Walnuts an Illegal DRUG? Why the FDA is REALLY Cracking Down
Potato chips are heart healthy and walnuts could cut the risk of breast cancer in half. Which would YOU be more inclined to believe? Well, going by standard FDA policy, the potato chips are your only choice.
Unfortunately, the chips can be labeled as “heart healthy” while walnut products cannot make claims that have been proven through many peer-reviewed scientific studies, according to the FDA. The Food and Drug Administration prohibits any food manufacturer from citing any scientific research to describe the potential benefits it may bring to whoever eats it. In a nutshell (please pardon the bad pun), walnuts and other foods that have very real health benefits could be labeled as an illegal, “unapproved drug” if it advertises the effects of eating these foods.
Astonishingly, the FDA sought to attack Diamond Foods and sent them a warning letter.
The crime?
Diamond Foods had stated on its product packaging, as well as its website, that walnuts contained omega-3 fats. They also intimated that these healthy fats help reduce cholesterol, protect against heart disease, stroke and some cancers, as well as ease arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Even though these claims have been proven countless times by genuine science, under the FDA’s regulations the walnuts are now treated as an illegal drug.
This blatant attack on the whole food industry comes at a time when everyone is on high alert and suspicious of any possible affiliation between the FDA and the wealthy titans: aka, the drug industry. Why should natural health foods be treated the same as manufactured drugs?
In most cases, the natural option tends to provide the same, if not better, benefits as its man-made counterparts . . . but is significantly less expensive and is usually safer. Is it the fact that actively promoting natural health agents would put a dent in the drug industry’s cash flow, that the FDA not just sits on the sidelines, but actively seeks out and punishes any whole foods manufacturer that preaches its food’s health benefits for the sake of customer knowledge?
And, as long as we’re on the subject of customer knowledge, wouldn’t this censorship of important, proven scientific information collide with the first amendment, our freedom of speech? The consumer has the right to know what they are eating, and why.
Luckily, there is a new bill currently being introduced by Congressmen Jared Polis, a Democrat from Colorado, and Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah. The bill, titled Free Speech about Science Act (HR 1364), would actually counter the FDA and allow free flow of claims on products as long as there is legitimate scientific evidence to support it. In essence, it would allow Diamond Foods to finally tell consumers about the health benefits of their products without turning their nuts into illegal drugs.
I urge you to look into the Free Speech about Science Act (HR 1364)……so many things are being hidden from us as a result of the deep pockets in the drug industry. Companies that provide you with whole foods, natural supplements, and even spices and herbs that have scientifically proven health benefits shouldn’t have to pay billions of dollars to share that information with you.
