Caution: Walnuts Are Not Safe
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Caution: Walnuts Are Not Safe |
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May 3rd 2010 - On February 22, 2010 a letter was sent to Michael Mendes, President of the Diamond Food Company of Stockton, California, warning him that the walnuts the company was selling had been declared a "new and unapproved drug" by the FDA. Had I not found the actual letter on the official FDA website I would have assumed it to be a hoax. It seems the Diamond Walnut company had committed two grievous sins: It had pointed out that walnuts are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and it had referenced studies showing that omega 3 oils may help lower cholesterol, protect against heart disease, stroke, some cancers, ease arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, and fight depression and other mental illnesses. Those studies exist, of course, but pointing out their results to the general public is not permissible in a society where pharmaceutical agents are the only acceptable tools in the battle against disease. The FDA letter pointed out that walnuts have not been shown to be safe and effective in the management of medical conditions, inferring that FDA approved drugs, which are known to cause tens of thousands of deaths and dramatically lower the quality of life in many who take them are "safe and effective". The FDA went on to state that "adequate directions for use cannot be written so that a layperson can use these drugs safely for their intended purposes." Yes, indeed, someone who does not possess a medical degree is not competent to follow directions such as 1) Open can. 2) Sprinkle some walnuts into your hand. 3) Place the walnuts in your mouth 4) Chew thoroughly 5) Swallow. The pettiness of the FDA's declaration can be seen by the fact that the FDA itself has stated that studies suggest that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts daily may reduce the risk of heart disease. Because Diamond Nut company attributed this benefit to the presence of omega-3 oils (on the basis of published omega 3 studies), they were charged with making an unsubstantiated health claim! Ironically, the FDA has approved Lovaza, a pharmaceutical strenght omega 3 product, as "safe and effective". (Lovaza is approved for lowering of triglycerides, but not for prevention of heart disease.) My friends, the lunatics are definitely running the asylum! Dale H. Peterson, M.D. |
