When Will the FDA Do What Is in People's Best Interests?

The national effort to reduce the incidence and severity of cancer and other chronic diseases in the United States has suffered from political influences that undermine the interests of the public. As one example, the medical profession has not made adequate use of nutritional information to improve the health of the population. Daily values for vitamins were established in the United States during World War II, when the goal was to avoid short-term deficiencies so soldiers could continue to fight. But there is more to health than short-term survival. Linus Pauling advocated megadoses of vitamin C to reduce the risk of cancer and to improve long-term health. Despite numerous studies demonstrating that better nutrition and exercise are vital to a longer span of good health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not permit claims to be made about the health benefits of specific nutritional supplements. The FDA is responsive to political pressures, including pressures to reduce public knowledge of supplements and their benefits. Pharmaceutical companies contribute to members of Congress to influence health policy. Those companies promote legislation and regulations that favor the use of expensive medical treatments and that limit the provision of cost-effective public health measures. This article reviews many examples of failures of our current medical system, and methods that could prevent the current expense and suffering in this nation.