What's really behind recent media scare tactics on vitamins?
In the days and weeks before a major earthquake, seismologists often record tremors - subterranean rumbles, signalling that something destructive is on the way.
Consider today's e-alert a tremor.
Something very destructive is headed our way, and it will have a deeply negative impact on your right to make your own healthcare decisions.
Dreaming up dangers
It seems that as the date for the UK to comply with the EU Food Supplement Directive regulations approaches, more and more scare stories are coming out in the media about the 'dangers' of common vitamins and supplements.
In recent e-alerts I told you about two flawed studies that produced over-the-top scare headlines regarding the supposed risks of taking vitamins C and E in large doses. But these studies are not isolated cases.
For instance, a recent 'long-term study' found that glucosamine was less effective than a placebo in relieving arthritis pain. But a closer look at the published research reveals that the actual study period was only six months long, and all of the subjects had previously found glucosamine to be effective over a two-year period. Nevertheless, this research was reported as a failure for glucosamine.
Is the timing of these and other deliberately negative studies a coincidence? Or is it part of a concerted effort to plant the seeds of doubt in the mind of the public?
Harsh harmony
The whole point of planting those seeds is to prepare for the approaching EU Supplements Directive deadline.
Due to come into full effect in August 2005, the Directive has been created to 'protect' consumers, yet the directive will do exactly the opposite by denying consumers access to natural therapeutic supplements. If it goes ahead unchallenged:
- Many dietary supplements (vitamins, herbal formulas, and various nutrients) will be classified as medical drugs and will be available by prescription only
- Dosages will be limited to 'safe' levels, which in most cases will be too low to provide any real therapeutic value
- Many supplement ingredients that are currently widely available will become illegal and removed from the market entirely
Incredible, isn't it? Our freedom to make our own healthcare choices may simply be taken away. But at this point, the imposition of the guidelines isn't necessarily a done deal. And although the situation is not promising, it's still not too late to help prevent it from happening.
As I've reported before The Alliance for Natural Health, with the full backing of Agora Lifestyles, is currently challenging the Foods Supplements Directive's senseless measures and were successful in getting their case referred to the European High Court in Luxembourg - the only court with the authority to challenge EU directives.
On Monday 2 August 2004 ANH lawyers filed its detailed arguments for its challenge to the EU ban on food supplements in the European Court of Justice. The actual hearing in Luxembourg is expected in the first quarter of 2005 although an exact date has not been set yet. The decision will have a profound effect on the availability of dietary supplements in the UK, the rest of Europe and beyond. I promise to keep you fully updated on developments in this important area as they happen.
In the meantime I strongly urge you to support the ANH - for more details visit: http://www.alliance-natural-health.org/
Finally, tell your friends and let them know what's going on by forwarding this email. We obviously can't depend on the mainstream media to adequately report this one, so it's time to get the message out by word of mouth.
If we don't act now, these rumbling tremors may develop into something far worse.
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