11/29/2008

FDA Draws Fire Over Chemicals in Baby Formula

maive by mistybliss (flickr.com)
We're talking about babies, about the most vulnerable. This really makes me angry.


washingtonpost.com
Nov.27-08

Public health groups, consumer advocates and members of Congress blasted the Food and Drug Administration yesterday for failing to act after discovering trace amounts of the industrial chemical melamine in baby formula sold in the United States.

"This FDA, this Bush administration, instead of protecting the public health, is protecting industry," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the FDA budget. In an interview, DeLauro said she wants the agency to disclose its findings and to develop a plan to remove melamine from formula. "We're talking about babies, about the most vulnerable. This really makes me angry."

The FDA found melamine and cyanuric acid, a related chemical, in samples of baby formula made by major U.S. manufacturers. Melamine can cause kidney and bladder stones and, in worst cases, kidney failure and death. If melamine and cyanuric acid combine, they can form round yellow crystals that can also damage kidneys and destroy renal function.

Melamine was found in Good Start Supreme Infant Formula With Iron made by Nestle, and cyanuric acid was detected in Enfamil Lipil With Iron infant formula powder made by Mead Johnson. A spokesman for Nestle did not respond to repeated calls and e-mails for comment yesterday.

Gail Wood, a spokeswoman for Mead Johnson, said the company does not think that cyanuric acid poses a health threat to infants. "Cyanuric acid is approved by the FDA to sanitize processing equipment," she said. "The risks of not sanitizing equipment are far greater than ultra trace amounts of residual cyanuric acid found in the formula."

The FDA has been testing hundreds of food products for melamine in the aftermath of a scandal this year involving Chinese infant formula tainted with melamine. Chinese manufacturers deliberately added the chemical to watered-down formula to make it appear to contain higher levels of protein. More than 50,000 Asian infants were hospitalized, and at least four died.

The FDA collected 87 samples of infant formula made by American manufacturers, tested all but 10 of them and held a conference call Monday with manufacturers to alert them to the preliminary findings, FDA spokeswoman Judy Leon said. She said she did not know when the agency was planning to inform the public.

The test results were unearthed by the Associated Press, which had filed a request for records under the Freedom of Information Act.

Leon said that the amounts discovered are safe and that parents should continue to feed formula to their children. "We know that trace levels do not pose a risk whatsoever," she said.

That contradicts the agency's recent statements about melamine, including a position paper that was on its Web site yesterday that asserted there are no safe levels of melamine for infants. "FDA is currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns," the document said.

Agency scientists have maintained they could not set a safe level of melamine exposure for babies because they do not understand the effects of long-term exposure on a baby's developing kidneys. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that infant formula is a baby's sole source of food for many months. Premature infants absorb an especially large dose of the chemical, compared with full-term babies.

"Just one month ago, the FDA had been very clear about how they could not set a safe level of melamine in formula for babies," said Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization. "Now they're saying trace levels are no problem. What changed?"

The FDA thinks the melamine and cyanuric acid got into the U.S. formula as a byproduct of manufacturing and not as a result of tampering, Leon said. Melamine is found in plastic food packaging and in cleaning solutions that are sometimes used in food processing equipment.
The FDA spokeswoman said no illnesses have been linked to melamine consumption in the United States.

But Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives for Consumers Union, said that may not be true. "Given that this is not a problem that American doctors are used to dealing with, we can't be sure that if a small number of these cases developed, the connection would be made," said Halloran, who wants the formulas to be recalled from store shelves. "We just don't know."

Halloran said it is also possible some babies are receiving a variety of infant formula and could be ingesting melamine in one bottle and cyanuric acid in another bottle, creating a dangerous mix.

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who is on the House Commerce and Energy Committee, is also seeking a recall. "Until they establish a safety standard, how can they say what's safe?" he said. "They need to pull this."

Critics said the FDA's reassurances about products carry less weight after the recent controversy over bisphenol-A, a chemical found in plastic baby bottles, dinnerware and the linings of food cans. The FDA dismissed a growing body of scientific evidence that has linked BPA to health problems even as worried consumers stopped buying BPA-containing products. Instead, the FDA relied on two industry-funded studies that concluded that BPA did not pose a health risk. Last month, the agency's science advisory board said the agency should no longer maintain that BPA is safe.

