My family jokingly calls me “Bill Nye the Science Guy” for good reason- I can appreciate some good research and more importantly, scientific evidence that leads to RESULTS. I love results! I love working in my “lab” and making all sorts of natural goodness and therefore I go by Bill, Bill Nye. 😉
Today as I am doing some CEU’s (continuing education units) for my state licenses, I am doing one called, “Herbal Medication: An Evidence-Based Review.” (Don’t shut me off yet- this is important- I promise!). I want to knock out these units, but it was more important for me to stop and talk to you guys for a minute. So do me a favor and just read it, ok? 🙂
The article discusses some extremely important things you need to know if you live, or want to live, a natural, “crunchy”, “granola”-ish lifestyle. It talks about what makes one natural health product different from another. (Keep reading!) Here is why this is important: If you don’t know the quality of your product, you have no real way of knowing what you are taking into your body and/or how it may effect you based on what is or isn’t in the product!
So what’s your point, Bobbie-jo? Well my point is, if you are living naturally to avoid toxicity, you can’t just pick up something from a health store shop and think it is good for you just because it is there. It CAN hurt you.
Here is what the article says:
“The concentration of active ingredients in HMs [Herbal Medications], however, is affected by numerous factors, including [9,24,25,26]:
The correct identification of the botanical source
The presence of contaminants or substitution of the intended source for other plants of lower cost with potential toxicologic consequences
Growing conditions, including temperature, geography and time of harvest, and possible contamination with micro-organisms, heavy metals, pesticides, or prescription drugs
Collection of the appropriate plant part (e.g., leaves versus root)
Preparation of specimens (e.g., drying, grinding)
Laboratory processing (e.g., solvent used for extraction of active ingredients)
Storage
Formulation of the final product (e.g., liquid versus solid pill)
These processes vary considerably among manufacturers and influence product quality and concentration of active ingredients in the final product.”
Do you see how serious this is?? Especially if Joe Smohe from Idaho is making your products in his mom’s basement – and he could be!!!
Allow me to summarize in bold font: IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE USING AND FROM WHOM YOU ARE USING IT, YOU ARE PLAYING WITH FIRE.
To quote again from the article, “Toxicity may also occur as the result of adulteration in the composition of HMs. This may occur by contamination with toxic plants or molds due to improper selection or storage. Toxicity may also occur as the result of adulteration in the composition of HMs [Herbal Medications]. This may occur by contamination with toxic plants or molds due to improper selection or storage. Adulterations of the intended product may occur either accidentally or deliberately when unscrupulous suppliers replace the intended plant for a cheaper one.” (Emphasis added by me).
To summarize: Manufacturers are coming out of the wood work right now to capitalize on this natural living “trend” (and for many it is a trend). Such manufacturers are interested in making money, not making you healthy. They are treating your life like pocket change. It is proven that many suppliers are doing this, so what I say, I say with love. You better hope to God that your product was put together by scientists and doctors in a legitimate lab; scientists and doctors with medical degrees, pharmaceutical and physiological training and integrity, who keep all their practices and procedures out in the open for the public to be aware of. You better hope your company tests and retests their product and then sends it to multiple 3rd party testers to verify the purity of their product. Don’t take their word for it on a FB ad or fancy wording on the back of the bottle- go to the source.
Oh Bobbie-jo, isn’t that extreme? … Well, I don’t know; how much do you like your life?
If you think the FDA is doing this checking for you in the natural field, you’re wrong. If you think most of these companies out there are doing it for you, you’re wrong. When shady suppliers pop up, all sorts of toxicity has been found – lots of heavy metals, mold, synthetic products AND SYNTHETIC DRUGS have been found and proven (by real studies- not snoops.com hahahah).
What I say, I truly say with love and care for everyone. I want to help people live their best lives possible, to empower people and to speak the truth with love into people’s lives.
I have researched many different herbal/wellness/natural companies. There is only one I trust. I trust them so much that I modified my career for the time being so that I can help you all. I have made my business natural living so that I can show you a way to avoid, to the best of our ability, the pitfalls of this “microwave it and make it fast and cheap!” society we live in. And do I get paid to help? Absolutely. I have to! Just like in the counseling office, or teachers in the classroom, or police officers out protecting people. We have to eat to live and our families need a roof over their heads. Just like you get paid to do your job. There is no shame in providing for your family through a service or product you wholeheartedly believe in. Please don’t run blindly into the natural world. A lot of companies are dimming their lights so that you can’t immediately see what they are doing.
“These examples illustrate the need for an increased public and professional awareness, the implementation of appropriate quality control and exhaustive testing of supplies, adherence by the manufacturers to good manufacturing practices, and selection of products manufactured by reputable companies.” (Bold emphasis was added by me- the rest is from the article 🙂 )
Not sharing the truth when I can- to me would be like seeing someone getting hurt and not rushing over to help. Just wrong.
Below are the hundreds of resources used by the article I referenced 😉
RESOURCES
MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch
1-888-INFO-FDA
MedEffect Canada: Adverse Reaction and Medical Device Problem Reporting
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/report-declaration/index-eng.php
1-866-234-2345
Natural Medicines Watch: Adverse Event Reporting Form
https://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com/nd/adverseevent.aspx
1-209-472-2244
Complete for Credit
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Bobbie-jo Hurt 