HealthBeat News

Category: Drugs and Alternatives

  • The REAL Reason “They” are Trying to Outlaw Over-the-Counter DHEA and Other Supplements

    I’m working on another article titled “Turning Supplements into Drugs,” but from the title of this article, I think you’ll get the “drift.” Anything that proves beneficial (about 80% of all non-prescription supplements and hormones, I would guess), will be OUTLAWED as common over-the counter supplements. Why? BECAUSE THEY WORK.And what does that mean? The FDA — the “lap dog” of Big Pharma — will be sure to make anything illegal that Big Pharma can’t make a buck on. It’s in their own financial interest to do so.

    Example. If DHEA proves to be beneficial (it has, see next paragraph), “we’ll” make it illegal to sell over-the counter and that way, “we’ll” protect Big Pharma’s interests. Big Pharma can then “license” the “drug” (with big money paid to the FDA for “licensing fees”). Are you starting to understand how this works?

    Here’s the latest news on DHEA, taken from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology. Higher DHEA levels are associated with less cognitive decline in females. But that’s not the only thing we know about DHEA.

    Youthful levels are also associated with less risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures, better use of glucose (better blood sugar regulation) and improved immune function, to name just a few benefits.

    Translation: higher DHEA levels correspond to better mental and physical function in older years.

    So why all the recent bru-ha-ha about outlawing DHEA? Has it harmed any one? Not that I can find in the medical literature. Nay, NO ONE appears to have been harmed by OTC DHEA.

    What DHEA does is keep the adrenal and various other hormonal functions at more youthful levels. This recent study adds to the growing body of evidence that generous DHEA levels help preserve youthful function, including memory.

    SO… expect DHEA to become outlawed as an over-the-counter supplement, and fully expect it to become a prescription-only “drug”  at a cost of 10-20 times more than you pay for it now (with no improvement in safety or benefit).

    Anything that works — again, about 80% of supplements, in my estimation — will soon be “prescription only.” You can thank the FDA, who are protecting nothing but their own financial interests by protecting Big Pharma, for this travesty.

    That’s how it looks from here…

    Dr. Myatt

    References

    1.) Davis SR, Shah SM, McKenzie DP, Kulkarni J, Davison SL, Bell RJ. Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Levels Are Associated with More Favorable Cognitive Function in Women.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Mar;93(3):801-808. Epub 2007 Dec 11.2.) Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Orav EJ, Dawson-Hughes B. Additive benefit of higher testosterone levels and vitamin D plus calcium supplementation in regard to fall risk reduction among older men and women. Osteoporos Int. 2008 Mar 20 [Epub ahead of print].

    3.) Sato K, Iemitsu M, Aizawa K, Ajisaka R. Testosterone and DHEA activates the glucose metabolism-related signalling pathway in skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Mar 18 [Epub ahead of print].

    4.) Santos CD, Toldo MP, Santello FH, Filipin MD, Brazão V, do Prado Júnior JC. Dehydroepiandrosterone increases resistance to experimental infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. Vet Parasitol. 2008 Feb 6 [Epub ahead of print].
     

  • The Bisphosphonate Scandal Continues To Generate Outrage

    The Bisphosphonate scandal that Dr. Myatt wrote about in a recent article The Ugly Truth About “Bone Building” Drugs For Osteoporosis continues to generate comments from those outraged that the FDA and Big Pharma continue to push these poisons, putting profits before health or safety. Recently, Doctor Jeffrey Dach sent us the following succinct note:

    Bisphosphonates Increase the Fracture Rates for Osteopenia

    The fracture rates for women with osteopenia (T greater than -2.5) actually increases on bisphosphonates. JAMA.1998;280:2077-2082.Cummings

    The following quote from John Abramson’s book, Overdosed America, Chapter 13.

    “What about using these drugs to prevent osteoporosis? The study of Fosamax published in JAMA in 1998 also included women with osteopenia. Did Fosamax reduce their risk of fracture? The results show that the risk of hip fractures actually went up 84 percent with Fosamax treatment. The risk of wrist fractures increased by about 50 percent.” JAMA.1998;280:2077-2082.Cummings. Quote attributed to John Abramson MD.

    For more see:

    Bisphosphonates for Osteoporosis, A Closer Look at the Data by Jeffrey Dach MD

    Jeffrey Dach MD

  • Wasting Money to Save Money? Who’s Watching Your Back?

    By Dr. MyattAs a child, I remember riding around the block six times with my friend and her father as he searched for a gas station with cheaper gas. He he finally found it. At 2 cents per gallon less, one wonders if he spent more money circling the block than he actually saved. Even my third-grade mind questioned the reasonability of his actions.

    Fast-forward some 40 years, and I still see people wasting time and money trying to save a buck, only now it’s on a much grander scale. Instead of a few pennies at stake, I watch people wasting dollars AND risking their health in similarly vain attempts to “save money.”

    As most Wellness Club members know, I spend enormous amounts of time and energy verifying the quality and purity of all products sold at The Wellness Club. As a result, my nick-name in the nutritional supplement industry is “The Dragon Lady.” Truth is, I wear that title proudly.

