12.12.08
Will the powers of tea overcome the powers that be?
posted by Adela Hasas | 5 comments
What happens to a good-intentioned company that sells herbal supplements & natural tisanes…and makes the grave mistake of claiming these products are healthy? The FDA sends US Marshals to raid the warehouse and seize thousands of dollars worth of company property and products, of course.
I recently read about the FDA’s seizure of $71,000 worth of herbal supplements from Florida-based company FullLife Natural. Invasive situations like this are not rare, and whether or not the Charantea brand products are actually effective is beside the point. The crime resides in the company’s marketing, which stated their Bitter Melon Ampalaya Tea assisted with reducing blood pressure, an illegal statement in the United States.
According to the FDA, absolutely no substances except for pharmaceutical drugs can make claims regarding treatment or cure of a disease. How exactly did a government entity get the power to make such an outrageous law regarding medical matters?
What’s most outlandish is that pharmaceutical drugs only came into existence about 80 years ago…does the FDA really have the audacity to claim that absolutely no cure for disease existed for thousands of years prior? That if it weren’t for chemical drugs, humanity would continue to suffer for all of eternity? What’s even more baffling is that many of these drugs contain herbal products or synthetic versions of similar compounds…so then how can these companies possibly claim that the original, natural source is ineffective?
And isn’t it conveniently ironic that former pharmaceutical executives have a tendency to leave their corporate jobs for a position at the FDA…and vice versa? Is this really consumer protection, or monumental greed at its worst?
For the sake of profit, disease is not meant to be cured…only maintained. Curing a person using natural products would deprive drug companies of thousands of dollars that would otherwise be spent on a lifetime of pharmaceutical treatment. The worst part is there will continue to be a tremendous lack of funding for natural and herbal remedies as long as any such products will still be banned from making treatment claims.
So what hope is there for those of us seeking natural methods for healing? In a society where profit is valued over the genuine pursuit of truth, we still have a wonderful resource that allows free speech and the spread of alternative solutions: the internet. With news sources and blogs like T Ching, we can still share, educate, and learn about holistic lifestyles, alternative health methods, and the healing powers of tea. In the words of Confucius, “Education breeds confidence, confidence breeds hope, and hope breeds peace.” I’ll drink to that.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Adela,
Thanks for the informative post. For some reason I have always assumed that the threat of FDA crackdown was remote at best. You’ve corrected that assumption! (Thanks, also, for clarifying the Big Pharma/FDA love fest.) Are companies that make claims about health benefits subject to lawsuits from consumers, like pharmaceutical companies can be? FDA’s confused motives baffle me! Thanks for the provocative discussion.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Thank you, Adela, for once again reminding us of the hypocrisy of the FDA.
To answer your question as to “what hope there is for those of us seeking natural methods for healing”; self edification. All around the world, healers were made up of village shamans, medicine men and mothers who took the responsibility for their villages or families to learn the ways of natural healing and provide that gift to others. There is no reason why we still can’t do that for ourselves, our families and our friends, as long as we don’t advertise it. Otherwise, we may just find ourselves standing tied up above a large wood pile.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Something similar happened to the brother of a friend of ours years ago. He manufactured
some kind of liquid with friendly bacteria or something. It couldn’t have been worse than
the kind of pills and potions being pushed by the big pharma co’s.
The gov’t is buying into banks, perhaps will have a ‘car czar’, is spending hundreds of billions on things they won’t publickly expose. What’s next?
December 15th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I’m glad that others agree…it’s pretty upsetting when close friends & family think I’m exaggerating or outright wrong. People don’t know about these things because they’re not SUPPOSED to know, and that can be pretty scary.
I often feel angry that I even KNOW about all this…I often wish that I was still ignorant, because the truth can be so depressing. Too late now!
December 15th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Adela - I’ve been over whelmed by these issues myself. Who would have thought that this could go on in America. I remember a few years back, the conservative AARP exposed the FDA by revealing some of the inappropriate activities that go on. I was sure it would soon reach main stream. Unfortunately it didn’t. My hope is that our new president elect will focus some much needed energy into this issue.