Coalition Says Supplements Not Swine Flu Remedy

5/1/2009 1:00:21 PM
ARTICLE TOOLS

WASHINGTON—A Dietary supplement industry coalition advises against using dietary supplements to treat or cure H1N1 flu virus (“swine flu”). A group of trade associations released a statement saying they are unaware of any scientific data supporting the use of dietary supplements to treat swine flu. Furthermore, they said state federal law does not allow dietary supplements to claim to treat any diseases, including swine flu.

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the Natural Products Association (NPA) and the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) are endorsing the following unified advisory for marketers and retailers of dietary supplements:

  • Marketers and retailers of dietary supplements are urged to refuse to stock or sell any supplements that are presented as treating or curing swine flu, and
  • Marketers and retailers should refrain from promoting any dietary supplement as a cure or treatment for swine flu.
  • Anyone who believes they may have swine flu or may have come in contact with the virus should contact a healthcare professional. More information on swine flu and the proper actions to take if you suspect you are ill is available on the Centers for Disease Control Web site.

“There are dietary supplements that have much to offer in terms of enhancing general immune function,” the released statement said. “However, therapies for the treatment of swine flu should only be recommended by qualified healthcare professionals or public health authorities.”

Comments

1

jac 10/08/2009 20:32

I am no doctor or supplement guru but a nurse practioner warned me about trying to treat or prevent swine flu with certain supplements as they may exacerbate a serious immunological inflammation that causes fluid to accumulate in lungs, also known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) triggered by a cytokine storm. I'm not sure which supplements she mentioned but I believe echinacea was one. Normally, that would be the first herb I'd use with flu-like symptoms.

2

Perry Ambrose 05/18/2009 14:13

You people have sold out. There are supplements that will likely help in dealing with the swine flu. There are pharmaceuticals that may help with the swine flu. There are no guarantees with anything. I suspect the sun will rise tomorrow because I have seen it happen on many occasions. I know know there are natural medicines to treat anything because I have seen it happen so many times. There are other ways to find out what works besides the controlled experiment. Allopathic medicine controls the money and the laws now but that will not always be the case unless there is not enough of us to stand up to them.
3

Dr. Rowen S. Pfeifer 05/10/2009 17:12

I think this is really a cowardly response from these nutrition and health organizaions. The truth is that the wisdom of our bodys immune system is far greater than man's wisdom. Keeping our immune system healthy an strong is by far the best way to protect yourself from any health issues. The truth is that if we learn to work with the healing powers of the body we have done the best we can do. Part of this is choosing high quality whole food nutritional products, most of it has to do with eating a whole food, plant based diet. The truth is the truth even when it isn't politically correct or even "legal".
4

noel berge 05/09/2009 07:20

What a great opportunity to do 'street trials.' When the H1N1 hits a major city, get a group of alternative users to take Vitamin C in quantities suggested for protection. Have others take Iodine @ 12mg and Vit D @ 5k, and other do nothing. SEE which groups develops more flu!!
5

Carol Magnuson 05/08/2009 09:20

On the surface, yes, it appears that this statement encourages the general public to seek out big pharma solutions to their swine flu fears.

But, what the general public is unaware of is that natural products manufacturers and retailers CAN NOT, by law, make ANY claims about their products being able to "treat, cure, diagnose, prevent or mitigate" disease conditions.

What these associations are essentially doing is protecting the natural products industry from governmental punishment for making illegal claims.

Because of the highly restrictive and essentially strangling laws, individual, private research is the only way, in this day and age, for the consumer to determine and learn what natural products ingredients to use, to address their physical needs.

For those who want to learn about the laws -- what they are and why they still exist -- there is, at last, a book available that explains everything. Log onto www.avoidfdaredflags.com to educate yourselves, and understand the choke-hold under which the natural products industry is struggling.
6

Kathy 05/06/2009 13:31

"There are dietary supplements that have much to offer in terms of enhancing general immune function" but we shouldn't take ANY of them to avoid or recover from the swine flu?? What exactly are you saying?
7

Michael Rose 05/06/2009 13:00

Why single out "dietary supplements" that by law are NOT permitted to make any therapeutic claims anyway? NO scientific data can possibly exist anywhere in the world supporting ANYTHING to treat ANY previously-unknown strain of flu. How can ANY scientific data possibly be collected in the very few hours since phials of supersynthesized retrovirus from the Fort Detrick military bio-warfare research establishment labs were secretly strategically injected with KGB-spymaster precision tactics into naturally-resistant Mexican guinea pigs?
8

Susan 05/06/2009 11:48

Disgraceful. For shame, you've (AHPA, CHPA, CRN, UNPA, NPA) hopped into the pockets of Pharma Giant!

Guess they named thier price 'eh? How much?

Thanks alot! you're useless to us now.
9

Sher 05/06/2009 10:22

Repugnet Lies! You are a trojan horse in the natural health industry. lies for Big Pharma profits!!
10

Joanne Antonetti 05/06/2009 09:07

Well, isn't this just another sign of the times? Dietary supplement trade associations hopping in bed with Big Pharma. God help us....
11

cowgirl7 05/06/2009 08:51

What kind of BS is this? Obviously these trade associations have been infiltrated by big pharma and that's why they are pushing harmful drugs vs safe NHPs!
12

ElectroPig 05/06/2009 08:45

Interesting. As I understand it, one of the major ingredients in TAMIFLU is Star Anise. Star Anise is a natural herb. (For those who aren't sure what it is, it looks like a star--quite literally--when cross-sectioned, and it has a strong odour of black licorice.)

Most people are unaware that ALL pharmaceuticals are initially based on natural compounds, and are only allowed to be patented because of years of legal menouvres designed to prove that the natural compounds are not as good as the original, natural products they were based on. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Nature produced every living thing on the planet, while the vast majority of pharmaceuticals WILL KILL YOU if taken in higher-than-reccommended dosages. If you take almost ANY prescription bottle and down it, you will very likely die in short order.

Conversely stated, how many people have been recorded as having died from an overdose of apples?

Dietary supplments are required nowadays due to the genetic engineering and selective outbreeding of nutrients in our foods, as well as the fact that we do NOT replenish our soils naturally, but with chemicals which further deteriorate those same damaged soils.

It's time that the disinformation campagns against the truth were seen for what they are, and stopped once and for all. The truth of the matter WILL come out eventually...

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