Dear Friends:

Bill Faloon, Editor and founder of the Life Extension Foundation has accurate and astute perceptions on government bureaucracies and failure to protect the citizenry from unscrupulous manufacturers endangering lives and in many cases ending the lives of unsuspecting victims.

 

CBS News enables FDA to Deceive Public, by William Faloon

If you watched CBS News 60 Minutes this week, you witnessed the kind of misleading reporting that enables federal agencies to gain unbridled power.

60 Minutes accurately told the story of an unscrupulous manufacturer of contaminated drugs that caused 48 deaths and over 700 serious illnesses.

60 Minutes omitted the fact that the FDA knew about this disaster-waiting-to-happen as far back as 2002, but failed to stop it until Americans started dying in 2012.

FDA officials were given free rein on national TV to blame this tragedy on a lack of regulatory authority. As you'll read here, the fault instead lies with bureaucratic incompetence at the hands of the FDA and the state pharmacy board that permitted these lethal deviations in good manufacturing practices to occur.

Particularly appalling is the FDA's inability to recognize that manufacturing as many as 17,000 vials of a drug all at once under filthy conditions was a far cry from compounding one drug at a time in a sterile environment.

The contamination problem, however, is not isolated to one bad drug maker. It turns out that these kinds of safely violations were routine at drug factories that the FDA had certified as being safe.

Instead of blaming the FDA for ignoring this lethal problem, CBS News let FDA officials blame Congress for not giving the FDA more regulatory power over pharmacies.

The FDA pretends to protect the public against contaminated drugs. The sordid facts reveal an agency incapable of acting in a logical manner, and when the FDA does something "after the fact," they often create worse problems.

Such is the case of a pharmaceutical manufacturer that made contaminated injectable drugs that have killed 48 and sickened over 700 Americans. The FDA identified problems with this manufacturer as early as 2002, but dropped the ball into a state pharmacy board's lap that failed to act. The FDA again identified dangerous problems in 2006, but once more failed to take actions other than send a "warning letter." The FDA now claims it needs more power and money to do its job.

This same unscrupulous drug manufacturer was the focus of a 60 Minutes broadcast on March 10, 2013.

What the FDA does not want the public to know is that the reason this shady manufacturer was able to take over such a significant part of the market is that FDA actions caused other companies to stop making certain injectable drugs.

CBS News ignored House and Senate investigations that documented the FDA's egregious failings in this matter. CBS instead allowed the FDA to blame this catastrophe on lack of regulatory authority over compounding pharmacies.

U.S. drug factories in 'terrible shape'

Here's how the New York Times described conditions inside FDA-registered drug factories:

"Weevils floating in vials of heparin. Morphine cartridges that contain up to twice the labeled dose. Manufacturing plants with rusty tools, mold in production areas and — in one memorable case — a barrel of urine."

The New York Times emphasized that these were not reports about the injectable drug maker that caused dozens to die from fungal meningitis. These quality lapses were found at large drug companies whose names are familiar to many Americans.

When these problems were discovered, the FDA sent out "warnings" to these companies. Instead of fixing the problems, many of these drug makers decided it was cheaper to simply discontinue making the drug(s). The result was severe shortages of the drugs cited by the FDA. This opened up the market for disreputable companies to make these drugs, who did so under the same kind of abysmal conditions the FDA found at large drug factories.

The FDA would like to take credit for stopping these problems, but in certain cases, it was people working at the drug factories that came forward to complain about unsanitary manufacturing conditions, or people dying from contaminated drugs that prompted FDA action.

The sad fact is that some drug companies are so greedy they will not stop their highly profitable assembly lines to perform even the most rudimentary sterilizing procedures.

Contaminated injectable drugs

Fungal meningitis causes inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord that result in dreadful sickness and sometimes death.

A drug factory made large quantities of a steroid (methylprednisolone) that was injected into the joints and spines of aging humans in chronic pain. It provided immediate but temporary relief.

The problem was this drug was contaminated with a black fungus that easily infected those who were injected with it. Since injectable drugs bypass the natural barriers afforded by an intact digestive/immune system, they have to be manufactured and maintained in a sterile environment to avoid killing patients.

FDA inspections in 2002 and 2006 revealed injectable drugs being made under substandard (non-sterile) conditions. It was not until hundreds fell ill and scores died that the FDA took meaningful action (in 2012).

How the FDA bungled investigation

The name of the company that made the fungus-laced injectable drug is New England Compounding Center (NECC). It pretended to be a compounding pharmacy, but instead functioned as a large drug factory.

The FDA claims that it lacks adequate regulatory authority over compounding pharmacies, but the FDA's inspection of NECC in year 2002 revealed problems with record keeping, sterility, and other issues. That same year the FDA informed the Massachusetts State Board of Pharmacy of an adverse reaction to methylprednisolone, which is the same drug that in 2012 caused the fungal-meningitis outbreak.

Had the FDA done their job back in 2002, they would have forced NECC to register as a drug manufacturer and subjected NECC to stricter regulatory oversight, which may not have prevented the problems since FDA-registered drug makers were later found to have similar unsanitary facilities.

The FDA and Massachusetts State Pharmacy Board's most blatant failure in this matter was to uncover horrific conditions inside NECC … and take no practical steps to enforce safety compliance before tragedy struck.

Good Manufacturing Practices overlooked

According to Massachusetts state regulators, the NECC drug factory failed to sterilize injectable drugs, something that is mandatory for a substance that is going to be injected into the body.

