Comments on: How Should FDA Regulate Diet Supplements?

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

[dakotakenn]

I have faithfully been watching CBS Evening News, but your shoddy journalism on this story is appalling and makes me question all of your health reporting.

I hoped, after the first part of your 2 part series, that you would give a separate persepctive on day 2. But your main source for both segments was only Dan Hurley.

You gave no credible information about legitimate concerns with supplements aside from diet pills, did no comparison of negative effects between supplements and other OTC medications or Rx alternatives. In fact you lump all supplements together - that is as silly as painting all RX meds as bad because of side effects with one.

You railed at teh fact that supplements are not FDA regulated, did not explore the ecnomic issues which drive drug companies to study Rx meds but give no economic incentive to study non-patentable herbal remedies.

Like many, you did not even look beyond our borders where many supplements and herbs have been studied extensively and used in Europe and Asia for centuries.

Responsible journalism would have included real facts, balanced perspective, interviews with medical personnel. You touted government results, but didn't even interview any official with responsibility for supplements studies.

Shame on you.

[catalogbiz]

Delete my post again CBS, I'll keep submitting it until I have been sufficiently amused.

I have not yet read Hurly's book Natural Causes so I quote Steve Mister, CRN president:

%u201CThe book includes more than 200 footnotes, but a cursory examination shows the author repeatedly footnotes his own inquiries, other people's opinions and people who spoke anonymously. This is not the bibliography of a serious piece of work. Hurley relies primarily on personal opinion and isolated incidents to falsely imply that these cases represent the experience of the more than 150 million Americans who take safe, beneficial dietary supplements as part of their healthy lifestyle choices. The book Natural Causes cannot be considered a credible, scientific work. This is an assortment of extreme anecdotes that exploit rare and tragic misfortunes in an agenda-driven attempt to sell books.%u201D

It is clear the real reasons you chose to do this story have nothing to do with facts related to the nutritional supplement industry. As has been detailed by many others posting here, one reason is your reliance on the pharmaceutical industry. Secondly, you chose this story and to get folks to watch your failed anchor Katie Couric. She and your nightly news are a failure, and by promoting this sensational story I again contend you will lose 20 times the number of viewers you could have ever gained by getting them to tune in.

[rodbarker60]

You only have to do a search on Nutrasweet to find out how corrupt the FDA really is. As an MS patient that weighed the small benefit (10-20%) of the leading MS prescriptions (at prices of $1000 per month) to a proper diet and vitamins as described by the book "The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book" by Dr. Roy Swank at 80-90% effective even after 20 years (at about $40 per month). He didn't make the distinction of Hydrogenated Oils back then, but we know to stay away from those instead of the Saturated Fats like he suggested. Last time I saw my Dr. he said if we were in a line-up he would be picked as the diseased one over me. Down with the FDS!

[natfire]

Protect our Freedom! For additional info on this subject and how you can get involved, go to: http://www.nha2007.com

[xport2]

Why Should Supplements be regulated?
Should oranges, kale for their vitamin C is regulated? What if a company has the capability to extract the contents of natural fruits and vegetables and put them in a bioavailability and biocompatible form?
The supplements I take has help in choosing fresh vegetable for the value they may have. It is said, that some vegetables may loose some of their value from the field to the table.
Supplements are what they are, supplements, not substitutes for eating wholesome food.
All I hear about supplements are they may interfere with your meds. Well I am not on meds, pass 60 years old, so my supplements want interfere. Some say, herbs don%u2019t work. Where do medicine get their start? You know herb isn%u2019t just herb, they contain vitamins, minerals according to many authors of herbal books.
We talk about the cost of health care, who will pay, those who understand what they are doing may lower their cost by doing thing that support a good immune system.

[drjoeb-2009]

Having been an MD for the last 17 years I've had the opportunity to meet and work as a consultant with the two of the largest pharma companies in the World. Ten years ago these companies had full R&D pipelines with great products that kept them preoccupied. Now the number of products in their pipelines has dropped significantly and they're turning to other areas to drive revenue. In particular Glaxo Smith Kline is moving into the weight loss category with an OTC product (Alli) that will be sold in Wal Mart this year once FDA approval is granted. This has always been an area that dietary supplements thrive in and Big Pharma has avoided. Now this is changing and Big Pharma is coming after the supplement players.
Clearly CBS did not decide to just run a prime time story about supplements on a whim. Look at who advertises the most on CBS. Glaxo... I don't doubt for a second that the marketers at Glaxo demanded that CBS develop a story to discredit the supplement industry. Keep an eye out for Alli commercials on CBS in the coming months.
Dr Joe B
(Full name with held as I'm a practicing MD that does not need to be hassled by Big Pharma)

[revrom]

Thirty years ago, my doctors predicted I would be a cripple by age 60. I started taking nutritional supplements and and still enjoying good health at age 76. Hurley is serving BIG PHARMA in making the claims he does. Thousands more people are killed by FDA approved drugs every year, relatively few by the wrong use of nutritional supplements. FDA benefits BIG PHARMA, not the people. BOBVAN30

[revrom]

I have been using nutritional supplements for 30 years, after a doctor predicted I would be a cripple before I turned 60. I am now 76 years old and enjoying very good health. Hurley is in the service of the BIG PHARMA. FDA approved medicine kills thousands of people every year, many more than the total of nutritional supplements. Revrom

[maggieb9]

First, I am so encouraged to see all the comments from smart americans who use dietary supplements. Second, I'm so ashamed to live in a country where news programs like CBS evening news, sponsored by drug companies, do a smear piece on supplements that help people achieve wellness. A message to all smart people...Stop watching television shows like the today show, cbs evening news, and other programs sponsored by big Pharma, maybe then they'll leave us alone.

[usana4life]

Supplements sold off the shelf are of food grade quality. Remember, the same FDA that regulates these supplements, is the same FDA that allows a plethora of harmful chemicals, including MSG's, in our foods. Most are a waste of money. More times than not, what the label says and what you are actually getting can be quite a bit different.

There are pharmaceutical grade supplements available, with guaranteed potencies. These are the highest quality supplements available, using the highest quality ingredients found from around the world. Cellular nutrition is a science, you shouldn't just trust it to any company trying to make money on the latest fad. Do your research before committing to any product.