Thursday, December 8, 2011

Dont Make Vitamins Illegal! Add to the already 37,000 signatures submitted -

Your Downloadable Petitions and Pre-Made Letters to Lawmakers are below~

Our two week campaign, ending after Thanksgiving 2011, generated over 37,000 petition signatures and thousands of signed letters opposing the New Dietary Ingredient Notification (NDIN) guidelines issued by the FDA. The letters and petitions have been submitted as official public comments to the electronic docket at the FDA.  Paper copies of the petitions and letters are now being delivered to each office holder throughout our 50 store areas in 8 states.

FDA intends to remove safe vitamins and supplements from shelves due to changes in production methods.
While not binding on the agency or officeholders, the petitions and letters serve as a notice that constituents feel strongly about the issue and expect fair treatment from Washington bureaucrats.  Our position held that the vast expense of implementing NDIN was not warranted given the lack of any significant reported problems with safe supplements now on the market and protected by DSHEA.  Furthermore, the expense to industry (and ultimately to consumers) to comply with the regulatory micro-management by the FDA makes no sense -- NDIN is an expensive solution in search of a problem.  FDA approved drugs cause about 600 times more reported problems than dietary supplements.  Furthermore, annual deaths from over-the-counter and prescription drugs top tens of thousands each year, while supplements have arguably not killed anyone.

Critics of the dietary supplement industry point to "unregulated pills and potions" that need improved oversight and pre-market testing to keep consumers safe.  However, the type of products they are referring to are not protected under current law, and the FDA has a well funded global surveillance system to identify and stop these products from being sold, or from being sold with health claims that are misleading or unproven.  At any time the FDA identifies a problem with adulteration, health claims, unsafe ingredients, etc., it current has the authority to issue warning letters, conduct no-knock raids, confiscate product, and force mandatory recalls.

In reality, the dietary supplement industry agrees whole heartedly with the FDA aggressive enforcement against these types of products.  Trade associations and makers work closely with the FTC and FDA to identify and correct problems.   However, bad actors and products sold on the margin of the industry should not impugn the integrity of the whole. Every industry and product sector has similar issues; it seems only dietary supplements elicits so much enthusiastic animosity from people outside of it.  It is curious why these same critics do not call for the dismantling of the Big Pharma drug system which damages and kills thousands of patients every year.  That is a curious double standard, to be sure.

A delegation from Natural Grocers is headed to Washington DC the week on December 12th to discuss in person the FDA New Dietary Ingredient Notification guidelines with officeholders, policy staff, and the FDA.  Rep. Henry Waxman's office has agreed to meet as well.  Waxman is one of the most significant opponents of access to dietary supplements, so we hope to better understand his concerns (and offer him some Rescue Remedy).

Your Downloadable Petitions and Pre-Made Letters to Lawmakers are below~


In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) to force the FDA to acknowledge that vitamins and other dietary supplements are known to be safe,  and so to leave them alone.  Yet, the FDA now wants virtually every dietary supplement to be submitted for approval in spite of the law.  The FDA's recently-issued New Dietary Ingredient guidelines (NDI) will remove thousands of safe products from the market for no good reason. 
 
Please speak out and let Congress, the FDA, and the White House know that your trusted natural remedies are not subject to bureaucratic meddling.  These products have an impeccable safety record, and America has far more pressing issues than outlawing Vitamin C. 

  • Click on the link to view and print.  
  • Gather signatures in your community.
  • Return completed petitions to any Natural Grocers location.

You may turn in petitions to any Natural Grocers location and we will deliver them to office holders for you at our expense.  Please also contact your U.S. Representatives and Senators.  You may also call the store manager to volunteer to gather signatures for this cause at one of our stores.

Read more about proposed FDA controls over new dietary ingredients.  Read all articles on NDI issues.

COLORADO                                                                                              
Arapahoe  9670 E. Arapahoe Road, Englewood CO 80112    Ph: 303.790.048