NECC did not keep manufacturing equipment clean, operated a leaky boiler near the "clean room" where injectable drugs were packaged, and shipped products before receiving test results showing the products were sterile, which violates good manufacturing guidelines.

In addition, NECC did not test the manufacturing equipment used to sterilize injectable drugs on a timely basis.

The result of a multitude of quality lapses was injectable vials that contained black matter inside, which turned out to be the fungus that caused 48 deaths.

FDA inspects after catastrophe

After hundreds had fallen ill from fungal meningitis, the FDA conducted a thorough inspection of NECC's drug factory.

The FDA's report cited greenish-yellowish discoloration on sterilization equipment and non-sterile raw ingredients. The FDA found that 25% of supposedly sterile vials were contaminated with greenish-black foreign matter and that 100% of these vials sent for analysis contained fungus.

The FDA noted that NECC was unable to provide documentation that its steam autoclave devices were capable of achieving product sterility, a critical factor when making injectable drugs. In fact, FDA inspectors found greenish-yellow discoloration inside the one cleaning autoclave and a tarnished discoloration inside another.

NECC turned off its air conditioning in "clean rooms" from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., which is improper because failing to keep clean rooms at low temperature and low humidity provides a fertile environment for fungal growth.

Particularly troubling in the FDA report was documentation that NECC had found microbial contamination, but did not enact cleanliness procedures to neutralize this lethal threat.

Furthermore, "clean rooms" used to make injectable drugs had been identified by NECC's own staff as detecting bacteria and molds in January 2012, but the FDA could find no evidence that the company acted to fix these lethal problems.

The FDA's belated inspection of NECC did nothing to prevent the suffering and death of hundreds of victims who contracted fungal infections from contaminated vials of methylprednisolone injected into their spines and joints.

Congress cites FDA failure

The House and Senate held oversight hearings on the NECC tragedy that sickened over 700 and killed 48 people.

Congress wanted to know why the FDA didn't do more to prevent the production and sale of the tainted steroids.

As anticipated, the FDA claimed that it didn't have enough authority to regulate pharmacies that compound drugs. FDA Commissioner (Margaret Hamburg, M.D.) warned that if Congress doesn't strengthen legislation, another similar tragedy is inevitable. Dr. Hamburg stated before the House committee:

"If we fail to act, this type of incident will happen again. It is a matter of when, not if."

What Dr. Hamburg may not have expected was irrefutable documentation that the FDA and the Massachusetts State Board of Pharmacy both repeatedly visited NECC and found problems, but the strongest action the FDA took was the issuance of a warning letter in 2006.

In response to Dr. Hamburg claiming the FDA needed more "authority," one representative responded:

"We're just not buying it, doctor "… "You lack the authority to do anything, yet you send a letter like this? " (In reference to the FDA 2006 Warning Letter).

This warning letter documented numerous violations of existing rules the FDA found in 2006, yet the FDA failed to take action until citizens started dying.

House members repeatedly berated regulators who failed to prevent the fungal meningitis outbreak, stating the FDA and Massachusetts state regulators both knew as far back as 2002 that there were problems at NECC, which distributed tens of thousands of doses of contaminated steroids.

Dr. Hamburg was lambasted by House Committee members who stated:

"This is a complete and utter failure on the part of your agency."

"This is one of the worst public health disasters ever caused by a contaminated drug in this country."

"After a tragedy like this the first question we all ask is 'Could this have been prevented?' After an examination of documents produced by the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the answer here appears to be, 'Yes'."

"You can take a regulator to a problem but you can't make him regulate."

"It's an absolute tragedy without any question that 32 people have died."

Other House members came to Dr. Hamburg's defense, arguing that a solution needed to be found instead of seeking to "prosecute the Food and Drug Administration."

Senate more harshly critical of FDA

The day after the House hearing where the FDA asked for more authority, a bipartisan staff of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee issued a report detailing how federal and state regulators knew nearly a decade ago of serious safety concerns with the NECC tied to hundreds of meningitis cases, but failed to act decisively. The report concluded that "bureaucratic inertia appears to be what allowed a bad actor to repeatedly risk public health."

While acknowledging the lack of clarity in what the FDA's role should be in regulating compounding pharmacies, the Senate cited plenty of evidence that the FDA should have taken action against NECC, which clearly was functioning as a drug factory.

The Senate investigators wrote, "Both federal and state regulators were well aware that NECC and its owners posed a risk to the public health" and "repeatedly failed to demonstrate that the company could safely compound sterile products."

One senator told of an elderly patient from her state whose mouth had become infiltrated with mold that "she had to be swabbed free of black fungal matter before she died."

The Senate report uncovered an internal FDA memo in 2003 that concluded there was "potential for serious public health consequences if NECC's compounding practices, in particular those relating to specific sterile products, are not improved."

The Senate confirmed that NECC-produced methylprednisolone "had previously been a suspected cause of at least two cases with bacterial meningitis-like symptoms" in 2002, leading to an FDA inspection … with no meaningful action taken.

Most senators expressed skepticism that the FDA could effectively use widened authority under any new law, one stating "the FDA has failed to use its existing authority," with another stating, "This has been going on since 2002 … It took all this time, and nobody did anything."

Regrettably, some senators still believe that giving the FDA more tax dollars will solve these issues of bureaucratic incompetence and mismanagement.

At the Senate hearing, FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg conceded:

"Perhaps we should have been more aggressive," referring to the FDA's failure to inspect NECC and follow up on the 2006 warning letter. "There was a lot of debate within the agency about whether to proceed."