"When FDA claims there isn't any reason to worry, that's exactly what the consumer should do," said Ken Cook, president of Environmental Working Group. "The once-revered public health agency has morphed into a taxpayer-funded public relations arm for the very industries it was created to oversee."


washingtonpost.com COMMENT
You're all so polite, and articulate -- my first response was to tell the corporate and Bush spokespeople to blow it out their *ss.
Often times, the corporate PR and/or government people aren't even informed or intelligent enough to understand the garbage they spew -- they just follow that corporate PR template, no matter how cliche, or mundane.
And they'll still shill for those who through laziness and malfeasance poison children, and adults, worldwide, even though they should know better.
Corporations are still accountable to the people, no matter what the CEO's tell themselves, or whom they think they own, politically.
Bad business, and they wonder WHY they go broke... -thegreatpotatospamof2003

FDA Draws Fire

11/14/2008

Bitter Pills

(gawker.com)


>Big Pharma: Exposing the Global Healthcare Agenda by Jacky Law
"What's the difference between good journalism and honey? Not a lot. Both run smooth, hit the spot when it comes to taste; and both as they have no bitter aftertaste leave you wanting for nothing but more.
Big Pharma - a revelation of a book - is written with skill and concision. With the right facts supporting the most telling of arguments that just keep on coming. Over 250 pages of paragraph after illuminating paragraph making it a honey of a read. What Jacky Law has to report could have been just an eye-opener for the inside few, but her riveting, forceful and fair-minded telling of it, makes it a true `must-read' for us all."

>Bitter Pills by Stephen Fried
More info
"Bitter Pills started as a magazine story, inspired by Stephen Fried's wife's frightening reaction to an antibiotic. After he won a National Magazine Award for that article, he expanded his investigation into this book. What he has uncovered is astounding, starting with the fact that, in the U.S. alone, between 45,000 and 200,000 people die annually of reactions to legal drugs (2 to 9 percent of the 2.3 million Americans who die each year) versus the 5,000 to 10,000 who die of illegal drug use."

>Death by Prescription: The Shocking Truth Behind an Overmedicated Nation by Ray D. Strand, M.D.
More info
"This book was recommended to me by a nurse. I was having terrible side effects to cholesterol medication, and my doctor kept urging me to stay on it, despite the side effects. This book informed me that these side effects were nothing to mess with, and could cause serious harm to my liver and kidneys. I just hope I didn't find out too late...I really believe if I hadn't stopped the zocor when I did, I'd be dead."

>Inside the FDA: The Business and Politics Behind the Drugs We Take and the Food We Eat by Fran Hawthorne
More info
"For those who have ever wondered how the FDA makes decisions and how those decisions effect companies this is a great starting point. Hawthorne takes an objective stance towards the FDA and shows their faults along with the positives. She tracks several instances of FDA oversight and gives their results. I think the part that tracks the companies progress through the FDA's is the most instructive. One of my fields of study was health and pharmaceutical economics and this was a great way to start learning about the FDA."

>Murder by Injection: The Story of the Medical Conspiracy Against America by Eustace Clarence Mullins
More info
"This is a very fine book. Eustace Mullins is an expert researcher. Previous to this book he was the FIRST person to reveal the true nature of the Federal Reserve (which has nothing to do with Federal). In this book he details the history of how control of the medicinal market has been won by the FDA and the AMA (and similar organizations in other Nations), and how the healing of citizens has been put in the hands of the Government rather than in the hands of the citizens themselves. Their choices for treatment have been downsized to that of Allopathic medicine, a way of trreatment that is relatively new, only a few hundred years old, if at that, as compared to medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years. This book details the methods used by the Rockefellers to control the medicinal market to their advantage. It also guarantees a level of population control....read on! You will be surprised!"

>
On the Take: How Medicine's Complicity with Big Business Can Endanger Your Health by Jerome P. Kassirer, M.D.
More info
"I rarely write reviews, but in this case feel obligated to point out what a tremendous service Dr. Kassirer has provided. As a physician, I have always been concerned about the influence of gifts and outright payments to doctors and researchers in promoting pharmaceuticals and other healthcare. However, I had no idea how extensive and pervasive it is. Dr. Kassirer has done an outstanding job in giving us a picture of the truth. This is a very well written book. I strongly recommend that all medical students and physicians read it, and suggest that everyone interested in healthcare do so."

>Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine by Jerome Abramson, M.D.
More info
"As a community health nurse, I have been observing the increasing commercialization of medicine and medical knowledge over the past decade. Dr. Abramson has hit the nail on the head - while the cost of health care continues to rise, the quality of the care and the outcomes have not increased. It is a travesty that the elderly and patients suffering from chronic conditions are being hoodwinked into choosing between food and pills , and that we are not focusing on lifestyle changes that will enhance and prolong the quality of life."

