The Unfortunate State of the FDA

First off, I have no problem with using agencies to regulate ingredients that are used on humans, or animals. My problem lies in the way they are "regulated", or lack thereof. Here's a word from the FDA:

"The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) does not authorize FDA to approve cosmetic ingredients, with the exception of color additives that are not coal-tar hair dyes. In general, cosmetic manufacturers may use any ingredient they choose, except for a few ingredients that are prohibited by regulation."

So technically, the FDA does not officially approve any cosmetic ingredient, except for the colors they manufacture.

I believe that if the FDA was more committed to actually regulating ingredients and whether something is harmful or not before releasing it for usage, would be a wonderful thing. We wouldn't have so many health problems, we would know exactly what we're using is safe and feel secure in the agency's promise to keep us healthy. But I have read too much stating otherwise.

I have read statements by the FDA that say they haven't conducted enough research to really know of any serious effects ingredients have on people. Independent research bring these serious side effects to light, people then become informed and insist that the FDA do something about it. Typically, the FDA's first response is that they need to conduct their own research, which takes longer to conduct than the people's attention span. So ultimately it is forgotten. Then people continually get sick without truly knowing what's causing it, and are prescribed medications which only mask the true issue.

For instance, Aspartame and Saccharin, artificial sweeteners which are still used in food products today, have proven to be incredibly toxic. When Aspartame is metabolized, it breaks down into poisonous Methanol, which then breaks down into Formaldehyde. And Saccharin was once listed on California's Prop 65, but delisted in 2001. The chemical itself hasn't changed, so suddenly it doesn't form bladder cancer anymore? Also, Sucralose, a.k.a. Splenda, has been shown to reduce healthy bacteria in our digestive system, raising pH levels. And admittedly, the FDA only conducted a 3 month study before it was released for mass usage. Same sort of indiscretion for Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), where the glutamates may affect neurotransmitters in the brain, causing headaches and chest pain. Fluoride is also on the forefront of this argument, doing absolutely nothing for your teeth, but instead blocking thyroid operation, resulting in utter chaos such as kidney failure, memory loss, arthritis, and digestive disorders, to name a few.

Reading these reports makes me question whether authority has our best interest at heart. I guess that's the main reason why I put myself through reading intricate scientific journals and making my own decision about what I want to use on my body. And you know what? I'm not alone. There are companies out there who are struggling to educate and make products that are safer and more natural. Natural ingredients though are harder to regulate due to the quality being inconsistent, so the FDA usually doesn't approve them. Unless, of course, they're riddled with dangerous "approved" preservatives which completely goes against the whole natural thing. Thus, the natural market suffocates.

A few companies have managed to pull through it all, and they're listed here.

Published 8/06/2014 by Victoria