Senators repeatedly questioned the FDA's sending NECC a warning letter in 2006 and a letter in 2008 saying that it planned to inspect, but not following through until after the fungal meningitis outbreak occurred in late 2012.

What Congress overlooked

What was not discussed in congressional hearings was the FDA's history of abusing and misusing whatever authority that Congress gave it.

For example, when the FDA first discovered problems at NECC (in 2002), it chose to direct its limited resources to prosecuting a man named Jay Kimball who sold a drug (liquid deprenyl) that harmed no one.

In 2006, while FDA did not think it needed to stop NECC's lethal manufacturing practices, it somehow found the time to censor claims by cherry growers that cited scientific studies on their website showing cherries conferred health benefits.

What few understand is how the FDA has abused its authority in a discriminatory manner. The new "authority" the FDA is seeking would enable the agency to pick out small, well-run compounding pharmacies and regulate them out of business using minor technical arguments that have no bearing on safety.

How much more FDA failure will Americans tolerate?

In 1906, a book called "The Jungle" was published that described appalling conditions inside America's meat packing industry. The revelations in this book resulted in the establishment of federal laws that mandated standards of strength, purity and quality of foods and drugs.

Conditions inside some of America's drug factories are eerily similar to those described in "The Jungle," yet the FDA has been around for more than 100 years! How much longer is the public expected to wait before the FDA effectively spends its $4 billion annual budget on real consumer protection, as opposed to threatening walnut and cherry growers for claiming health benefits for their foods?

No matter how many times the FDA fails to protect consumers against contaminated drugs, there are no calls for meaningful reform.

Instead of recognizing FDA ineptitude, cries ring out to give the FDA more money and power … as Americans perish from contaminated drugs the FDA should have stopped.

No free market!

What the public doesn't yet understand is that contaminated drugs are the result of draconian regulations that limit free market competition. By restricting drug factories to only those overseen by incompetent bureaucrats, the inevitable result will be shortages, poor quality and high prices.

One of the challenges in dealing with the NECC catastrophe is that there may be new shortages of injectable drugs because there are not enough drug factories in the U.S. to meet patient demand. Shortages create opportunities for unsavory companies to dump even greater amounts of overpriced and contaminated drugs into the bodies of unsuspecting victims.

This kind of problem would not continue in a free market, but ever-increasing regulations are exacerbating the problems of drug shortages, deadly manufacturing practices, and obscenely high prices.

We will re-publish this response to the FDA's deceptive tactics aired last night on 60 Minutes in greater detail later this year in Life Extension Magazine®.

I thought it critical to alert members immediately about this misleading propaganda as it may influence policy makers into giving the FDA more authority. The facts clearly show that the FDA failed to use the power it already has to stop contaminated drugs from poisoning the American public.

 

Sincerely,

 

Suzanne Somers

 

 

 

 

Dear Friends: 

Many of you were introduced to Life Extension's Dr. Mike Smith on The SUZANNE Show. Now I'll be joining him on Healthy Talk on WWNN-AM, 1470 in South Fla., Wednesday, Jan. 23 from 1-2 p.m. ET. The segment will also be live streamed on: www.lef.org/healthytalk. For more info, check out the press release for his new radio show below.  

(Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Jan. 21, 2013 – Fresh off her successful Lifetime Network talk show, Suzanne Somers, one of America’s most popular and beloved personalities will join Michael Smith M.D. on Healthy Talk on WWNN-AM, 1470 in South Fla., Wednesday, Jan. 23 from 1-2 p.m. ET.

Somers, in her multi-faceted career has achieved extraordinary success as an actress, aNew York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, singer, comedienne and lecturer.

Somers has authored 24 books, including 12 New York Times Bestsellers. There are currently over 25 million copies of Suzanne’s books in print.

As one of America’s most informed and dedicated health care advocates, Somers has been acknowledged for her leading role in bringing information on today’s groundbreaking anti-aging medical protocols, preventative care, long-term health and hormone-replacement therapies to women and men across the country.

Dr. Smith brings an engaging personality and ability to present complex health topics, be it diabetes, migraines or food sensitivity issues in a clear, conversational manner that has won him a sizable following of anti-aging and disease-prevention enthusiasts.

A recurring guest on The Suzanne Show last year, Dr. Smith is known to his devoted fans as “Dr. Mike, the country doctor with a city education.” Since launching the show, sponsored by Life Extension (www.lef.org), last Nov., Dr. Smith has attracted a large national audience as the show streams live on www.lef.org/healthytalk. All programs are also be archived at the same website.

A trailblazer in the $28 million dietary supplement industry, Life Extension is offering visitors to the Healthy Talk website a free six-month membership and bottle of Two-Per-Day multivitamins which was rated the number one multivitamin by www.ConsumerLab.com in 2012.

Dr. Smith is committed to providing listeners with the most current health information available, and his weekly show has quickly become the place to interact with respected experts in the fields of health, wellness, fitness, and medicine.

“I was taught that learning is the beginning of health,” said Dr. Smith. “And learning something new is what my show is all about. “My job is to focus on my listeners and engage them in the conversation, while helping them apply what they learn in their daily lives,” says Dr. Mike.

The last show in Jan. features Jeffrey Smith, the executive director for the Institute for Responsible Technology and leading consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices. Smith, often seen on PBS-TV, is also the director of the new blockbuster documentary film, Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives, and author of the world's bestselling and #1 rated book on the health dangers genetically modified organisms.