>Over Dose: The Case Against the Drug Companies by Jay S. Cohen, M.D.
More info
"This book should be required reading for every practicing physician as well as for everyone who takes medicine. After reading this book, a major regret is that it was not available to me when I was first starting out in practice.It shames me to think how completely brainwashed I was by the drug companies. And I was not alone. All doctors in my acquaintenance seemed to share my misguided reverence for drug company marketing ploys. The essence of Doctor Cohen's message in this book is that we are all different in our reactions to drugs and the one size fits all mentality used for convenience by the drug industry inevitably results in underdosing some and overdosing others, frequently with serious or even lethal side effects. Start low, go slow is the author's message to doctors and I heartily endorse it."

> Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients by Ray Moynihan
More info
"After oil production peaks, higher energy prices are likely to sink the world economy into a never-ending depression, so it will be important to stay healthy, because everything, and especially medical costs, are likely to be more expensive in the future. Before you incur high medical costs you can little afford, make sure you're even ill first. A great deal of fat could be cut out of the health care system right now and used instead to help people who are truly ill.
Getting healthy people to buy drugs they don't need, which won't cure what they don't have, and potentially have unpleasant to dire side effects, sounds like such a crazy premise, even Hollywood wouldn't buy it.
Yet that's just what's happened, as Moynihan and Cassels document in their book "Selling Sickness". The 500 billion dollar pharmaceutical industry has plenty of money to spend convincing us that our ordinary travails mask mental illnesses, and common aches and pains need treatment.
Americans represent five percent of the world's population, but we consume fifty percent of prescription drugs."

>The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It by Marcia Angell
More info
"I should start with a disclaimer. I'm a Vice President within one of the largest drug companies in the world and I have spent close to twenty years marketing drugs. So I guess I'm not supposed to like this book. But the truth is I thought it was fantastic.
First, for those of you who are not familiar with the healthcare industry, you should know that Ms. Angell is better capable of writing this masterpiece than any other author. She used to be Editor-in-Chief of The New England Journal of Medicine, which is considered the most prestigious medical journal in the world. Don't let her credentials scare you off, though. This is easy reading and the book captures your attention like a true business thriller, only this is real life suspense."

>The Whistleblower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman by Peter Rost, M.D.
More info
"This is a fascinating read, very credibly told. It is really a business thriller, especially for anyone familiar with the workings of large corporations, a sort of David and Goliath epic. I picked it up to read the first chapter and literally could not put it down for about the first 130 pages, cliché notwithstanding. It moves fast, develops characters nicely and retains suspense as the story expands. For a book about business it provide a lot of action in a way that gives you insight into the drug industry, the greed of large drug corporations and their CEOs, the behavior of people in large organizations, the role of government institutions, big legal & PR firms and the media - and it does all of this not only painlessly but also interestingly. Quite a ride!"

>What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You by Ray D. Strand, M.D.
More info
"This book is very important for modern health concerns. It offers treatment for problems that conventional medicine is unable to address.
Arguments are presented in a clear professional manner that is convincing of their truthfulness. This is no pseudo medicine full of a quacks mumbo jumbo. The case histories are very helpful to illustrate and confirm the points.
Also the availability of online consultation, presented in the book, is of unique value.
I use this book as a reference with my friends who have health questions and problems."


MORE LINKS

Cheerleader Drug Reps

Ex Drug Rep on Manipulating Doctors
"Statistics were the semantics of research."

Drug Reps vs Doctors

Scrubs & Drug Reps



11/06/2008

Feeling Bloated?

Gluten-free cupcakes by traceytakesphotos (flickr.com)


CELIAC DISEASE is an inherited, autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats.

Alternative names: SPRUE , NONTROPICAL SPRUE , GLUTEN INTOLERANCE , GLUTEN-SENSITIVE ENTEROPATHY.

The exact CAUSE of celiac disease is unknown. The intestines contain projections (called villi) that absorb nutrients. In undiagnosed or untreated celiac disease , these villi become flattened, and the ability to absorb nutrients properly is altered.

The disease can develop at any point in life, from infancy to late adulthood.

Those with a family member with celiac disease are at greater risk for developing the disease. The disorder is most common in Caucasians and those of European ancestry. Women are affected more commonly than men.

