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News & Views
The Campaign to Save Herbal Medicine
Date: 01/06/11
Keywords: American Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Codex Alimentarius, European Food Safety Authority, Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, Alternative medicine, CoQ10, Natural remedies
Many of our readers know that, despite its numerous benefits, there are dark forces working against alternative medicine. I’m referring to medical authorities like the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and draconian laws and regulations like the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) — European legislation which makes it almost impossible for a traditional herbal medicine to be licensed in Europe unless it has been used for 30 years in the European Union (EU) – or 15 years in the EU and 15 years elsewhere.
Luckily, people like Dr. Robert Verkerk and his organisation, The Alliance for Natural Health (ANH), are fighting back against the THMPD to protect our right to choose how we want to take care of our health.
Many of our readers know that, despite its numerous benefits, there are dark forces working against alternative medicine. I’m referring to medical authorities like the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and draconian laws and regulations like the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) — European legislation which makes it almost impossible for a traditional herbal medicine to be licensed in Europe unless it has been used for 30 years in the European Union (EU) – or 15 years in the EU and 15 years elsewhere.
Luckily, people like Dr. Robert Verkerk and his organisation, The Alliance for Natural Health (ANH), are fighting back against the THMPD to protect our right to choose how we want to take care of our health.
The ANH is currently making final preparations for its legal case for a judicial review of the THMPD at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. After this initial hearing in London, the case will be referred to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg... It’s going to be a tough battle and one we hope the ANH wins, for the sake of the thousands of people who rely on herbal remedies and for future generations!
Real people with real questions
Whilst everything is being done to protect the future of herbal and natural medicine, people are still asking questions about the effectiveness of these remedies and the validity of the health claims being made for them. It's hardly surprising that some people remain sceptical because the mainstream has bent over backwards to discredit natural medicine.
Here’s how one reader recently put his question to me in an email:
This reader raises some good points.
To be blunt, I wish everyone would be this shrewd before taking any form of medicine... more so, in the case of pharmaceutical drugs!
Let’s face it, a lot of people think just because their doctor tells them a drug will be ‘good’ for them, it will do no harm and have very little side effects... which is hardly ever the case. More often than not, patients must find out for themselves about the horrendous consequences of taking a prescription drug... sometimes the damage these drugs do is irreversible. In contrast, taken correctly, natural remedies have far fewer (if any) side effects than pharmaceutical drugs... This is why I often refer to natural medicine as ‘Honest Medicine’.
In the case of Coenzyme Q10 (which is a natural compound found in the body), it naturally depletes as we get older... it’s part of the body’s ageing process (your hormone levels also begin to dwindle as you age). After all, the human body is designed to grow and develop up to a certain point after which it starts to age and eventually wither away. It’s part of the cycle of life and CoQ10 plays a big part in this.
There’s not much we can do to stop our body's from producing less CoQ10 as we age. However, you can easily boost your levels by eating more CoQ10 rich foods, like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Diet alone probably won't provide enough to make up your body's shortfall though... that's where supplements can help....especially supplements that contain CoQ10 in its most potent form, ubiquinol.
Boosting our body’s natural levels of CoQ10 is especially important when taking cholesterol-lowering statins — which rapidly deplete our CoQ10 levels further still, and in turn cause serious side effects such as myopathy or muscle weakness.
CoQ10 is not addictive, neither is vitamin C or vitamin E or omega 3... or any other supplement for that matter. The only thing that might be ‘addictive’ is the health benefits you get from taking CoQ10 (there's a wealth of research to back up its numerous benefits). Plus, supplementing with CoQ10 won't accelerate the rate at which your body's own supply of this compound naturally starts to dwindle.
It’s good to ask questions, and I encourage our readers to send me more emails like this. You’ll find that when it comes to alternative medicine there are mountains of scientific evidence proving its effectiveness... Which is exactly why we’re fighting to protect its future, because we know we’re onto a good thing.
If you’d like to read more about CoQ10, click here:
Related Reading:
Claiming Water Prevents Dehydration Could Land You in Jail!
