Well, it’s about time!

One would think that the FDA would be a reliable source of confidence when it comes to considering the safety of medications. And one would think that those persons who conduct studies on drugs for human consumption would have the credibility to be trusted to submit honest reports for perusal by anyone asking. But, public faith and trust in the FDA is quickly fading away.

Quotes such as this one, from Dr. David Graham, senior drug safety researcher at the FDA, only serve to increase the public concern. “On 9/11, 3000 people died. With Vioxx, ten to fifteen times that number died . . . . it is a national catastrophe.” As pharmaceutical companies argue over why the public was not provided with the true hazards of consuming their products, recent news articles explain the heart attack and stroke risks of taking Pfizer’s product, Vioxx, and Merck’s product, Celebrex. Sadly, it would seem that an organization set up to protect us ultimately cannot be trusted. So, if the FDA is unreliable in certifying the safety of common pain-relieving drugs, where does a person with chronic pain turn? Perhaps the answer lies in natural products. In India, an herb called Boswellia (known in biblical times as Frankincense) has been used for thousands of years as a proven pain reliever for overworked joints. It acts much like the well-known non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and those anti-inflammatory effects make it beneficial for ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel syndrome, asthma, and other respiratory problems.

Joint sufferers have recently been using Glucosamine Hydrochloride and Cat’s Claw (the herb) to relieve the suffering of damaged cartilage, the material that protects our joints as a shock absorber. This combination promotes cartilage formation and renewal in as little as one week.

And, while the beauty industry is all aflutter with liposome technology for anti-aging skin care products, a sweet surprise for arthritis and muscle pain sufferers is the fact that these liposomes work in the same fast-absorbing, deeply penetrating manner when incorporated in joint and muscle pain creams. Liposome delivery systems are biodegradable, non-toxic and prevent oxidation, due to the fact that they enable water-soluble and water-insoluble materials to be used together in a formulation without the use of surfactants or other emulsifiers.

More and more consumers are becoming aware that in purchasing pharmaceutical products, one is paying for “altered molecules”, and their safety is subsequently being challenged. Many of us are no longer prepared to accept the complications that come with technology that has not proven itself. Remember the old adage, “buyer beware”. New is not always better. Of course, old is not always better either. But, for my money I’ll opt for safe products--those that have been around for centuries, and the new ones that have a proven track record.