Ugly News From Canada... And, If The Law Passes, It Can Be Expected To Eventually Creep Our Way

Big Pharm would like to rule the world, it seems. Pharmaceutical monopoly just isn't enough. No, they'd like to be able to control access (read profit from) every aspect of healing, including the healing potentials of your kitchen herbs. Check out this story to see what they're up to now... trying to pass a law that uses a devious blend of criminalizing supplements and herbal remedies as they redefine the term sales and the application of forfeiture laws to wrest still more control of health and healing from the people to place in the hands of those hungry for still more profit.

Disgusting! Better buy seeds for secret gardens now... while you still can. Heritage seeds, those not contaminated by genetic alteration or neutered by those who prefer seeds to be bought every season, rather than saved from a portion of what was grown.

"Natural" Colic Remedy Recall Due To Potential Parasite Contamination

From an Associated Press report published in the Mercury News:

"California health officials on Wednesday warned parents not to give their children a liquid herbal supplement that is marketed as a remedy for colic and teething pain because several bottles tested positive for a parasite that may have a sickened a 6-week-old infant in Minnesota.

Lab tests conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed the presence of Cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause diarrhea and intestinal infections, in unopened bottles of apple-flavored Baby's Bliss Gripe Water, according to the state health department. The supplement's s distributor, MOM Enterprises of San Rafael, has recalled about 17,600 bottles of the product that were being sold through the Internet and at retail stores nationwide, the health department said."

I'm not a big fan of herbal supplements for babies, especially when they are just 6 weeks old. They're too little and they're too new. Herbs are plants, and their medicinal content can vary according to soil conditions, growing area, etc. Babies are just so tiny that a little too much of something can have a real effect. So, natural or not, I lean towards being very cautious about what I give an infant.

For colic, there is a much more natural solution -- breastfeeding. That is the best thing you can do to prevent colic and you certainly don't have to worry about any recall related issues... unless you've got chemical filled implants.