How Big Pharma is Slowly Killing The Next Generation
The Harmonising of Supplements is Bringing Anything but Harmony
Sources:
‘Legal action against EU’s herbal medicines ban 'imminent' published online 23.05.11, nutraingredients.com
‘Micronutrient Information Centre - Coenzyme Q10’ published online by the Linus Pauling Institute, lpi.oregonstate.edu
Back to topLuckily, people like Dr. Robert Verkerk and his organisation, The Alliance for Natural Health (ANH), are fighting back against the THMPD to protect our right to choose how we want to take care of our health.
The ANH is currently making final preparations for its legal case for a judicial review of the THMPD at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. After this initial hearing in London, the case will be referred to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg... It’s going to be a tough battle and one we hope the ANH wins, for the sake of the thousands of people who rely on herbal remedies and for future generations!
Real people with real questions
Whilst everything is being done to protect the future of herbal and natural medicine, people are still asking questions about the effectiveness of these remedies and the validity of the health claims being made for them. It's hardly surprising that some people remain sceptical because the mainstream has bent over backwards to discredit natural medicine.
Here’s how one reader recently put his question to me in an email:
- “Reading your articles made me realize that I don't know much about this subject.
I also realise that there are some parallels between Big Pharma and small alternative medicine providers: Each has a claim, some evidence to back the claim, a proposed solution, and also a product to sell!
My decisions on supplements need to be proactive and evidence based, so here are a few questions.
I do hope you can find the time to address them or maybe add them into the next email about Q10:
Here’s my questions:
Why do Q10 levels drop as we age?
Is it possible to reduce the drop by lifestyle changes rather than, or in addition to, supplements?
If I take supplements will this cause my body's own production of Q10 to decline further?
If I take supplements will I become totally dependent on them?”
This reader raises some good points.
To be blunt, I wish everyone would be this shrewd before taking any form of medicine... more so, in the case of pharmaceutical drugs!
Let’s face it, a lot of people think just because their doctor tells them a drug will be ‘good’ for them, it will do no harm and have very little side effects... which is hardly ever the case. More often than not, patients must find out for themselves about the horrendous consequences of taking a prescription drug... sometimes the damage these drugs do is irreversible. In contrast, taken correctly, natural remedies have far fewer (if any) side effects than pharmaceutical drugs... This is why I often refer to natural medicine as ‘Honest Medicine’.
In the case of Coenzyme Q10 (which is a natural compound found in the body), it naturally depletes as we get older... it’s part of the body’s ageing process (your hormone levels also begin to dwindle as you age). After all, the human body is designed to grow and develop up to a certain point after which it starts to age and eventually wither away. It’s part of the cycle of life and CoQ10 plays a big part in this.
There’s not much we can do to stop our body's from producing less CoQ10 as we age. However, you can easily boost your levels by eating more CoQ10 rich foods, like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Diet alone probably won't provide enough to make up your body's shortfall though... that's where supplements can help....especially supplements that contain CoQ10 in its most potent form, ubiquinol.
Boosting our body’s natural levels of CoQ10 is especially important when taking cholesterol-lowering statins — which rapidly deplete our CoQ10 levels further still, and in turn cause serious side effects such as myopathy or muscle weakness.
CoQ10 is not addictive, neither is vitamin C or vitamin E or omega 3... or any other supplement for that matter. The only thing that might be ‘addictive’ is the health benefits you get from taking CoQ10 (there's a wealth of research to back up its numerous benefits). Plus, supplementing with CoQ10 won't accelerate the rate at which your body's own supply of this compound naturally starts to dwindle.
It’s good to ask questions, and I encourage our readers to send me more emails like this. You’ll find that when it comes to alternative medicine there are mountains of scientific evidence proving its effectiveness... Which is exactly why we’re fighting to protect its future, because we know we’re onto a good thing.
If you’d like to read more about CoQ10, click here:
Related Reading:
Claiming Water Prevents Dehydration Could Land You in Jail!
How Big Pharma is Slowly Killing The Next Generation
The Harmonising of Supplements is Bringing Anything but Harmony
Sources:
‘Legal action against EU’s herbal medicines ban 'imminent' published online 23.05.11, nutraingredients.com
‘Micronutrient Information Centre - Coenzyme Q10’ published online by the Linus Pauling Institute, lpi.oregonstate.edu
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