Boulder  2355 30th Street, Boulder CO 80301    Ph: 303.402.1400

CastleRock  4510 Trail Boss Drive, Castle Rock CO 80104    Ph: 303.660.2600

Cherry Knolls  6774 S. UniversityBlvd., Centennial CO 80122    Ph: 303.694.3000

Colorado & Evans  2033 S. Colo Blvd., Denver CO 80222-7904    Ph: 303.756.8400

Colorado Springs  7690 N. Academy, Colo Springs CO 80920   Ph: 719.577.2500

Dillon  761 Anemone Trail, Dillon CO 80435    Ph: 970.262.1100

Downtown Denver  2375 15th St., Denver CO 80202    Ph: 303.458.5300
Durango  1123 Camino Del Rio, Durango CO 81301    Ph: 970.247.4100
East Denver  5231 Leetsdale Dr., Denver CO 80246    Ph: 303.399.0164
Evergreen  1291BergenPkwy., Evergreen CO 80439    Ph: 303.679.9800
Fort Collins  4318 S. CollegeAve., Fort Collins CO 80525    Ph: 970.266.9919
Glenwood Springs  100 W. Meadows, Glenwood Springs CO 81601 Ph: 970.945.7000
Grand Junction  2464 US Hwy 6&50, Grand Junction CO 81505  Ph: 970.263.7750
Greeley  2819 35th Ave, Greeley CO 80634    Ph: 970.330.8600
Green Mountain  12612 W. Alameda Pkwy, Lakewood CO 80228    Ph: 303.986.5700
Highlands Ranch  1265 Sgt. Stiles Drive, Highlands Ranch CO 80129  Ph: 303.471.9400
Ken Caryl  11550 W. Meadows Dr, Littleton CO 80127    Ph: 303.948.9944
Lafayette  100 W South Boulder Road, Lafayette CO 80026-8835    Ph: 303.926.1600
Longmont  1745 N. Main St, Longmont CO 80501    Ph: 303.684.8200
Mission Trace  3333 S Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood CO 80227    Ph: 303.989.4866
Montrose  3451 S. Rio Grande Ave., Montrose CO 81401    Ph: 970.249.2724
Monument  655 W Highway 105, Monument CO 80132    Ph: 719.487.0448
Northglenn  11465 Washington St., Northglenn CO 80233    Ph: 303.280.1900
Northwest  7745 N. Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada CO 80003    Ph: 303.423.0990
Parker  11402 S. Parker Rd., Parker CO 80134    Ph: 303.805.1285
Pueblo  101 W. 29th Street, Pueblo CO 81008    Ph: 719.542.2411
South Aurora 15192 E. Hampden Avenue, Aurora CO 80014    Ph: 303.680.2344
South Colorado Springs 1825 S. Nevada, Colo Springs CO 80906  Ph: 719.634.9200
West Colfax 9030 W. Colfax Ave, Lakewood CO 80215    Ph: 303.232.6266
KANSAS                                                                                                   
Lawrence  1301 W 23rd St, Lawrence KS 66046-2737    Ph: 785.830.8500
Wichita  1715 N. Rock Rd., Wichita KS 67206    Ph: 316.636.4242

MISSOURI                                                                                                
Columbia  400 N Stadium Blvd, Columbia MO 65203    Ph: 573.445.6353
NEW MEXICO                                                                                       

Albuquerque  4420 Wyoming NE, Albuquerque NM 87111    Ph: 505.292.7300

Albuquerque West  9261 Coors Blvd NW, Albuquerque NM 87114 Ph: 505.897.0400

Farmington  700 E. 20th St., Farmington NM 87401    Ph: 505.324.6400

Santa Fe  3328 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe NM 87507    Ph: 505.474.0111
OKLAHOMA                                                                                          
Norman  1918 W Main St, Norman OK 73069    Ph: 405.321.3375
TEXAS                                                                                                   
Abilene 3350 S. Clack St., Abiline TX 79606    Ph: 325.690.6699

Amarillo  7400 SW 34th Ave., Amarillo TX 79121    Ph: 806.463.5500

Austin  3901 Guadalupe St., Austin TX 78751-4522    Ph: 512.323.5100

Austin Arbor Walk  10515 N. Mopac Expressway, Austin TX 78759  Ph: 512.231.9200

Casa Linda  9440 Garland Rd, Suite 150, Dallas TX 75218    Ph: 214.321.4777

Cedar Park  1335 E Whitestone Blvd Bldg G-17, CedarPark TX 78613  Ph: 512.259.3322

Dallas - Preston & Forrest  11661 Preston Rd, Dallas TX 75230    Ph: 214-987-0000

Midland  3116 N.Loop 250 W. Suite 500, Midland TX 79707    Ph: 432.694.7400

Richardson  7517 Campbell Road, Dallas TX 75248    Ph: 972.735.9200

Temple  3621 S General Bruce Drive, Temple TX 76504    Ph: 254.774.7560
UTAH                                                                                                        
Saint George 624 W. Telegraph St., Washington UT 84780-1538    Ph: 435.986.1100

WYOMING                                                                                               
Casper   3650 E 2nd St, Casper WY 82609    Ph: 307.265.0909

Cheyenne   5116 Frontier Mall Drive, Cheyenne WY 82009    Ph: 307.635.3800
Read more about proposed FDA controls over new dietary ingredients.  Read all articles on NDI issues.


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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Breakfast or Dessert? How Much Sugar Is In Your Kid’s Cereal?