There are numerous DISEASES & CONDITIONS associated with celiac disease , including:
Anemia
Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus
Certain types of intestinal cancer
Dermatitis herpetiformis
Down syndrome
Lactose intolerance
Miscarriage or unexplained infertility
Neurological conditions
Osteoporosis or osteopenia
Thyroid disease
Type 1 diabetes

A partial listing of GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS:
Abdominal pain
Abdominal distention , bloating , gas, indigestion
Constipation
Decreased appetite (may also be increased or unchanged)
Diarrhea , chronic or occasional
Lactose intolerance (common upon diagnosis, usually goes away following treatment)
Nausea and vomiting
Stools that float, are foul smelling, bloody , or “fatty”
Unexplained weight loss (although people can be overweight or of normal weight upon diagnosis)

A partial listing of NON-INTESTINAL SYMPTOMS:
Anemia (low blood count)
Bone and joint pain
Bone disease (osteoporosis, kyphoscoliosis, fracture)
Breathlessness (due to anemia)
Bruising easily
Dental enamel defects and discoloration
Depression
Fatigue
Growth delay in children
Hair loss
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Irritability and behavioral changes
Malnutrition
Mouth ulcers
Muscle cramps
Nosebleed
Seizures
Short stature, unexplained
Skin disorders (dermatitis herpetiformis)
Swelling, general or abdominal
Vitamin or mineral deficiency, single or multiple nutrient (for example, iron, folate, vitamin K)

TREATMENT
You must follow a life-long gluten-free diet. This allows the intestinal villi to heal. Foods, beverages, and medications that contain wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats should be eliminated completely. You must read food and medication labels carefully to look for hidden sources of these grains and their derivatives. Since wheat and barley grains are found abundantly in the American diet, keeping to this diet is challenging. With education and planning, you will achieve the goal of healing .

Vitamin and mineral supplements may be prescribed to correct nutritional deficiencies.

Upon diagnosis , seek consultation from a registered dietitian with a specialty in celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. A support group may also help you cope with the disease and diet.

PROGNOSIS
Removing all damaging grains from the diet is the most important measure you can take to become healthy. If you follow the diet strictly, you can expect to lead a long, healthy life -- if permanent damage did not occur before diagnosis.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS
The gluten-free diet must be carefully and continuously followed. When untreated, the disease can cause life-threatening complications. A delayed diagnosis or non-compliance with the diet places you at risk for developing associated conditions such as infertility , miscarriage , osteoporosis , fractures, certain types of intestinal cancer, or other autoimmune disorders.

PREVENTION
Because the exact cause is unknown, there is no known way to prevent the development of celiac disease . However, being aware of the risk factors (such as having a family member with the disorder) may increase your chances of early diagnosis , treatment, and a long, healthy life.

Celiac Disease

GLUTEN
Gluten is the elastic, rubbery protein present in wheat, rye, barley and to a lesser degree in oats. It binds the dough in foods such as bread and other baked goods. It contributes to spongy consistency. Rice and maize do not contain gluten.
However, gluten is only one protein found in wheat, rye and barley. These foods, like all other foods, contain a number of discreet proteins that all can result in adverse reactions, including allergies.
For example, wheat protein comprises 4 main groups of proteins: water-soluble, salt-soluble, alcohol-soluble and alcohol-insoluble. The major proteins in wheat-albumin, globulin, gliadin and glutenin (gluten)-vary in proportion according to the type of wheat.
Gluten

AVOID
Barley
Malt Vinegar
Rye
Wheat

The following terms found on FOOD LABELS may mean that there is gluten in the product:
>Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), unless made from soy or corn
>Flour or Cereal products, unless made with pure rice flour, corn flour, potato flour, or soy flour
>Vegetable Protein unless made from soy or corn
>Malt or Malt Flavoring unless derived from corn
>Modified Starch or Modified Food Starch unless arrowroot, corn, potato, tapioca, waxy maize, or maize is used
>Vegetable Gum unless vegetable gums are carob bean gum, locust bean gum, cellulose gum, guar gum, gum arabic, gum aracia, gum tragacanth, xanthan gum, or vegetable starch
>Soy Sauce or Soy Sauce Solids unless you know they do not contain wheat

Any of the following words on FOOD LABELS usually means that a grain containing gluten has been used:
stabilizer
starch
flavoring
emulsifier
hydrolyzed plant protein

Gluten-Free Diet Chart

AVOID: When eating at a restaurant: Breaded foods / Creamed foods / Meatloaf & gravies
Gluten-Free Diet


FYI

Oats is a grain the merits special attention. Oats are believed safe in patients with celiac disease although this was not always the case. The problem with oat products is not the grain but rather the manufacturing process. When oats are processed in the same facilities as wheat, contamination can occur even with the best cleaning protocol. Oat products can now be found that are not cross contaminated. These can be tried after an initial period of 6 months to see if they can be tolerated. Most, but not all patients can tolerate pure oat products.

