Polycil, the makers of BeeThrive posted at this LA Times article at
http://polycilhealth.com/latimes.shtml
As fears of flu thrive, so do pills and promises
Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles, Calif.
So irritated has the Food and Drug Administration grown that it
decided to clamp down on some of the flu claims. Last month, the
agency warned PRB Pharmaceuticals, Vitacost, Bodestore and six other
companies to stop making claims about avian flu and other forms of
influenza or face possible seizure of their products.
Shortly before the FDA move, four leading trade associations for
herbal and nutritional products also issued an alert about bogus flu
product claims.
"Consumers should be cautious. There are some unscrupulous players out
there," said Steven Mister, president of the Council for Responsible
Nutrition, which represents supplement manufacturers. "We are not
aware of any products that can treat or cure avian flu."
Some of the companies warned by the FDA have removed the flu claims
from their sites. But some consumers are convinced that daily
supplements, which can cost $1 to $2 per capsule, can prevent or treat
the flu. Shortages of prescription antiviral medications for the flu
may have added to the supplements' appeal.
A little more than a year ago, Danee Shaheen of West Los Angeles had
been fighting an uphill battle against what she said was a lingering
flu. For days she had felt feverish, weak and congested. Then an
acquaintance suggested Immunocil, a nutritional supplement at one time
promoted as a way to treat or prevent seasonal or bird flu.
Immunocil, produced by Westlake Village-based Polycil Health Inc., has
been offered as an alternative to vaccination, the preventive
treatment with well-established scientific credentials. Shaheen was so
satisfied with Immunocil that she skipped her flu shot this season and
said she believes the supplement will help if a bird flu pandemic
strikes.
Polycil was one of the companies warned by the FDA to stop making such claims.
"Consumers should be cautious. There are some unscrupulous players out
there," said Steven Mister, president of the Council for Responsible
Nutrition, which represents supplement manufacturers. "We are not
aware of any products that can treat or cure avian flu."
Many infectious disease experts scoff at the idea of supplements as
flu-fighting wonders.
Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt
University in Nashville, said boasts about products that cure or
prevent any kind of flu are unproven at best.
At worst, he said, they can be dangerous.
"There are no standards for any of these products," Schaffner said.
"There have been times when such products have been contaminated with
material that has made them toxic, such as lead…. I'm afraid it's
caveat emptor, buyer beware."
Some of the active ingredients of such products have shown medicinal
effects. Humic acid in Immunocil demonstrates antiviral properties in
lab tests, and lysine, an amino acid used in Flufront, can help
prevent or heal cold sores.
But scientific evidence on whether such products boost immune
response, or relieve or prevent any type of flu, are "nonexistent,
spare or conflicting," Schaffner said.
"All of us would like to believe that there is a nostrum, a miracle
ingredient that would either prevent everything or cure everything,"
he said. "In God we trust. All others must provide data."
SEE:
As fears of flu thrive, so do pills and promises
Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles, Calif.
Subjects: False advertising, Avian flu, Fear & phobias, Dietary supplements
Author: Charles Piller
Date: Jan 2, 2006
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