Comments on: How Should FDA Regulate Diet Supplements?

Dietary Supplement Health And Education Act Regulates Supplements As Foods, Not Drugs

[euthman]

The FDA claims that the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA '94) limits its jurisdiction over food supplements. While the Act did in fact remove the requirement for pre-market approval, the FDA is still called on to enforce the veracity of claims made by the manufacturers. Thus, from the FDA's own Web site:

"In addition, manufacturers may describe the supplement's effects on 'structure or function' of the body or the 'well-being' achieved by consuming the dietary ingredient. To use these claims, manufacturers must have substantiation that the statements are truthful and not misleading..." (ref: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dietsupp.html )

I defy the FDA to prove it has held the manufacturers to substantiate the claims that their products can "remove toxins," "promote prostate health," "enhance immune function," or possess any health-giving properties at all. The FDA is clearly not doing its job in protecting the consumer, and I urge CBS News to expose this derogation of responsibility by a Federal agency.

[euthman]

The FDA claims that the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA '94) limits its jurisdiction over food supplements. While the Act did in fact remove the requirement for pre-market approval, the FDA is still called on to enforce the veracity of claims made by the manufacturers. Thus, from the FDA's own Web site:

"In addition, manufacturers may describe the supplement's effects on 'structure or function' of the body or the 'well-being' achieved by consuming the dietary ingredient. To use these claims, manufacturers must have substantiation that the statements are truthful and not misleading..." (ref: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dietsupp.html )

I defy the FDA to prove it has held the manufacturers to substantiate the claims that their products can "remove toxins," "promote prostate health," "enhance immune function," or possess any health-giving properties at all. The FDA is clearly not doing its job in protecting the consumer, and I urge CBS News to expose this derogation of responsibility by a Federal agency.

[kirk1639]

It is obvious that this report is influenced by the BIG drug companies. They are already making huge profits and spend huge dollars advertising on your network .Why don't you have some experts in eastern medicine and natural medicine have a chance to respond so the audience could here both sides of the story.if this keeps up,soon we will be so regulated that we will have no choice in any matter.I know many people who have had great results using natural products who have been able to avoid the many side effects of the prescription drugs which are handed out like candy to the public. It is a shame that young children are also being prescrbibed drugs wityout trying safer non addictive methods first.

thoroughly disgusted,

Al Bosco

[natmedlaw]

The readers of Natural Medicine Law Newsletter know all about what is required to comply with the law as well as what happens when someone gets in trouble. We are in our 10th year of publication and its all free except the current hard copy issue on out website. Just use my name with a dot com and take a look.

[mirtocap]

Did Dan Hurley and CBS not know how to read about the accusations they made against supplements. Suggest they go into a supplements store, probably never have, and pick up a bottle of Vitamins,Minerals, Amino Acids and read the following on most items that make any clain: (It's on almost every bottle.)

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Suggest they bring this back to the people's payroll they are on and prepare a new game plan. While they are at it share this with them: "So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain, it takes away the life of the owner".
The following is the truth and I challenge you to let me prove this anyplace you want. **Just one more reason in the line of many on why "Prescription Drugs are the largest Orchestrated Fraud in human history when it comes to infective and degenerative diseases".**

And let us not forget the VIOXX SCAM.

[epearson65]

I%u2019m disappointed with CBS. They didn%u2019t provide compelling evidence of a problem and seemed biased. It is already illegal for a dietary supplement to make claims to cure or treat any illness or medical condition, and obesity is recognized as a medical condition. Enforce it!

I believe it should also be up to consumers to research myth and truth, especially since these products aren%u2019t dangerous except when misused (the same way household items such as toothpaste and hairspray can be harmful). Consumers already use judgment when buying products from wrinkle cream to junk food. They should talk to doctors before trying products that may not produce results, or may exacerbate existing conditions. Dietary supplements are already required to display this warning even though foods with hydrogenated oils, MSG and nitrates are not.

I also believe the government should facilitate the flow of TRUTHFUL information so that consumers aren%u2019t misled and don%u2019t have decisions made for them by entities with more interest in the state of the economy or profit than the health of the consumer. The government has historically made policies detrimental to consumer health in order to preserve industries that contribute to the economic health of the nation (beef, tobacco, pesticides, health insurance and petroleum just to name a few). Economic health is important, but I hope everyone understands that there will be a price to pay for putting profit first.

[sewbusy-2009]

CBS, when are you going to learn? You have only angered those of us who know that supplements are effective, needed and safe.
Like duh%u2026%u2026why do you think more people wrote letters to Congress for supplements than for the entire Vietnam War? WAKE UP!! Smell the green tea!! I was one of those people. Those of us who wrote, know that supplements work. We have the right to make our own decisions on our health. Government needs to keep their dirty little hands away from my good health!

[rampagesr]

Many of the supplement companies sell their products through Multilevel Marketing (MLM) pyramid schemes. This allows the companies to recruit distributors to sell their products. However, the distributor's cost is inflated and is very unlikely to sell the product. So instead, the distributors recruit more distributors into the pyramid so they can collect commissions from required monthly minimum purchases to qualify as a distributor.

These distributors make health claims like how products containing grape seed extract can reverse the affects of certain cancers (Dr. Ladd McNamara, a USANA Gold distributor and on USANA's Medical Advisory Board, made this claim during a USANA distributor meeting). When asked how USANA can make such claims. He said USANA doesn't make any health claims and since he is a doctor he can make any health claim he wants. So many of these nutritional supplement companies hire people to make the health claims for them. Distributors also make verbal health claims that are not permitted by law, but little is ever done about it.

Many commenting on here repeat the same slogans that are taught during MLM training material. On many MLM forums selling nutritional supplements, distributors are urged to comment on the CBS website regarding this segment. So most of the comments on here are from distributors selling supplements. These individuals insinuating greed amongst drug companies, only have to look in the mirror (from recruiting members into pyramid schemes).

[missval973]

Is CBS even remotely interested in the truth about supplement?... OR perhaps they are in the pocket of "big pharma!" There are many good studies, legit studies, not the "Kitchen quacks" that the media consistantly use to tout their ridiculous big pharm campaign, but good studies that prove over and over again that supplements and herbal remedies, when used correctly, work. I believe that that this type of shoddy journalism has an agenda. Why are there still pain medicines available that have been proven to cause heart attacks, if not for the money that is generated for the FDA and big pharma? Explain to me how the regulation by FDA has helped us there? Yet you want to outlaw B12 or vitamin C? C'mon cbs! Transparent as cling wrap! Your in someone's back pocket!

Missval

[charlesarno]

What an irresponsible use of broadcasting power! You have a 'burn' against the $20 billion supplements industry, so you open with an entrepreneur......who prepares herbal concoctions in her home kitchen!?

You cite an 'unknown', Dan Hurley, because he published a book? There are thousands of books, pro- and anti- , in circulation on this subject, many written by better credentialed researchers. Why did you elevate Dan Hurley "to the purple"? How is he, suddenly, an "authority"? How much does he, or you, know about "biochemical individuality"?

Seems that CBS News has jumped on the bandwagon, to put strangling regulations on the inexpensive availability of herbal supplements, at the behest of the $400 billion Pharma industry. Humankind has been using herbal remedies for millennia, without suffering the devastation wrought by Pharma's pantheon of 'harmless' side effects. But, then, since CBS, et al, derive so much revenue from tooting Pharma's horn, what else are we to expect from broadcast "journalism"?

When the revolving-door FDA tries to sellout to the complete control of Pharma again, they'll have their hands full (again). Maybe, the FDA will even lose its license to (unscientifically) practice! Take this 'trial balloon', and burst it!