For more information about the Healthy Talk email HealthyTalkInfo@lef.org or call 954.790.5512.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Somers

Dear Friends,

 

As the heartbreaking images of these beautiful children and heroic teachers emerge, we keep asking ourselves, "How could anyone plan and execute such a heinous act against innocent and helpless people?"  We'll never know for certain. We debate about access to guns, but the mental collapse precipitates the search for a lethal weapon.  How is this mental instability left unrecognized and untreated? And at what point does that person "snap" - and more importantly... WHAT made him snap?

 

I write and speak often of the dangers of toxins; that human beings are under the greatest environmental assault in the history of mankind.  In my book BREAKTHROUGH, written shortly following the Columbine tragedy, I interviewed renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Russell Blaylock, and asked him how this could have happened.  What he said has sadly come true with no end in sight. He said to expect more of these tragedies because toxins, be they from the poisons sprayed on our food, toxic cleaning products, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the over-vaccination of our children are affecting the chemistry of our brains. Young people's brains are not fully formed and are extremely susceptible to damage.

 

This is the elephant in the room. This is what no one wants to consider because it bites the hand that feeds big business.  I spoke to Dr. Blaylock this week in regards to his thoughts on the Newtown massacre.  I think his response is chilling and important.

 

 

Dr. Russell Blaylock:

 

This terrible tragedy is a reminder, or should be, that our society is populated by a growing number of adolescent and young adults who have serious mental disorders and psychopathology. The cause for such destructive events are numerous and a number of these factors interact, such as the use of certain psychotropic drugs in youth; a multigenerational culture of illegal drug abuse; exposure to a diet known to enhance criminal and psychopathic behavior; exposure to a number of environmental, neurodevelopmental toxic substances (such as fluoride, lead, mercury and aluminum), and exposure to far too many vaccinations. This murderous young man was known to suffer from Asperger's syndrome and possibly other psychopathologies.

 

Despite what the media and vaccine proponents are telling you, the excessive number and the manner in which these vaccines are being given causes an abnormal development of the brain and the human brain, especially the portions that control social behavior and are linked to violence, are not fully developed until age 21. This means that constant stimulation of the brain's immune system (the microglia) can lead to chronic brain inflammation and excitotoxicity, which has been strongly linked abnormal brain development and to a number of the serious psychiatric disorders.  In addition, the vaccines contain aluminum and some still contain mercury, and these metals also cause chronic brain inflammation. Lead is not only known to trigger brain inflammation, but also is strongly linked to violent behavior and suicide. Fluoride in the drinking water has been shown to increase one's exposure to lead. Many foods contain a number of excitotoxin additives, such as MSG, hydrolyzed proteins, caseinate, etc, and these are linked to chronic brain inflammation and abnormal development of the brain, which continues decades after birth.

 

There is evidence that the combination of dietary excitotoxin excess combined with exposure to vaccines can significantly worsen brain inflammation and hence, psychological and social disorders. It is ironic that the very government that is promoting gun control as a solution to a growing psychological problem, is the most ardent promoter of vaccinations, a poor diet, fluoridation of drinking water, and refuses to stop the adulteration of our foods with excitotoxin additives. Other factors are also at play, such as fluorinated medications (known to produce homicidal behaviors and suicides). There are a number of culprits in this terrible crime, yet most will remain free to continue the destruction of our youths' minds.

 

Best Regards,

 

Suzanne Somers

Dear Friends,

 

I am constantly amazed at the lack of understanding from our elected and unelected officials relative to obesity and poor health. Yesterday the Los Angeles City Council introduced "Meatless Mondays" as an initiative to combat obesity. There was no mention of switching to grass-fed beef, the connection between toxicity and obesity, the dangers of consuming genetically modified foods, or to the side effects of preservatives and chemicals in bagged and boxed food. I was most alarmed that there was no mention of the solution - eating real, clean food. 

 

When are we going to wise up as people and realize it's not meat that's the problem?  It's what they put INTO the meat!  When will the facts be a matter of public discussion? Poison is being sprayed onto foods in the form of pesticides, which people are consuming.  And it doesn't stop there - nature is being turned upside down with genetic engineering!

 

The lack of understanding or willingness of our government officials to fess up to the real problem is putting us all in danger. The human body cannot continue to withstand the bombardment of chemicals. So what can we do to avoid these issues? Eat real whole foods: real grass-fed beef, organic chicken, wild caught salmon, real fats, organic fruits and vegetables. When we take the toxins in, our body is triggered to store these unusable chemicals in our fat tissue and other organs.  The more toxins, the fatter we get.  Simply changing the way we eat could go a long way towards solving the obesity and health problems that are now epidemic.

 

To read the full article, click here.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Suzanne Somers 

 

 

For more information on Suzanne Somers, please visit her Facebook page. 

Dear Friends,

Last week on The SUZANNE Show, Brenda Watson joined me to discuss one of my favorite topics – the gut! Brenda owns RenewLife and is one of my greatest teachers on gut health. This is an area that causes me constant problems, and Brenda always helps me get to the bottom of it. Brenda will be appearing four times this season on my show because her information is vital and it’s important for people to know the cause of this new epidemic in our country. And I hate to tell you, but those antacids you are taking will not help!

You know the feeling—your belly feels bloated, pants are tight, and embarrassing gas has you staying in for the evening. Yet you can’t figure out if food is to blame since you ate the same things you usually eat. While gas and bloating are definitely symptoms produced by certain foods, many women are unaware that something else may be underlying the discomfort—Candida overgrowth.

