Jack

I believe that Placebo article because most of the stuff the Pharmaceutical Industry puts out is strictly for profit. They have a built in factor for how long they can keep a defective product on the market. It defines their Profit and Loss Statement.

I got this in my email this morning. I think you will find it very educational.
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When “organic” is just a word on a label

If you’ve been paying a premium for organic food, then the latest news out of Washington is going to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

A new report finds that foods bearing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic label aren’t being held to the higher standard that’s supposed to come with that higher price tag.

This report doesn’t come from a political group with an axe to grind, an organization with an agenda, or even some radical seeking free attention.

It comes from within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The agency’s inspector general says the department has been unable or unwilling to enforce organic standards–even with companies that have been caught red-handed slapping an organic label on ordinary non-organic food.

The USDA has the power to levy fines against these firms and even strip them of their organic certification. But instead, it’s often doing nothing at all.

For example, the USDA caught one company selling non- organic mint as organic. Two years later, the department has yet to take any enforcement action at all, according to the inspector general.

In other cases, it has taken up to 32 months–nearly three years!–for the department to take action against companies found selling “organic” foods that didn’t actually meet organic standards.

And during that time, these companies continued to mislead the public by selling falsely labeled goods, almost certainly with those notorious organic price tags attached. Organic products can fetch between 30 percent and 110 percent more than their non-organic counterparts.

That’s a lot of money for an empty promise.

The inspector general also says the agents who issue organic certifications aren’t following consistent rules– which should surprise no one.

After all, the agency itself hasn’t been consistent, frequently changing its own definition of what’s allowed and what’s not.

But the problems with organic foods don’t end there. In fact, the inspector general’s report is just the beginning.

Next time you consider buying frozen organic veggies, for example, take a closer look at the label. Many of these “organic” greens come from China.

In theory, these foods are supposed to meet the same standards as organic vegetables grown here in the United States.

In reality–well, I’m sure you can see some of the issues with that. They’re having a hard enough time policing the food grown within our own borders.

But that’s not even the biggest problem.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that the USDA doesn’t even inspect imported foods. They let third-party companies handle that.

Even foods that meet USDA standards aren’t always 100 percent organic. Under the rules, packaged foods can contain up to 5 percent non-organic ingredients… and still earn an “organic” label.

That’s not the only deception. Just take a look at the company names–they often conjure up images of small farms and family operations, and maybe some of these once were.

In reality, many of these brands are now just Big Food in disguise: General Mills owns Cascadian Farms and Muir Glen,

Kellogg owns Morningstar Farms and Kashi,

Coca-Cola owns Odwalla, Dean Foods owns Horizon and Kraft owns Boca.

Of course, it’s very easy to see why they want in on this.

Organic foods did $24.6 billion in business in 2008 alone, with sales still growing in leaps and bounds.

These foods make up the fastest-growing section of the supermarket– something you’ve probably seen for yourself as organics have gone from a shelf or two, to an aisle, to an entire department in many supermarkets over the past few years.

That doesn’t mean organic food is bad. Quite the opposite– true organic products are the best way to ensure that you’re feeding yourself and your family the healthiest food, especially if you stick to fresh meats and vegetables from a local farmers’ market and avoid questionable “organic” frozen foods and packaged meals.

Let the new report serve as a warning–as with anything else, you need to be a smart consumer and make informed decisions to ensure that you get what you’ve paid for.

On a mission for your health,

Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
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Greed is everywhere from politics to food. So who do you believe, or trust? I say read what others like us find out and share what you find out.

Let’s keep each other informed. At least then we can avoid some of the creeps.

Trudy

Most of the time when I attempt to post to your blog, I get this message:

Safari can’t open the page.
Safari can’t open the page “http://blog.michellemoquin.com/2010/04/10/this-n-that-chitchat-11/#comment-10696” because the server unexpectedly dropped the connection. This sometimes occurs when the server is busy. Wait for a few minutes, and then try again.

My son forwarded me this. He is 38 and a rabid racist. He quotes this publication like it is the Bible. The Right has raised the “founding fathers” to demi-god status.

It allows them to quote them as if they are quoting from the Bible, thereby making anyone who disagrees automatically a traitor.

My son uses this crap to justify all his sneaky (he thinks) acts of bigotry.
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The truth about the Founding Fathers — and how they would lead America today

Dear Fellow Conservative:

Did you know that Human Events, America’s conservative newsweekly, is the place I call my editorial “home”?

It’s true. For the past 12 years, in fact, I’ve not only been a regular contributor to Human Events, I’ve also been a key voice in their weekly editorial meetings.

Which means that, more than any other publication today, Human Events reflects my brand of conservatism.

I think you know what that is. No excuses. No compromises. No prisoners. Lots of spunk — and punch. And laughs.

That’s why I don’t just write for Human Events — I devour it every week, from cover to cover.

And so will you, I’m convinced — if you’ll just give it a try, by taking advantage of this specially-discounted Charter Subscriber offer, which includes a FREE hardcover copy of Brion McClanahan’s, The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Founding Fathers.

Click here to learn more. Meantime, I’ll be waiting for you… at “home.”

Your friend,

Ann Coulter

P.S. You know who else loved Human Events? My hero Ronald Reagan — the greatest president since George Washington. In fact, he called it his “favorite newspaper.” Find out why — by giving it a try, at zero risk. And you get a FREE book, too!
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I used to think that these were sick people. You two and others have opened my eyes to the truth. They are simply greedy people making money off fear, racism, xenophobia and greed.

Susan

I read your article and it reminded me of one from the same source that I received just after April 1. I guess it was timed to be after that so that we would take it seriously. It was an eye opener for me. I don’t know if you saw it but here it is.
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How placebos keep beating meds

When it comes to placebos, the pills might be fake… but the reaction is real. New research shows that the placebo effect isn’t just your mind playing tricks on you, but an actual physical reaction inside the human body that can ignite the healing process.

In one study, patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease who were given placebos had an actual release of dopamine in the brain, sparking other changes in the brain as well, according to a new review of placebo research published in Lancet.

You probably know how placebos work. All of Big Pharma’s meds at some point are supposed to go head-to-head against these usually inert pills and sham treatments.

If the med is more effective than the phony pill, they’re one step closer to selling it to you. And if it’s not… it’s back to the drawing board.

Roughly half of the drugs that fail late in the development process are pulled from trials because they simply can’t beat or even replicate that placebo process.

Not long ago, Wired magazine did a big feature on placebos and concluded that many drugs on the market today, especially antidepressants, would never have been approved if they had to face new tests against them.

The new review shows that even the doctor’s attitude can help spark that placebo effect.

In one study they examined, patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome got one of three treatments: a placebo acupuncture treatment from doctors who were told not to interact much; a placebo acupuncture treatment from warm and friendly doctors; or no treatment at all.

All three groups improved to different degrees… but the biggest change took place in the group that got the attention from a warm and friendly doctor.

If placebos work so well, you might be wondering why docs don’t just give patients placebos instead of the real drugs. Well, that’s a sticky subject.

See, in order for a placebo to “work,” the patient can’t know it’s not the real thing–which means the doctor can’t tell you what you’re really taking.

But some researchers say honesty could be the best policy after all. Some people, especially those with conditions such as moderate depression, may just need kindly, reassuring doctors– doctors like the ones in the irritable bowel study I just mentioned.

In those cases, the doctor can come right out and admit the “drug” is a placebo… but reassured patients that it might help them just the same.

There’s no real research on that idea yet–but I’d love to see some. Of course, I know who won’t be funding it: Big Pharma. And since they control most of the research, it might be a while before we see anything solid on this.
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Jack