DECEMBER 10, 2012
BY: CHRISTOPHER COLLINS
Dr. Lee Hieb, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in spinal surgery and past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons believes so especially when it comes to Vitamin D supplements.
Dr. Heib, a new columnist at WND explained how the daily allowance of Vitamin D, mainly D3 is lacking in millions of people through the federal government’s guideline of (600-800 IU) and that such levels are misleading and unhealthy. She said such recommendations by the federal government are based on so-called medical “consensus” rather than actual scientific facts.
She said as a result, such a “consensus” has been robbing patients of their health.
“The medical community has always been subject to “group-think,” but in recent decades we have become the leaders. Numerous physician-scientists have been ostracized, defrocked, de-licensed and in some cases driven to self-destruction by a medical community that has embraced consensus in science,” said Hieb.
“Most recently, studies have demonstrated that higher levels of Vitamin D improve longevity and are beneficial at preventing influenza – even better than vaccination. Studies showing beneficial effects of high vitamin D levels are quite convincing.”
How does the federal government play into this group “consensus” factor?
Dr. Hieb pointed out that the federal government doesn't seem to care and seems to want to discourage the use of Vitamin D supplements or any supplements.
She pointed to Senator Dick Durban, a Democrat from Illinois who last year introduced a bill, the “Dietary Supplement Labeling Act of 2011” which in effect over-regulates the dietary supplement industry.
The bill itself states:
“A bill to improve the safety of dietary supplements by amending the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require manufacturers of dietary supplements to register dietary supplement products with the Food and Drug Administration and to amend labeling requirements with respect to dietary supplements.”
In August 2011, critics stated that this was nothing more than a power grab by the federal government and such supplements have had a history of safe use and to say that the bill will increase safety is nonsense. Furthermore, they said it would interfere with individual choice in healthcare decisions.
If this bill had passed, it would increase the cost of supplements for consumers and Vitamin D is relatively cheap which would reduce the number of consumers who could afford the supplements and potentially harming their health.
At present, the bill has not passed and whether it will be brought up before congressional committees again is uncertain and the federal government's recommendation of how much Vitamin D is needed per day remains the same.
In that regard, Heib said, “Science requires freedom to consider the alternatives, and in medicine, the freedom to make our own choices – not have government bureaucrats or the Institute of Medicine make them for us.
http://www.examiner.com/article/is-the-federal-government-keeping-you-sick-by-hiding-facts-on-vitamin-d
— Last Edited by Greentea at 2012-12-11 08:55:41 —