Candida albicans is a sugar-fermenting yeast that is naturally present in small amounts in many areas of the body such as theskin, the digestive tract, and the vagina. (Candida is to blame for those pesky yeast infections!) In small amounts, this yeast is an integral part of the intestinal ecology in most people and, when kept in balance with other intestinal microbes, does no harm.

The trouble begins when Candida is allowed to flourish. There are three main causes of Candida overgrowth:

• Immune dysfunction
• Change in intestinal pH
• Dysbiosis (gut microbial imbalance)  

Let’s focus on the main cause—dysbiosis, or an imbalance in the ratio of good to bad bacteria in the intestines. Dysbiosis sets the stage for Candida overgrowth. Normally, beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, in the gut help to keep the potentially pathogenic microbes (such as Candida and other harmful bacteria) in check. When there aren’t enough “good guys,” or probiotics, to maintain balance, Candida has free reign to multiply. There are a number of factors that reduce the amount of beneficial bacteria in the gut, including antibiotic, poor diet, stress, age, toxin exposure, and impaired digestion.

When Candida overgrowth occurs in the gut, the yeast feed on sugars and carbohydrates that pass through as they are digested. And the more Candida feast, the more the yeast. Candida feeds on sugar and digested carbohydrates by way of fermentation, which produces the characteristic gas and bloating that we are all too familiar with. This is why sugar and starchy carbohydrate avoidance is recommended for people dealing with yeast. Are gas and bloating causing you discomfort more than you’d like to admit? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! If you think Candida overgrowth may be to blame, I recommend a Candida cleanse and Candida enzyme formula to help inhibit yeast overgrowth, and a high-potency probiotic to help rebalance your gut. After all, better health begins with a healthy digestive tract.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Somers

 

This fall, I’m launching a TV show that tells it like it is.

 

I am Suzanne Somers and I am passionately involved in healthcare, music, entertainment, lifestyle, and family. 

 

That's  The SUZANNE Show !

 

The SUZANNE Show is ‘me,’ unplugged — my interests and my passions and honest talk, from new ways to achieve optimal health, to my friends, great foods, and important questions that others aren’t asking. I’m mixing glamour and innovative science in a way that America’s never seen before.

 

I present the doctors who impress me with their ability to understand the changing planet and how to live a long time with health … true health, mostly non-drug health. Hormones are topics #1, #2,and #3. Women can’t get enough information about their changing hormones and I am giving it to them.

 

The SUZANNE Show is like putting my books on TV. Information that generally never reaches the American public. 

 

My famous friends will also visit me. One day it might by my pal, comedy icon Kathy Griffin, one day Larry King, music legend David Foster, or my dear friend, the fabulous Fran Drescher, all speaking as they would in a private conversation in my living room.

 

Somedays I cook with famous chefs teaching how to prepare amazing food that improves health using the sustaining basics, plus the right oils, herbs, and spices.  Food that keeps you healthy and able to maintain the figure you want, and tastes unbelievable.

 

I give all my guests, whether they are doctors, scientists, professionals,or entertainers, an opportunity to speak in a way they generally can't due to sponsor commitments. The doctors and scientists' messages will rattle the medical orthodox “stuck” protocols. These professionals can tell us why they are passionate about their particular areas of expertise, and why they decided to step outside the confines of conventional medicine to practice health care rather than disease care.

 

There will also be a “tech-y” segment for all the women—myself included—who are hanging on by a thread to understand the potential of their computers. My “tech” guy happens to be real cute and knowledgeable, and I’m not just saying that because he is my son, Bruce Somers.

 

Hopefully, my viewers will look at me, a 65-year-old (my husband of 44 years says “hot”) woman, and want what I have in the way of health, energy, and sexuality. You don’t have to age-out of a fulfilling sex life. I will have doctors on my show explaining how to get the most out of sex without drugs. A healthy person is a sexual person. No sick person wants or is capable of being sexual. Sexuality isa language from the body saying in essence: “All is well.”

 

Superb health is the greatest of all gifts. This is discussed at length on The SUZANNE Show. Nothing else really matters if you don’t have optimal health. Look around you. Who are the people you would never trade places with—people who are sick. My books, lectures, and TV appearances all say: Health is a choice and you are in control of your health and how you age. My show will teach my viewers how and why to live a glamorous, upbeat, energetic,informed, and sexy life. What’s not to like? There has never been a morningshow like this … ever.

 

Premieres Wednesday, Sept. 26th on Lifetime at 7am eastern and pacific.     

 

Tune in! If for no other reason than to see my fabulous shoes!

 

Suzanne

 

Stay in touch and receive upates through The SUZANNE Show Facebook page.

Dear Friends, 

This is a study that just came out from Stanford on the health benefits of organic vs. conventional foods. When I saw it reported on last night's news, shockingly the newscaster said the study showed no health benefit to eating organic and that the study showed organic foods are not more nutritious than conventional foods. Of course, on the news they were not discussing the HARM done from the pesticides, hormones and antibiotics because they claimed all the pesticide residue was "under legal limits".  I looked up the actual published study and it does, in fact state that organic is healthier due to less pesticides. Amazing how the real info does not get to the people! Beware of tricky reporting.  If you walked into the market and food was labeled SPRAYED WITH POISON, or NOT SPRAYED WITH POISON, which would you pick? Just because the government says a "little bit of poison" is okay, do you still want to consume it? Or feed it to your children? If you can afford organic, please consider it.  If not, consider planting a small garden to grow your own food with organic soil. It's a thrill to pick your own food and can be done on a small piece of land or in pots.