    Does this mean that something will never slip by me? Of course not. But in 14 years of due diligence with The Wellness Club, we’ve not had anything slip by yet. I think it’s a safe bet that our record of excellence will continue, at least as long as I still draw breath. (Which from my recent physical exam and lab work will probably be another 50-60 years unless I’m run over by a truck).

    We’ve never had a single “recall” on a product or raw material, and we always offer the highest potency forms of nutrients available unless they are totally cost-prohibitive. In other words, I work hard to make sure all of our products are the best quality available anywhere, bar none. So far, this “homework” has paid big bonuses. The vast majority of our patients — even those with life-threatening and “incurable” conditions — either recover or at least blow the lid off their conventional “life expectancy.” And they do so in grand style, feeling well and living life to the fullest. It’s that kind of medical success that keeps me doing what I do.

    Why am I so careful? It’s a dangerous world out there. Products labeled “organic” are often NOT. For example: have you heard about the recent discovery that many “natural” and “organic” products have been found to be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a cancer-causing chemical? How could such a thing happen if our big and important government agencies like the FDA and the USDA are watching out for us?

    According to Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association, large holding companies are buying up many smaller brands when they become well known. They then cheapen the formulations, often adding toxic chemicals. Brands that may have started out as quality, small-company formulas have become Monolithic Corporation toxic chemical soups, but they still carry the “organic” or “natural” designations on their labels! Meanwhile, our “government protectors” turn a blind eye. Of course they do. They make their Big Money from these Big Corporations — the foxes are guarding the hen house.

    Products that are supposedly “safe” and of the highest quality often contain tainted ingredients. Unless you personally know the company, the manufacturer and their screening practices, “welcome to the jungle.”

    Wouldn’t you rather have The Dragon Lady on YOUR side?

  • What Are We Doing To Our Children!

    Opinion (a rant) By Nurse Mark

     

    As you know, one of our daily chores here is to sift through mountains of research, bulletins, scientific papers, medical journals, and even the FDA’s News Digests looking for things of importance to you, our readers and patients. I say “chores” because it really is a chore much of the time to go through all this stuff – it is usually either incredibly, stupefying, dry stuff, guaranteed to put even the most determined reader into a glassy-eyed trance or it is “research” that is a thinly veiled advertisement for some new drug, or, as the following little tidbit is, something that makes us shake our heads here in disbelief, frustration, and even anger.

     

    Well, today I’m angry!

     

    Just what in the name of all that is Holy are we doing to our children?!? It isn’t good enough that Big Pharma appears to be in cahoots with Big Food in order to have most of the adult population of the US eating such an unbalanced, miserable, processed, synthetic, poisonous diet that they are ruining their health and lining up clamoring for “The Little Purple Pill” in droves – Big Pharma now wants our children to be hooked on proton pump inhibitors as well!

     

    For us, this begs the question: Just how in the world could a baby merely a year old develop GERD? Or a child of less than 11 years for that matter? Wouldn’t it make more sense to look at sorting out the cause of this problem rather than to be shutting off an essential body function – the production of stomach acid – with a drug?

     

    Do we really believe that modern pharmaceutical science has finally provided us with a solution to a problem that has plagued mankind for lo, these many years – the dreaded “Nexium Deficiency Syndrome”? Did our ancestors suffer because didn’t have “The Little Purple Pill”? Or did they simply have to make do with a better diet – none of those nutritious trans fats, no delicious high-fructose corn syrup, missing out on refined salt, refined sugar, refined flour, and bromine-laced breads… Yikes! – How did our ancestors survive without those wonderful inventions? (“Very well indeed” is my guess!)

     

    So, here is the offensive little tidbit from the FDA: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01802.html  Reading through the article it seems that they are basing this on the extrapolation of adult data – yep, that’s right, to the FDA children are just smaller adults! They refer with obvious pride to one study of a whole, big, 109 children who took the stuff for a whole 8 weeks – wow! And presumably none of these children suffered any “serious” side effects beyond those that the FDA advises about: “The most common adverse reactions in children treated with Nexium were headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, gas, constipation, dry mouth and sleepiness.”

     

    Yesiree, no problem, just a minor little discomfort – it’s a small price to pay for being able to take “The Little Purple Pill” just like mommy and daddy!

     

    Reflux Disease Treatment Nexium Now Approved for Children Ages 1 to 11

    FDA has approved Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium) for short-term use in children ages 1 to 11 years for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The agency approved the drug in two forms, a delayed-release capsule and liquid form. Nexium is approved in 10 milligrams (mg) or 20 mg daily for children ages 1 to 11, compared to 20 mg or 40 mg recommended for pediatric patients ages 12 to 17.

     

  • Maxi Fiber is now EZ Fiber

    –NEW - Ez Fiber Still The Best-Tasting, Most Complete Fiber Available –

    Great News! Maxi Fiber, one of Dr. Myatt’s most popular products, has been licensed to a major supplement manufacturer. This means that Dr. Myatt no longer sells Maxi Fiber in the small containers, but now offers the same great product (exactly the same!) in a larger container for your convenience. The old Maxi Fiber provided 30 servings per container and the new product EZ Fiber comes in a 60 serving container for only 39.95