When I was a youngster (oldster-speak for “young person”), trips through the cereal aisle at the supermarket led me to lament my tragic fate as an innocent victim of tremendous injustice perpetrated by tyrannical parents whose sole objective was to impose unfairness and stifle happiness.  You see, my mother, brazenly defying the Saturday morning cartoon marketing machine, maintained a draconian breakfast cereal procurement policy: No buying kids’ cereals. EVER!


So while all the cool kids enjoyed the super-awesome-funtime breakfasts aggressively promoted by Captain Crunch, Toucan Sam, Lucky the Leprechaun, Ice Cream Jones (mascot of Ice Cream Cones cereal {yeah; it really existed}) and the Gotta-Have-My-Pops brats, my sisters and I were stuck eating boring healthful cereals with intentionally unhip packaging and a conspicuous lack of super-awesomeness.  Sometimes, my mother would unapologetically up the uncool factor by adding slices of fresh fruit.  Insufferable!


In retrospect, of course, this was among the many situations in which my mother knew better than I.  This was because mom recognized – even during the dark days of information obfuscation that existed before the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act mandated meaningful labeling in the 90s – that the cereals being marketed to kids were mostly crap.

According to a report released today by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), not much has changed.  After assessing 84 popular children’s breakfast cereals, EWG determined that only one in four meets the voluntary dietary guidelines proposed by the Federal Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children (more about these guidelines later).  The biggest problem: too much sugar.  Or, more accurately, WAY too much sugar; 56 of the assessed cereals contained more than 24 percent sugar by volume, and 44 contain more sugar per cup than three Chips Ahoy! cookies (11 grams).  The worst offender was Kellogg’s Honey Smacks – at almost 56 percent sugar by weight, this popular breakfast cereal contains more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie!


“Now hold on a moment,” you might protest, “what’s wrong with feeding kids a handful or five of sugar for breakfast?”  Well, Tony the Tiger, widespread consumption of an overwhelming excess of empty calories is currently contributing to the alarming epidemic of childhood obesity (which has equally alarming implications for future rates of adult overweight and obesity).  Furthermore, as described within the report:

Studies suggest that children who eat high-sugar breakfasts have more problems at school. They become more frustrated and have a harder time working independently than kids who eat lower-sugar breakfasts. By lunchtime they have less energy, are hungrier, show attention deficits and make more mistakes on their work. (Warren 2003, Ingwersen 2007, Benton 2007).

Laboratory studies suggest that sugar is habit-forming, stimulating the same brain responses as opiates (Avena 2008). A case can be made that sugar acts as a drug, enticing kids to eat more and more.

Certainly not a desirable outcome.  “Well, hey, shouldn’t someone be doing something about this?!”  Of course.  And in fact, Congress finally stepped up and created the Federal Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children, a team of nutrition scientists and marketing experts tasked with developing nutritional guidelines for cereals and other foods marketed to kids.  Earlier this year, the group issued proposed guidelines, which, while not exactly as ambitious as most advocates would hope (e.g., they allow kids’ cereal to contain as much as 26 percent sugar by weight), would certainly improve the status quo.


Needless to say, cereal manufacturers and other players in the kids’ food industry weren’t wild about the prospect of adhering to even these modest guidelines.  So they employed the classic, pull-together-some-junk-science-and-set-your-own-standards technique!  In this case, industry launched the Better Business Bureau’s Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, which developed voluntary nutritional guidelines for foods marketed to kids.  It should come as no surprise that these guidelines were much less stringent than those proposed by the Interagency Working Group (for instance, the industry supported standards allow almost 50 percent more sugar than IWG’s proposed standards).

Infuriating.  As were some of the other findings presented in EWG’s report; for instance, it turns out that high sugar content isn’t the only way that kids’ cereals are out of step with the proposed federal nutritional guidelines; 71 cereals contained more than 140 mg of sodium, 26 cereals were not predominantly whole grain and seven cereals had more than one gram of saturated fat.


You can find a complete analysis of all 84 children’s cereals in the report (see below for a list of the best and worst cereals).  EWG also includes tips for picking more nutritious cereals, along with healthful non-cereal breakfast alternatives. Good info for smart parents who hope to emulate my mom’s forward-thinking approach to the most important meal of the day.  And don’t worry – your kids will thank you later.


10 Worst Children’s Cereals
Based on percent sugar by weight.

  1. Kellogg’s Honey Smacks 55.6%
  2. Post Golden Crisp 51.9%
  3. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow 48.3%
  4. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s OOPS! All Berries 46.9%
  5. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch Original 44.4%
  6. Quaker Oats Oh!s 44.4%
  7. Kellogg’s Smorz 43.3%
  8. Kellogg’s Apple Jacks 42.9%
  9. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries   42.3%
  10. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Original 41.4%


Best and Good Cereals
These cereals pass the proposed federal guidelines on sugar, sodium, fat and whole-grain content. They are free of artificial flavors, colors and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose.