I will be discussing organic food and toxicity issues at length on my new talk show, The SUZANNE Show starting September 26th on Lifetime.

To review the study, click here.

Best Regards,

 

Suzanne Somers 

Dear Friends, 

I was discussing the fluoride issue with Dr. Garry Gordon, a doctor I am iterviewing for my new book.  Last fall, a new study in the Journal of American Dental Association reported that fluoride is actually bad for teeth.  Of course, those of us who understand it is a toxin already know that - but now the CDC and AMA say that this recent study shows intake of fluoride during the first few years of life is significantly associated with fluorosis, and they now warn against using fluoridated water in infant formula.   

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is of a similar opinion. According to their website: "Recent evidence suggests that mixing powdered or liquid infant formula concentrate with fluoridated water on a regular basis may increase the chance of a child developing ... enamel fluorosis." 

Sources:   Journal of the American Dental Association;October 14, 2010;  141(10):1190-1201;CDC May 28, 2010 

Fluorosis causes spotting on teeth, and in severe cases can cause orange or brown mottling of the teeth.  Sadly, that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the damage that can be caused by fluoride.  In my opinion, these agencies who have been telling us it's safe for so long can't completely back track and announce, "Whoops! That toxic waste will kill you!"  So instead they find a gentle way to let us know it's best to avoid with the most vulnerable, like infants. 

Here is Dr. Gordon's response. 

 

Suzanne,  

Fluorine is very toxic for many patients and the dangers go far beyond the dental fluorosis issue, but at least that alone suggests proof that over 30% examined children have excessive fluorine already. We all need to know that fluorine is another mistake made by governmental agencies and now we even have CDC and ADA admitting that there are issues about fluorine excess showing up. 

Believe me when I tell you that ALL fluorine should be destroyed, as the toxicity goes far beyond what you have been told. For one example, please know that fluorine makes the bones look white and dense and strong but they fracture easily. This means that by the time someone is being told they have osteopenia, what is being seen is often far worse than the x-ray reveals because the fluorine we all get and almost cannot avoid is making everyone's bones appear not too bad. 

But we have new knowledge today that what matters is elimination of fractures and now we see this bone health picture gets complex but bone health is essential for longevity. FACT: bones are breaking even when the bone density appears normal; in fact bone density is a poor predictor of future fracture risk. 

The more you study this fluorine issue, the more you will see we must add this to our growing long list of reasons we are all unhealthy today compared to what we could be. That list can get very long when we include GMO foods inducing leaky gut and unleashing an epidemic of food sensitivities, along with other toxins like the mandated flame retardants now in everything, PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl esters), dangerous vaccinations, and coal burning power plants polluting everything with lead and mercury.

Fortunately, we were born with lots of resilience so we appear to handle all the above for a time, but finally all this and the other contributing factors covered in my FIGHT program all come home to roost. 

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)

 

Hi Friends – Please read the following post from Dr. Nick Gonzalez.  He has outlined the important developments on the recent “consumer protection” bill which would make it virtually impossible to buy supplements without a prescription.  WE NEED YOUR VOICE!  This bill does NOT protect us.  It violates our rights.  
 
 
Dear Friends:
 
I am writing to alert you of two assaults against nutritional supplements against which we all need to mobilize.  Over the years I have witnessed many serious threats to supplements proposed by members of Congress and the FDA, always presented in the guise of “consumer protection.”  Invariably the proposed legislation or regulations have been onerous, repressive, and apparently intended to eliminate or seriously curtail the availability of most nutritional products, forcing the US into a European style situation where nutritionals are either forbidden (as in Norway) or become prescription items, and as a result, to the glee of pharmaceutical companies, their drugs become the primary option.  In the past, we here in the US have been able to mobilize to stop such intrusions, such as the ill-conceived McCain bill of a year ago.  But once again, the anti-nutrition forces have organized and mobilized, in ways I have not previously seen.
 
The first threat is Senator Durbin’s noble sounding Senate bill S1310, the "Dietary Supplement Labeling Act," ostensibly prompted because of a recent episode of melatonin tainted brownies.  Senator Durbin has long been an aggressive, vocal opponent of supplements and their availability as over the counter products.  He has long supported a “strong” FDA and the pharmaceutical industry.  In any event, this bill would give the FDA a new set of powers that could easily be used to badger honorable, honest supplement manufacturers providing  legitimate and useful products.  The FDA needs no new authority in terms of labeling, because it already has enormous power to regulate additives to food, and remove harmful or dangerous supplements from the marketplace.  Furthermore, the FDA has already mandated very stringent "Good Manufacturing Practice" regulations that promote standards and require manufacturers of nutritional supplements to provide the highest quality, legitimate products to consumers.  I believe this new legislation is part of an ongoing pattern to eliminate the availability of legitimate supplements so that Americans have no choice in their health care.

Senator Durbin, true to form, presented his legislation on the Friday before the July 4th weekend, presumably hoping that no one would notice. But the ever vigilant Alliance for Natural Health learned of the bill almost as soon as it was available, and sent out a much needed warning to begin mobilizing to stop it in its tracks. I would suggest you contact your Senators and Representatives, either by phone or e-mail, expressing your strong opposition to this bill.  Public outcry has stopped many similar bills in the past, and we can do it again, but it takes pressure, and effort, and energy.  Of course, be polite, but explain that the FDA already has sufficient power to regulate supplements, their labeling, and food additives.  And, express your wish that supplements be kept available for your use. Of course no one wants dangerous products in the marketplace, but most manufacturers are honest and honorable, providing health-promoting, high quality supplements.
 
