Health freedom group wants to use government’s words on dietary supplements
The libertarian health freedom organization, the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) USA, is asking the FDA to approve 118 nutrient- and disease-related health claims drawn from the government’s own scientific publications.
According to ANH, these filings constitute the most significant regulatory applications filed in its 33-year history.
“For decades, this vital information has been withheld from the public, hidden behind FDA red tape, in violation of the FDA Modernization Act of 1997 and the will of Congress,” an ANH spokesperson said.
The petition making these demands comes to the FDA at a time when food and food safety policy seems almost in flux. Secretary of State Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s reforms and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda have everything on the table.
In 2022, Americans spent $35.6 billion annually on dietary supplements. Many public health experts consider spending too much on something that has little or no benefit to be wasteful.
Current dietary supplement policy falls under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). It defines supplements as foods and thus allows the sale and marketing of these products unless the FDA proves that any of them poses a substantial or unreasonable risk of harm, rather than requiring the manufacturer to prove the safety or effectiveness of the supplement. The FDA can only take action if producers make medical claims about their products or if consumers become seriously ill.
The ANH ad said: “Imagine picking up a bottle of vitamin D and finally being able to read: ‘Vitamin D may reduce the risk of respiratory infections.’ » Or choose foods rich in potassium and find: “Potassium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke.” »
The petition claims that the National Institutes for Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are making the suggested statements, supported by science — the government’s own scientists. “And yet the FDA has ignored the rule of law and blocked them for over 25 years,” the ANH spokesperson said. “All because the agency wants to protect its payers at big pharma and keep you from knowing that even the government is privy to the science about natural alternatives to drugs.”
According to the ANH, its petition could contribute to a transformation. The organization says it will be “an uphill battle against the FDA” to “bring truth and transparency back to public health.”
ANH (USA) was formerly known as the American Association for Health Freedom. It is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization located in Charlottesville, Virginia. ANH (USA) was founded in 1992 as the American Preventive Medical Association (APMA) and became a member of the international organization Alliance for Natural Health, headquartered in the United Kingdom, in 2009.
ANH (USA) is known for lobbying Congress, filing federal lawsuits, and commenting on executive branch rules, with a focus on dietary supplements, organic foods, consumer choice, and other health claims. He claims his policy choices, which impact food security, will reduce health care costs.
The libertarian cause of health freedom generally opposes the regulation of health practices.
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