Had to bang out a quick post after reading this article posted on the Canadian news site CBC…
Herbal product contamination ‘considerable,’ DNA tests find
For those of you who follow along with this web site, you won’t find this surprising.
We’ve talked numerous times over the years how various “natural” supplements have been contaminated – whether it be intentionally or unintentionally – with prescription drugs or heavy metals (lead or arsenic), or what have you.
Those of you who are interested in finding out more about what’s really in your supplements should visit Consumerlab.com. It’s their job to buy the products you and I do, right from the retailer, send them to the lab, and see how they match up to the label claims. They also report on contamination).
After reading the article, I decided to have a look through the comments – and lo and behold, it wasn’t too long before I stumbled upon someone who felt that the report was obviously part of a vast pharmaceutical conspiracy. Because as you and I both know, the pharmaceutical industry’s job is to keep us “sick and fat”, and dependent on their drugs to stay alive. They are afraid of cheap, readily available, effective alternatives that threaten their business model and profit margins.
Except they are not.
Not only is the argument ridiculous for a number of reasons we’ve discussed previously, but Big Pharma is heavily invested in natural, herbal, and alternative supplements. They manufacture and sell many of the herbal products you buy regularly. Discrediting products they are heavily invested in makes ZERO sense.
They are getting your money either way.
The products are contaminated. Plain and simple (just like we’ve seen with all sorts of products – including those that do not have any link to anything the pharmaceutical industry is involved in). The fact that many herbals are sourced overseas – from places like India and China – where environmental regulations and standards are relaxed (to say the least) and that reports of contaminaton are not restricted to herbals alone, makes the conspiracy claim even more ridiculous (for instance, one-third of Chinese toys contain heavy metals, and in some places, contaminated pet treats have been pulled from the shelves).
If you want to continue taking contaminated herbals in the belief that the findings are flawed, then you are gambling with your own health.
Period.
Time to wake up and smell the coffee.