Foods may also contain less obvious sources of gluten as there is no requirement for manufacturers to specify the composition of ingredients that contribute less than 10% of a food. For example, it may be difficult to determine the origin of a soy sauce included as an ingredient in a commercial marinade. This means that gluten may be carried over into the marinade via the soy sauce. It is best to contact the manufacturer directly to determine the source of these ingredients.

It is essential that all food labels be rechecked regularly since the composition may change. Avoid any food that is doubtful.

Always check that medications and vitamins are gluten free.

Dairy foods may not be tolerated when someone with celiac disease has active symptoms, since lactose intolerance frequently develops. However, this is due to the lactose sugar in the dairy foods, rather than the proteins, which can cause milk allergy.

Even if there are no obvious symptoms, celiac sprue can cause serious vitamin and nutritional deficiencies, since the intestines may not be able to absorb important nutrients if gluten is being eaten.

Rates of certain cancers of the gastrointestinal tract are much higher in people with celiac sprue, and there is evidence that this risk is decreased with a gluten-free diet.

Mothers with untreated celiac disease are at increased risk for having a low birth weight baby.

Since bone loss is a common problem in people with celiac sprue (due in part to vitamin D deficiency), frequent monitoring with bone density scans is recommended.

Manufacturers are known to change ingredients without warning. This may be due to changes in the recipe, changes in the ingredients supplied to the manufacturer, or changes in the production & manufacturing methods, including cross contamination concerns.

Certain unacceptable ingredients may be hidden under the name of natural flavorings.

Modified food starch is a vague term which does not indicate the source of the starch (wheat or corn).

One way to determine if gluten is causing problems is to avoid it strictly for several weeks to see if any change occurs. Another method is to have a blood sample taken & tested for gluten antibodies. While a blood test for wheat allergy could be negative, there may be reactivity to digestive by-products of wheat.

The only treatment for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free diet. For most people, following this diet will stop symptoms, heal existing intestinal damage, and prevent further damage. Improvements begin within days of starting the diet, and the small intestine is usually completely healed in 3 to 6 months. Healing may take up to 2 years for older adults.

If you would like to make something very high in fiber with an incredibly low glycemic index you will want to use 100% coconut flour. To do this we recommend you purchase the book Cooking With Coconut Flour by Dr. Bruce Fife. The entire book contains delicious recipes that use solely coconut fiber for the flour. These recipes use eggs for the binder or "glue" and they are very low in sugar or sweeteners. These recipes are great for diabetics, people with gluten allergies, and people with Candida and "leaky gut" issues. Coconut fiber/flour is an excellent product to use to promote healthy intestinal tract.

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a severe itchy, blistering skin disease caused by gluten intolerance. DH is related to celiac disease since both are autoimmune disorders caused by gluten intolerance, but they are separate diseases. The rash usually occurs on the elbows, knees, and buttocks.

1 out of 133 people in the United States is diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

Coeliac Disease is one of the commonest life-long disorders in Western countries. CD is frequently under-diagnosed, particularly in adults, who may present with subtle symptoms. In some countries the incidence is as high as 1 in 200 (Sweden) or 1 in 10,000 (Denmark).

Individuals with Celiac Disease are often mistakenly diagnosed as having Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Medication is ineffective in treating Celiac Disease. The only treatment available is the complete removal of gluten from the diet.

A variety of reactions to proteins in cereals is possible. These include allergy and Coeliac disease. Adverse reactions may be mild to life-threatening, short-term to life-long. A correct diagnosis must be made as the treatment, dietary avoidance, is often very difficult and if incorrectly applied can lead to vitamin deficiencies or malnutrition.


MORE LINKS

Celiac.com

Product Info

Gluten-Free Diet (The Analyst)

Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Forum

Dermititis Herpetiformis

The DHOC

Wheat Allergy or Gluten Intolerance?

The Gluten-Free Guide to Eating

Gluten-Free Food

Gluten-Free Girl

Gluten Free Blog

Athlete's Self-Diagnosis

Celiac Disease on jezebel.com

Breaking the Vicious Cycle
Customer review: "And contrary to what some reviewers have written here, this diet is not about what you should eat, but about *what not to eat* in order to get well. There's plenty of choice for all types of foods, for a well balanced and healthy diet."

Cooking With Coconut Flour
Customer Review: "This book uses coconut flour and the recipes are moist and springy and as close to wheat-like as possible. Also, the baked goods stay moist for days."

How to Start Living Gluten-Free

Recipes & Blogs