Health Alert 51
Today, I want you to take the first step toward tapping into the preventative and healing power of food. Hippocrates said “Let food be thy medicine.” But to choose your medicine you must first know what’s in your food. Use this letter to get started now.
When I lecture, someone in the audience usually asks about food and supplement labels. Many of you Health Alert readers have asked me in e-mails. What does all that information mean? Is there independent verification? Does our government require substantiation of claims made? Who regulates different types of labels?
This is an extensive subject. But you can navigate through the supplement isle of your supermarket with some basic label knowledge. I will address more labeling issues in future Health Alerts.
*The FDA and Supplement Labels
You may have heard that the FDA doesn’t regulate dietary supplements. That’s not entirely true. It is true that supplement manufactures do not have to get FDA approval of label claims. However, they can’t make disease related claims – even if they are true.
For instance, studies show that saw palmetto effectively relieves symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. But you will never see that on a label because the FDA enforces the restriction.
The FDA also tracts and investigates reports on unsafe dietary supplements. The FDA removed the amino acid Tryptophan from the market over safety concerns. It is currently investigating and threatening to ban the herb ephedra.
In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). The law allows manufacturers to bring naturally occurring supplements to market without prior FDA approval as long as they don’t make health claims. It has succeeded in allowing a rapid expansion in new natural supplements. But with the responsibility of determining the safety and claims of a product in the manufacturer’s hands, it’s buyer beware.
There are no strict guidelines managing supplements, but there are ways to separate decent manufacturers from shady ones. Look for a reputable supplement manufacturer.
Good companies will be willing to share research on their product ingredients.
Many manufactures get their products lab tested by independent sources and will make that testing available to you.
An additional form of product verification has just arrived. It’s called the USP’s Dietary Supplement Verification Program. It will help manufacturers to prove their label claims. The program provides independent testing. Tested products will then carry the USP’s seal of approval. Because this is a new system, many reliable companies do not yet use this dietary seal.
It is important that manufacturers test products whether by the USP or another lab. The manufacturer can provide you with more details about product ingredients, safety standards, regulations, and testing.
* The USDA and Your Food Labels *
Products may display very ambiguous labels that deceive most consumers. A few common and misleading labels are “cage-free” and “free range”. These phrases are not well defined so manufacturers can use them as they see fit.
The “cage-free” is a label on poultry and eggs. But “cage-free” only means that the manufacturer did not confine poultry in an individual cage. Dozens of chickens are bound in a pen with no room to move, and the “cage-free” label is still be used.
“Free range” means that an animal has access to the outdoors for an unspecified period of time everyday. Individual manufactures regulate this time period. This means that a door could be open to the outside for a few minutes a day. Whether or not the animal goes outside is irrelevant. The manufacturer can still use the “free range” label.
Look for USDA “Free Farmed” label on poultry, dairy, and eggs. And the USDA “Grass Fed” label on beef. These labels are well defined and verified by the USDA. If you cannot find these products in the supermarket, buy from a private farmer. They are more nutritious and do not carry hormones and antibiotics. You can find a comprehensive list of these farmers at the website www.eatwild.com.
Finding out exactly what the labeling on your food means is fundamental to using for food for health and prevention. The Consumer Union has compiled labeling research on thousands of products. Their independent research and testing results are available on their innovative website www.eco-labels.org.
Al Sears MD