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Biotech / Medical : GUMM - Eliminate the Common Cold -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: pz who wrote (4582)	9/15/2003 6:59:56 AM
From: Mad2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5582

Paul, Message 12743485 Read this message and that which you orignally responded to.......then look at a chart of GUMM. Notice anything? Feel stupid now? mad2

To: pz who wrote (4582)	10/10/2003 10:14:08 AM
From: StockDung	Respond to of 5582

"INTERNET CLAIMS ABOUT HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS LITTLE MONITORED, 2003-09-16 21:00 (New York) notes Editors: Edited by USA TODAY. Moving on National and Lifestyle wires. By JANET KORNBLUM USA TODAY Americans turning to the Internet to learn about herbal supplements may be getting misleading and unproven information, according to a study out Wednesday. Doctors analyzed 443 popular Web sites involving the eight most widely used herbal products, from ginkgo to echinacea. Of those, 273 sites made claims regarding health. And of those, 149, or 55 percent, ``claimed to treat, prevent, diagnose or cure specific diseases.'' Dietary supplements can go on the market without proof of safety and effectiveness. They are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration after they are on the market, when they must be able to substantiate any claims being made. Regulations prevent manufacturers from making claims that dietary supplements treat specific diseases and medical conditions. ``Important clinical information was often omitted,'' says the study by Charles A. Morris and Jerry Avorn at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. For instance, 39 percent of the 62 kava kava retail sites didn't mention an FDA advisory linking the herb to liver toxicity, according to the article. The article comes as the Net is becoming an increasingly popular place to find health information. A July Pew Internet & American Life Project concluded that 80 percent of U.S. adults online use the Net to find health information, and 28 percent of all adult Internet users are specifically looking for information about alternative treatments. ``As the number of people who are using the Internet grows, it's a major concern if people are using it as a way to educate themselves about products that are going unregulated,'' Morris says. The study calls for the government to step up its regulation of dietary supplements. ``Right now, this industry is poorly regulated by federal groups that can only police (the) Internet after the fact,'' Morris says. ``We think that there should be, like prescription drugs, mandatory submission of evidence that supports efficacy and safety.'' Herbal supplement companies do need to be careful to follow regulations, says Annette Dickinson, president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a dietary supplement trade group. However, she adds that current regulations are adequate. ``There are permissible claims that can be made as health claims ... and about how a product affects the structure and function of the body.'' The JAMA article she adds, ``is reflecting a legitimate concern among doctors about the information their patients are getting.'' She and others advise patients to thoroughly examine information they get on the Net and to consult a doctor.