What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You
By: Cynthia Drasler, MBA
NI often wonder why the FDA routinely approves synthetic chemicals they call medicines for use on even the tiniest babies, yet constantly maligns, misrepresents and tries to ban vitamin supplements and natural remedies. Recently the FDA has even targeted bio-identical hormones for removal from the US market. These are the very same hormones that our bodies produce. If they succeed in banning bio-identical hormones, what’s next? Since these bio-identical hormones are the same as the hormones in our bodies, would our inborn hormones be deemed dangerous by the FDA too? Maybe the FDA would just like to completely strip our bodies of our natural hormones and replace them with the synthetic chemical drugs that they call hormones. Or, maybe the FDA would like to let the pharmaceutical and chemical companies completely re-make us from head to foot replacing all our bodily fluids with synthetic chemicals. Let’s see… they can replace our blood with the herbicide Roundup. After all the FDA has already approved Roundup for insertion into the DNA of genetically modified foods. Completely filling our veins with it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch. They can color it with red dye #3 to look like blood. Isn't that a good idea? Then maybe they can replace our natural stomach acids with battery acid. Is this where we are headed? Since the FDA believes that the toxic synthetic chemicals they approve and call "medicines" are better than anything in nature that compliments the components of our bodies naturally, nothing is too crazy.
Despite overwhelming proof to the contrary, the FDA continues to regard synthetic chemicals as safer than natural ones. Although the FDA once had an allegiance to the American public – the FDA’s allegiance now is to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries thanks to funding changes and the lack of Congressional over sight. Since 1992, the FDA’s power and budget has grown, but their accountability has diminished. The FDA’s attitude of omnipotence stems from the lack of interest Congress has in challenging their “scientific” decisions. As a result, since 1992, the FDA has been doing what ever it wants, without much scrutiny. In years past, they based their beliefs about chemicals and medicine in general on the conventional wisdom the AMA (American Medical Association). For instance, in the 1930’s the AMA believed that our skin was a barrier that would protect us from toxic substances being absorbed into our bodies and that was the basis for the FDA allowing so many toxic chemicals on the market and into consumer products unchallenged. Seventy five years later, the AMA knows this belief is wrong – in fact the average 6 year old knows this is wrong. Everyone now knows that the skin acts more like a sponge that lets substances into the body than a barrier that keeps things out. If this wasn’t true, then all trans-dermal patches and topical creams containing various medicines and herbs and hormones wouldn’t work – and they do work. The FDA has approved trans-dermal patches and topical creams containing various drugs for sale yet ignores and discredits anyone who promotes the reduction of synthetic chemicals in our lives.
A plethora of studies link synthetic chemicals used in everyday products to an increase risk for diseases from cancer to birth defects. Our bodies are not able to metabolize synthetic chemicals. The effect is that they build up in our tissues, over decades of use, suppressing our immune systems until we get sick. The AMA has even identified a new illness caused by the buildup of toxic synthetic chemicals in the body. It’s called Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and is treated by a new medical specialty created by the AMA called the Environmental Medicine Doctor. These doctors are MDs and are usually trained in Allergy/Immunology. Yet despite the fact that the AMA is starting to acknowledge the damage that synthetic chemicals cause, the FDA just happily keeps approving any request by the pharmaceutical and chemical companies to unleash more synthetic chemicals onto the market with little or no consideration of the consequences to the our long term health.
Since the 1940’s over 80,000 synthetic chemicals have been invented. Most of them have been created from petroleum or coal tar, and only about 3% have been tested for human safety. Despite this, the FDA has approved their use in our food, medicines and consumer products anyway. The National Research Council reports, “No toxicity information is available for over 80% of the chemicals in everyday use products. Less than 20% have ever been tested for acute toxic effects and less than 10% have been tested for chronic, reproductive or mutagenic effects.” The few synthetic chemicals on the market that have been tested, have been tested alone and not in combination with other chemicals. These chemicals tend to combine to work into a harmful synergy when studied in the body. And, rarely have any of these chemicals been used alone – they are always used in combination with other synthetic chemicals.
Think about what you put in your body and why. You are ultimately responsible for your own health - not your doctor, not your insurance company, not even the FDA - the responsibility is YOURS - claim it!
Copyright 2008 by Cynthia Drasler, MBA. If you would like to use any part or all of this newsletter to send to your own email list, please reference Cynthia Drasler and www.HealthyLivingIsEasy.com as the source of this information.
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