Take a Look at the FDA Web Site

Today we have news that major companies are receiving warning letters from the FDA questioning the clarity and correctness of health claims on their food labels. Do you want to see the letters the FDA sent?

If you have an interest in matters within the FDA’s jurisdiction, signing up for email alerts is a good idea. The selection of alerts available is well presented on a single page, a long single page, but a single page.

Interested in drug recalls? Subscribe to recall and alert information. Have an allergy to food coloring? Subscribe to color additive news. Or go to the site when you want the original input on a something you have heard about or read.

FoodSafety.gov is another interesting site, it is worth a visit.

The FDA requires Dietary Supplement labels to clearly state that a product is not designed to treat or cure a disease. That’s the rule. Companies can make claims, but have to have the back up on file and be ready to defend their claims. Self policing is infrequently a good idea, but the FDA was pressured to find a way to allow the sale of dietary supplements whilst protecting the consumer and this is the result. The FDA does not have the resources to review every dietary supplement on the market. It has to rely on input from consumers. It is not a bad compromise based on the requirements presented to the FDA.

As in all similar matters, supplement and food producers study the rules and look for ways to present their claims in the best light within the rules, frequently interrupting the regulations as broadly as possible.

Konsyl Original and SennaPrompt are not dietary supplements but Over the Counter, OTC, pharmaceutical products. They do not have the ‘These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.’ disclosure on the label. The ingredients have been evaluated by the FDA and found to efficacious for the indications as noted on the label. The labeling is, however, closely monitored by the FDA to ensure that it is in accordance with FDA regulations and only statements approved by the FDA can appear on labels for these products.

John Oram

Reading all of the news on Omega 3 will make your head ach

I have a theory.

Omega-3 is something needed in a good diet, so we are told by many experts. These experts are publishing studies at a phenomenal rate. Fish oil reduces depression, fish oil reduces heart attacks, fish oil is linked to longevity and on and on, many each day.

How much omega-3 we need is another matter. The experts do not agree. Which is not surprising as a fundamental requirement of being an expert is not to agree with other experts. Each expert has to stake out his or her own ground. So each expert has an opinion and it is near to but not the same as a number of other experts.

A good diet, or should we say one which satisfies the body’s needs, will result in a healthy body. Provided you do not counter balance the diets good efforts by being overweight, sitting around all day smoking.

So the theory is, omega fatty acids are a requirement of a good diet. A good diet will have various positive effects on your health. The healthier you are, the less likely you will suffer from depression, or a heart attack and you may live longer.

At this point we would like you think of the endangered fish species of the world and take an omega-3 supplement. But the recommendation to eat fatty fish twice a week also works. Or search out the vegetables and other foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, but that may not be so easy.

John Oram

Have You Tried L’Erbolario’s Elixir Body Lotions?

I have been using the extensive line of L’Erbolario skincare products for some time now and recently realized I had never tried their Elixir Body Lotions. I cannot believe I have been missing out on this luxury.

The L’Erbolario Elixir product has solved my dilemma and prevented morning headaches from more powerful and pricey perfumes. A quick spray after a shower or bath leaves a refreshingly light, heavenly scent that lasts throughout the day. The L’Erbolario Elixir are now part of my daily skincare routine.

These fabulous products are alcohol free and contain ingredients such as Green Tea and Verbena extract and Camellia oil. They are designed for the skin to maintain its natural moisturizing factor and are ideal for the most sensitive skin.

Our Favorite Health Products carries three fragrances in stock, Orangerie, Nostos and Tea and Cedar. Believe me, it is difficult to decide which one to use. The line retails for $29.95, but right now it is on sale at OurFHP for $23.59. Do not miss out on this offer. Pamper yourself today.

We will also include a sample packet form our luxurious skin care line with your order.

Ellen
OurFHP

Yes, we are fat.

I was in Zurich a year or so ago. I had only one meeting Friday morning and it ended early. So, I took a long walk around town. First a stroll on Bahnhofstrasse then along the river Limat, around the lake, over the bridge into the old town and back to the hotel. In all, a walk of several hours. After a while I noticed, I do not know why, a lack in my surroundings.

Where were all the corpulent people? Not one did I encounter. Not one. It was early in the year, before the time to see many tourists, but even the foreigners were thin, at least, by my standards. Once planted in my brain, the difference was startling. Why was everybody so not overweight? A few rotund women, nothing more and even they were not fat.

Online I went. Was there a major difference between countries? Had I noticed something?

The answer was a resounding yes. Some of the statistics available online are a little out of date, but the overall result is the same. We in the US are the gold medalists, with some 30% plus of the population classified as obese. The Swiss come in at the bottom of the pile with 8%, only ahead of Japan and Korea, both of which must have poor diets, by our standards. Japan and Korea have some 3% of their population classified as obese.

John Oram

3D virtual tennis anyone?

There are so many opportunities to be fitter. Forget about the benefits of living longer, it’s a nice side effect, but not the objective, at least not mine. A real purpose, I feel, is not to be a burden to others and being healthier is the way to achieve that goal. Avoiding the need for help is the objective. Not all of us will succeed, an illness is an illness and we cannot avoid all illnesses. We should, however, try to avoid the avoidable. And to do this, exercise and weight control are top of the list.

