Whether it’s food or drugs, it seems like recalls are the order of the day, with hardly a day going by without a recall of some sort. This time, a North Carolina-based company that makes homeopathic drugs, King Bio, is recalling all of its water-based products, due to contamination concerns. Even though no illnesses have yet been reported, using these medicinescould result in life threatening infections, according to NBC 4 New York. The recall includes three dozen children’s products as well as adult products.
You may remember that earlier this summer the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings to parents to stop using creams and gels containing the numbing agent benzocaine to calm pain in their teething children, as benzocaine is linked to a deadly blood disorder. The thing is, this same FDA warning had been issued for decades before the agency finally decided to threaten manufacturers with legal action if they don’t stop selling the products.
When it comes to drugs, although the FDA is supposed to be the watchdog over industry, in truth, in more cases than they admit, it’s the industry that runs the show when it comes to safety. The recalls alone indicate that the drug industry’s influence over the FDA has increased over the years, to the point that what’s happening is that drugs are rushed to market and then only recalled when enough people are injured — or dead.
Recent examples include the aggressively promoted blood thinners Xarelto and Pradaxa which cause uncontrollable bleeding, the testosterone drug Androgel, for "Low T" linked to noncalcified plaque buildup in coronary arteries, and fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
Another example of the fox watching the henhouse in a different industry has been in the news in the past week, with a jury ruling that ag giant Monsanto is guilty of hiding research showing the dangers of its herbicide, Roundup. In court, documents subpoenaed from Monsanto showed that the company not only knew its product was dangerous, but that they actually bullied researchers into not reporting it, as well as paid ghost writers to falsely claim Roundup was safe.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Whether it’s drugs or foods or chemicals, we are surrounded by threats, seen and unseen, and it’s become even more important than ever to take control of your own health and make choices that look out for YOU, rather than lining pocketbooks of industry, no matter which industry that might be.
Read labels. Refuse to purchase products that come with a cluster of multisyllable words you can’t pronounce — a clear sign that whatever it is you’re looking at isn’t natural, let alone organic. And, take a little extra time to research your options.
As you know, many things that are touted as safe can end up being lethal. That’s why my message has always been: There are safer, less expensive alternatives that can truly address the root cause of your disease. Invariably, reclaiming health and treating disease involves addressing your diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors, most of which cost little or nothing.