About the same time Senator Durbin proposed his legislation, the FDA itself announced its plans to enforce an entire new set of regulations on supplement manufacturers that are so onerous, I doubt any company could comply or remain in business. In 1994, Congress passed the “Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act” (DSHEA), which in once sense did protect nutritional supplements available at the time from FDA over regulation, and protected manufacturers from overt FDA harassment. However, the bill also gave the FDA enormous power over any new supplements that might be developed after 1994, with the authority to require the expensive, and time consuming process normally reserved for synthetic pharmaceuticals before these new supplements could be made available to consumers.  Basically, if implemented, supplements would remain stuck in 1994, with manufacturers unable to provide new products in response to ongoing research in the field.

Furthermore, by enforcing this provision in DSHEA, the FDA could require supplements available prior to 1994 that have undergone any change whatsoever to undergo review, with the possibility that these products might be removed from the market until the lengthy review was completed.  Apparently, even if the particle size of a supplement has changed since 1994, the manufacturer would be required to petition the FDA for approval of the product.   As I read the new, complicated regulations, in my opinion any supplement manufacturer might be at risk and few could financially survive should the FDA enforce to the letter the regulations that it presented last week.
 
Nutritional supplements, because of the concern and integrity of the great majority of manufacturers, are extraordinarily safe and the FDA knows this. Our supplements for example are manufactured at an approved facility in compliance with the strict FDA Good Manufacturing Practices.  These products have been life-saving, proving effective even against advanced cancer.  We need these supplements for our patients.
 
The FDA already has the power it needs to "protect" the consumer.  These regulations are unnecessarily onerous and unreasonable.
 
For further information I suggest you consult the following website:  http://www.anh-usa.org/
 
I suggest you write your Senators and Representatives protesting both the Durbin bill and the new FDA regulations.  Always be polite.  But we need to stop Senator Durbin's bill and fight for the continued availability of nutritional supplements.
 
Below is a letter I sent my own Senators.  Feel free to adopt it as your own
 
 
Re:  Opposition to Senator Durbin's bill S1310, the "Dietary Supplement Labeling Act."
 
Dear Senator Gillibrand:
 
I am writing because I need your help.  On the Friday before the July 4th weekend, Senator Durbin - hoping his actions would not be carried in the media before a major holiday - introduced the above referenced legislation, the "Dietary Supplement Labeling Act."  Though couched in terms about consumer protection, the bill really seems designed to give the Food and Drug Administration extraordinary new levels of regulatory authority over dietary supplements, which it does not need to perform its job, and which will add new onerous regulatory hurdles onto legitimate, honest supplement manufacturers in this country.
 
The FDA already has the authority to supervise supplement manufacture and remove harmful or dangerous supplements from the marketplace, It has already put in place very stringent "Good Manufacturing Practice" regulations that promote standards and require manufacturers to provide the highest quality, legitimate products to consumers.  I believe this new legislation is part of an ongoing pattern to eliminate the availability of legitimate supplements so that Americans have no choice in their health care.
 
Americans by the tens of millions use supplements daily, and want these products to remain available to them.  As a physician who uses specially designed supplements in his practice, I know the value of properly formulated nutritional products. The supplements I utilize are specially designed according to very strict specifications, and quite literally, the lives of hundreds of my patients depend on these products.
 
At the same time Senator Durbin proposed his legislation, the FDA itself announced its plans to enforce an entire new set of regulations on supplement manufacturers that are so onerous, I doubt any company could comply or remain in business.  It appears, judging by what I have read, the FDA seems intent to use harmless sounding regulations that do not require Congressional approval to eliminate the supplement industry from this country. I can think of no other rational explanation.
 
Nutritional supplements, because of the concern and integrity of the great majority of manufacturers, are extraordinarily safe and the FDA knows this.  The FDA already has the power it needs to "protect" the consumer.  These regulations are deliberately onerous and unreasonable.
 
For further information I suggest you consult the following website:   http://www.anh-usa.org/
 
Please help stop Senator Durbin's bill.  Please reign in an out-of-control FDA.  My patients need their supplements.
 
I would be happy to talk to any of your aides, I would welcome a visit to my office to show the results of our practice, and our desperate need that our supplements remain available. .
 
Sincerely,
 
Nicholas Gonzalez, MD

Dear Friends, 

I recently posted to my friends on Facebook, asking about their sweetener of choice.  Huge response!  I get so many questions on this, I though I would give you my opinion… it’s just another one to add to group, but here’s my POV.  Some of this is based on research I have collected from the medical experts with whom I surround myself, and some is just based on my personal views.   

The pink – saccharin: This has been around since the 60s and 70s. At first everyone thought it was the miracle sugar substitute.  Then it got a “causes cancer” wrap – of course, proven and disproven depending upon the article you read or expert you consult.  It’s very concentrated.  Not a good source for baking as it does not hold up to heat and leaves an aftertaste if you use a lot of it. 

My personal opinion: Many years ago I recommended this product as an alternative to sugar (you will see references for it in my early books). I felt it was better than aspartame if you were going to use an artificial sweetener.   With the information I have today, I still think it is the least offensive of the artificial sweeteners, however, I do not use it or any artificial sweeteners. 

