin and Bromelian (with highest amt of GDUs) in the formulation (also pay attention to serving amount: 1 capsule, 2 capsules, etc.). Some products will show only quercetin on the bottle, but when you look at the back you will see that it also has the bromelian and vitamin C, so make sure you look at all possible products. While Vitamin C is helpful, it's the other two incredients you want to focus on the most. You may want to try one of the following since they fit the bill: Super Quercetin by Bluebonnet or Quercetin with Bromelain by Now.

As for when you take it, you can follow what is says on the bottle. I don't think that it would be a problem with taking it at the same time as you do your Virastop, but you will have to experiment with that. If you want to learn more about these inflammation regulating nutrients, you can read this bit of info here: http://www.immunesup...om/92fal004.htm

Best of luck!