Sunday, March 14, 2010

Major Drug Stores and Fish Oil Manufactures sued over PCB’s. It begs Another Question, What is in your Prescription?


A lawsuit was filed in San Francisco earlier this month against several Omega-3 Fish oil manufacturers, drugstores and vitamin producers. Reuters news reported that two plaintiffs and Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation are suing several fish oil manufacturers and pharmacies that sell the supplements over their purported PCB toxicity. They claim that their tests found high levels of PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls which are synthetic (human-made) chemicals produced initially over 90 years ago). They have been banned since 1979. PCBs were used so much that they are found unnaturally in the environment. All fish either in oceans, rivers or fish oil supplements contain at least trace amounts of PCBs. The EPA lists PCBs as a probable human carcinogen. PCBs have a similar chemical structure to PBDE’s, which are currently used as flame retardants in electronics, furniture, and other consumer goods, and PCBs have been found to cause tumors in laboratory animals. The chemical was designed to last a long time without breaking down, which it has accomplished. Essentially mankind has contaminated its own food supply.

According to news reports the lawsuit is based on California’s Prop. 65 which requires manufactures to inform consumers of their right to know the contents and ingredients of the products they consume. The main reason we site this news is that Omega-3 fish oil has been a natural antidepressant, and should remain to be so as with adding fresh fish to ones diet. It also is also an eye opener for consumers to know the ingredients in over the counter and especially prescription medications. Consumers need to be fully aware of the products that they buy and the side effects that they cause. More will be known as this lawsuit progresses.

As far as, prescription antidepressants more has been found out about the long-term side effects of the most common SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) antidepressants. The long-term effects include sexual dysfunction, weight gain 18-50% of the time, sleep disturbance, vivid dreams and nightmares, insomnia 18-20% of the time, lethargy and fatigue, decreased libido, tardive dyskinesia dystonia (severe body movement disorder, which is mostly permanent according to a report from Antidepressant facts. They also report possible neurological driven severe mania agitation which can lead to suicide attempts, self-harm and suicide.

Reading and learning about what’s in your pill will provide a better life. Unfortunately, the long term side effects of SSRI’s bring more pharmaceutical drug solutions to alleviate those effects, and connecting the consumer from cradle to grave to pharmaceuticals and an unhappy life. There are many alternatives to pharma drugs we urge you to take a look at those alternatives.

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