20 Best Cereals
These cereals are also free of pesticides and genetically modified ingredients.
Ambrosia Granola: Athenian Harvest Muesli
Go Raw: Live Granola, Live Chocolate Granola and Simple Granola
Grandy Oats: Mainely Maple Granola, Cashew Raisin Granola and Swiss Style Muesli
Kaia Foods: Buckwheat Granola Dates & Spices and Buckwheat Granola Raisin Cinnamon
Laughing Giraffe: Cranberry Orange Granola
Lydia’s Organics: Apricot Sun, Berry Good, Grainless Apple, Sprouted Cinnamon and Vanilla Crunch
Nature’s Path Organic: Optimum Banana Almond, Optimum Cranberry Ginger, Corn Puffs, Millet Puffs and Rice Puffs

6 Good Big-Brand Children’s Cereals
Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats
–Unfrosted Bite-Size
–Frosted Big Bite
–Frosted Bite-Size
–Frosted Little Bite
General Mills Cheerios Original
General Mills Kix Original
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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Vitamin K linked to Anti-Aging and Preventing Cancer



The Benefits of Vitamin K

Top vitamin K researcher Dr. Cees Vermeer warns that almost everyone is deficient in vitamin K. An average person gets just enough vitamin K from his diet to ensure proper blood clotting. However, this amount of vitamin K does not provide protection against other health problems.








If you get the optimal amount of vitamin K, you can avoid potential health problems like:
  • Osteoporosis

    •
  • Different types of cancer (leukemia, prostate, lung, and liver cancer)

    •
  • Arterial calcification, cardiovascular disease, and varicose veins

    •
  • Tooth decay

    •
  • Pneumonia and other infectious diseases

    •
  • Brain health problems, including dementia

Vitamin K Improves Your Insulin Sensitivity

One of the best benefits of vitamin K is its ability to enhance your insulin sensitivity. According to recent research, young men who supplemented with vitamin K2 had increased insulin sensitivity, due to increased carboxylatedosteocalcin levels

Previous studies have also revealed that vitamin K slowed down the development of insulin resistance among elderly men, supporting claims that vitamin K potentially benefits insulin metabolism

If you can control your insulin levels, you can reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Dr. Mercola explains that having enhanced insulin sensitivity allows your body to absorb sugar from your bloodstream. On the other hand, impaired insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance occurs when you cannot properly use insulin, causing your blood sugar levels to become too high. Insulin resistance is a precursor to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer.

Vitamin K Improves Your Calcium Absorption

Dr. Mercola says that another amazing benefit of vitamin K (vitamin K2, to be specific) is directing calcium to your bones while preventing it from being deposited in unwanted areas, like your arteries, joint spaces, and organs. Osteocalcin, a protein hormone created by osteoblasts, is activated by vitamin K2.

Osteocalcin is needed to bind calcium into your bone’s matrix while preventing it from being deposited into your arteries. This is important once you realize that arterial plaque is usually made up of calcium deposits.

The Link Between Vitamin K and Vitamin D

Vitamin K2 is also beneficial if you take an oral vitamin D3 supplement. Dr. Mercola says vitamin K2 and vitamin D3 synergistically work together to help improve your bone health. Combining these two nutrients can help:


  • Increase your bone formation

  • Enhance osteocalcin accumulation in your cells

  • Amplify bone mineral density

How Can You Get Enough Vitamin K?

You must remember that you must get the right form of vitamin K so that you will obtain all of its benefits. Vitamin K comes in two basic forms:


  • Vitamin K1 is found in green vegetables. It goes straight to your liver to help you maintain a healthy blood clotting system. Dr. Mercola says infants need this to help prevent a serious bleeding disorder.

  • Vitamin K2 is made from bacteria and is present in high quantities in your gut. Unfortunately, it is not absorbed from there and just goes out in your stool. Vitamin K2 goes directly to your bones, vessel walls, and tissues. MK4, MK7, MK8, and MK9 are different forms of vitamin K2. MK7 is the most beneficial form and offers numerous health advantages. It is extracted from natto, a Japanese fermented soy product. Some vitamin K2 supplements also come in MK7 form.

Dr. Vermeer and his team have developed and patented a laboratory test to assess vitamin K levels indirectly through Matrix GLA Protein (MGP) measurement. Hopefully, this test will be available to the public in the coming years. For now, the best way to ensure that you are getting enough vitamin K is to optimize your diet and take a K2 supplement, says Dr. Mercola.

Ideal dietary sources of vitamin K include leafy green vegetables, raw milk cheeses, and fermented foods. As for supplementation, Dr. Vermeer recommends up to 185 micrograms daily for adults. People who take anticoagulants are not advised to take high amounts of vitamin K and must consult their doctor before supplementation.
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