“If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.” – Thomas Jefferson
Everyone who is concerned with their health should get familiar with the Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA. This is a federally run organization which was created to protect citizens from the adverse effects of pharmaceutical drugs, food, tobacco, vaccines and even veterinary products, amongst other things. However, these days it seems that the FDA has gone from being our protector, to a drug pusher and peddler.
The regulation of products, drugs, and food can be a good thing. However, when government-run programs, which are there to serve us, become the pushers for wealthy drug companies, this is bound to take a toll on our collective health, well-being, and lifestyle. Most people in the general public tend to believe that if they see an FDA approval symbol on the product that they’re buying, they’re safe. But, what does it really mean to have a product approved by the FDA, versus a product that is not?
The only real difference is that one is backed by, not only a huge government program, but also a big medical drug company. The other product may be good for you, but it does not have the backing of the FDA. For a long time, the FDA has set up safety offices around the world to protect our food. However, the products that need the most protection, our pharmaceutical drugs, are not truly tested by the FDA.
This is because the FDA relies on a number of individual, privately owned, pharmaceutical companies to tell them whether their own product is safe or not. The FDA expects these companies to do their own testing and tell the truth about their results. That means that if a drug company has, say, an anti-depressant that they want to release, they “test” the drug and simply tell the FDA that it’s safe, whether it is or not. From there, the FDA will put their stamp of approval on it, and allow it to be manufactured and sold to the public. Seems like the Big Pharma and the FDA are just drug pushers, right? That’s because they are…
Want more? Be sure to check out “I’ll be Your Pusher: The FDA” in The Hood Health Handbook: Volume 1 !
