We’ve spent nearly a month trying to sort out what in the world Jane Brody was thinking when the otherwise thoughtful health columnist for the less and less venerable New York Times (come on folks William Kristol is on their Op Ed page these days) and we finally figured she must be so frightened about the news she’s been reading about supplements that’s she’s been too scared to go to the library and research if any of it added up to more than a hill of beans.
Turns out that, at least according to Brody, things are much worse. Supplements are like crack, only they pretend to be good for you. Of course the opposite is true, and the scary fact of America is we’re paying more and more for health care, getting less and less for it while the impact of our prescription happy health care system is getting more and more frightening .
A form of substance abuse rampant in this country is rarely discussed publicly or privately. It involves abusing legally sold dietary supplements — vitamins, minerals, herbals and homeopathic remedies — all of which can be sold over the counter without prior approval for safety and effectiveness.
If this was written by anyone else I’d be betting a good week’s pay that this person was some hack from the pharmaceutical industry. The fact that it’s written in The New York Times makes me realize how much more distance we have to go before people WAKE UP and realize that nutritional medicine is an essential part of ending the health care crisis.
To read the Brody piece click here and let us know if you think we’re way to cranky. Agree with us or not, we’d like to know.
Meanwhile we can’t find our herbal calmative formula or our Sleepytime tea and we’re addicted. Help me, please help me. Someone call St. Johns Wort Anonymous!