My wife exercisers several days a week, walks and watches what she eats. I bought her a Wii a short while ago and she uses it in her program. Now we hear that the, seemingly advanced, Wii controller is on its way out. New game consoles will sense body movement and there will be no need for the Wii controller or any other hand held device. When they arrive, I am going to get on line.

Some of us find independent exercise very trying, but if you give us something to chase, you can run us to exhaustion and, from time to time, into the surrounding furniture. I hope the new systems will give me that option. I look forward to playing virtual tennis or squash, with a need to cover the whole court. A virtual tennis court is now in my plans. May be I can set one up on the grass outside and use a real racket. Are these systems going to be 3D?

These games could change the nation.

John Oram
OurFHP

The HS-Omega-3 Index®

A note from Chris Janelli of Our Favorite Health Products, LLC.

Our Favorite Health Products is working closely with Dr. William Harris to introduce and market his test for omega-3 levels in the bloodstream.

The test, known as the HS-Omega-3 Index, was developed by Dr. Harris, PhD, an internationally recognized expert in the relationship between omega-3 levels and heart disease. Dr. Harris has received five NIH grants to study the effects of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) levels on human diseases.

The HS-Omega-3 Index test measures levels of EPA and DHA in red blood cell membranes. Research has shown a correlation between a high HS-Omega-3 Index and a reduction of relative risk of sudden cardiac death. At the highest omega-3 levels, risk for sudden cardiac death is reduced by about 90%.

Preliminary data indicate the potential benefit of omega-3 oils in a wide range of medical conditions, including pregnancy. While optimal levels have not yet been established for ideal levels of EPA and DHA in all circumstances, the HS-Omega-3 Index may be used to monitor the omega-3 levels in patients who are encouraged to take fish oil supplements or to add fish to their diets, such as women planning to get pregnant and pregnant women.

It is widely accepted that the essential omega 3 fatty acid DHA plays a vital role in fetal development. After 30 years of clinical research, the need for adequate DHA during pregnancy seems to be acknowledged.

Results of clinical research tell us that children born of women who consume DHA during pregnancy have better coordination and visual acuity, what’s more, children born to women who under consume DHA during pregnancy have a higher risk for low verbal IQ scores, reduced fine motor skills and less developed social and communication skills.

Experts recommend pregnant women consume at least 200 mg DHA per day. This modest DHA recommendation is currently not met by about 90% of pregnant women. In fact, average intakes are less than 80 mg/day.

While the HS-Omega-3 Index test is primarily used to establish a baseline risk profile for sudden cardiac death and to help patients reduce their risk, it can also be used by women planning a pregnancy as an important indicator to guide their omega-3 supplementation program. An Index of 8% to 11% higher would indicate healthy levels of Omega-3 EPA+DHA.

It is known that the Index can be raised by eating a diet rich in Omega-3s, but even if a woman is consuming 200 mg DHA per day, an amount recommended for a pregnant woman, people vary and each person's response to supplemental Omega-3s varies, particularly in pregnancy when nutrient requirements increase.

Dr. Harris feels that an HS-Omega-3 Index between 4% and 8% can be corrected by increasing the EPA+DHA intake by ½ -1 gram (500 - 1000 mg) per day. This can be accomplished in two ways: eating more oily fish and/or taking fish oil supplements. On the other hand, if the Index is less than 4%, his recommendation would be to raise intake by 1-3 g (100 - 3000 mg) per day; significantly more than the 200 mg recommended for pregnant women.

If you would like to get references for many of the above statements please send me an email at john@ourfavoritehealthproducts.com

A post when there is nothing to say, but don’t forget what I told you.

I have to pen a post, but what to say. The push of our site is simple. How many times can we tell you to exercise, a little or a lot, it doesn’t seem to matter a lot, try not to become corpulent, don’t get constipated and join a club with modest supplement intake, fiber, omega 3, a multivitamin, vitamin D, in winter, and whatever your doctor recommends to give yourself a better chance of living a healthier life, if not a longer one?

We’ve added some products and seem to be moving in the direction of natural cosmetics. I just put up a new European line.

But, I did go to the Galapagos Archipelago, as we now call it, over Thanksgiving.

There are many lessons to be learned from such a trip. Keep humans out from where they do not belong. Get rid of introduced species; kill them off no matter what. And the locals can do the job better than the imports, if you will only get out of the way and let them do it.

So on most islands there are no humans, no billboards, no johns and leave before sundown. No relieving oneself whilst in the National Park. A good thing to, it keeps the group moving and concentrating on the objective.


All the naturalists, hiding their resentment, as a good host should, whilst showing around the comparatively affluent foreigners, are Ecuadorians. The ship we were on was crewed by Ecuadorians, as I believe is the requirement. The standard of input and service from our hosts was extremely high, they were proud of their land and the product they delivered.





It’s a good trip, if you get a chance.

John Oram