The blue – aspartame:  Took the spotlight from the pink in the 80s.  Again, this was the miracle NEW sweetener.  Less aftertaste, and didn’t seem to have that cancer causing issue that had freaked out so many with saccharin.  Then in the late 90s we started to see reports that maybe this artificial sweetener was dangerous as well.  There was a particularly nasty online article that took off virally - slandering aspartame (mostly from diet soda drinkers) and linking it to cancer, brain tumors, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.  Many sources say this “chain letter” is anecdotal, from anonymous sources and scientifically implausible.  Upon reading it again today, I see Dr. Russell Blaylock was quoted in it all those years ago, stating, “The ingredients stimulate the neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees.”

In 2008 I interviewed Blaylock for my book, Breakthrough, and he cited two new studies by one of the biggest cancer research institutes in the world, The Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences in Italy. The results confirmed that aspartame breaks down in the body to formaldehyde, which breaks up the DNA and leaves the body with double-strand breaks, most associated with cancer induction. He states, “We had good evidence before that aspartame most likely produced cancer, and now we know it does for sure.” (For more information, read Breakthrough, p. 38.)

My personal opinion: I don’t use any artificial sweeteners, and certainly not this one.

Aspartame is still sold and added to over 6,000 products. The FDA does not report any safety issues. 

To read the viral piece on aspartame with the rebuttals, click here. 

The yellow – sucralose:  “Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar.” That means it’s natural, right?  Around the turn of the century, the new yellow packets became the rage (once aspartame was exposed).  One of the big benefits is that it measures just like sugar – making it easier to use in baking.  Come to find out, sucralose is made by taking a sugar molecule and adding chlorine to it. I am always shocked when I tell people this and they say, “So? What’s the problem with chlorine?” 

I interviewed Dr. Steven Hotze in Breakthrough, who states, “Toxins are the big problem. How about Splenda? It’s sucralose, which is chlorinated hydrocarbon, which is toxic. Any chlorinated hydrocarbon in the world is toxic, carcinogenic. Splenda was originally made as a pesticide-go dump it on your ant beds and come back tomorrow to see all the dead ants.”  (Breakthrough, p. 345)

My personal opinion: I don’t use any artificial sweeteners. 

Studies also show artificial sweeteners are addictive.  This addiction makes us crave more and more sweet foods and can actually cause weight gain, rather than weight loss – which is the reason most people use these products anyway.

The green – stevia:  Stevia is 100% natural, extracted from a plant in South America, it has a low glycemic index and there are no controversial reports on the health or safety of this natural sweetener.

My personal opinion: I use this product now and then, but I do not like the licorice aftertaste.  I have not had luck baking with it due to this aftertaste. It’s less offensive in coffee, but I like my coffee without sweetener anyway.

The real stuff - raw sugar, honey, white sugar: All are accepted by the body as sugar.  I use them in moderation.  I prefer honey of the three, then raw sugar, then white sugar.  All cause increases in insulin, our fat storing hormone. Controlling this hormone, so that our food is burned as fuel rather than stored as fat, is a key tenant to my weight loss plan, Sexy Forever, so I moderate my use of all of these sugars.

My personal opinion: Much better choices than artificial sweeteners, but I use them only in moderation to keep my weight and health in check.

Agave – 100% natural.  I have been using agave nectar as a low-glycemic liquid sweetener for the past five years or so.  It’s the consistency of honey, but is not supposed to spike insulin, like honey.  I really like the taste and consistency of this product.  Love it on Greek yogurt with a little cinnamon.  Now there is controversial information that the manufacturing process turns this natural sweetener into a syrup, similar to high fructose corn syrup – stating that agave nectar is actually 90% fructose.  Still, fructose is 20 on the glycemic index as opposed to sugar which is 100! 

My personal opinion: I use agave, but only organic agave to make sure there are no chemicals in the extraction process. So far I have believed this is a healthy, natural alternative to sugar or honey, with a lower glycemic index.  The recent news about the manufacturing process turning this into a product similar it high fructose corn syrup is on my radar.  I need more information.  My ears are open for the next round of research. 

The purple one - All Natural SomerSweet:  This is my signature sweetener.  It’s 100% natural.  It has taken me years to develop it.  When I first debuted original SomerSweet, I didn’t have the information I have today and it contained a very small amount of artificial sweetener.  We have since reformulated to All Natural SomerSweet which is a 100% natural product - and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have all artificial sweeteners out of my system.  Knowledge is power.  As I learn, I adjust.  And I pass along my information to you.  All Natural SomerSweet spoons into coffee tea just like sugar, but what I really love about this product is how it bakes!  I use it cup for cup in place of sugar in recipes with excellent results.  And it’s only 5 on the glycemic index so it won’t spike my insulin. Great for those on my Sexy Forever plan. 

Ingredients: All Natural SomerSweet is mostly made from inulin, which is a chicory fiber. This is a pre-biotic soluble fiber – something your body needs anyway.  It also contains erythritol – a natural substance found in pears, melons, grapes, mushrooms and wine.  While erythritol is categorized as a sugar alcohol, it has no gassy side effects. Additionally, there is a small amount of fructose found in our inulin blend, but it’s such a low amount, we still boast 0 sugars per serving.  Lastly, citrus peel extract rounds out the flavor. 

My personal opinion: Great for cold or hot drinks.  Excellent for baking. No aftertaste.  The fiber may cause you to “move” a little, but that’s a good thing! Start slowly and build your way up.   Available in individual packets or cans. 

As a special offer for my Facebook friends, enter coupon code FACEBOOK at checkout and receive 50% off your first order of All Natural SomerSweet Packets*! (limited time while supplies last).

For more information on All Natural SomerSweet, click here.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Somers