more on the cherry farmers vs. FDA

[Celebration]

Pathetic.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2006/sb20060626_541703.htm

Hard to pick just four paragraphs from this--

Using data provided by their industry trade association to help position tart cherries as less of a pie filling and more of a health food, the farmers and distributors had posted on their Web sites studies and customer testimonials that the fruit in concentrated form helps counter gout, arthritis, and diabetes, and may help prevent cancer.

Now, bear in mind, a warning letter from the FDA isn't the same as a warning from a police officer that you were speeding and if you get caught again, you'll receive a citation. It's actually more akin to a scarlet letter. It shows up whenever someone does a Web search on your company.

..........snip

The agency's letter to King Orchards quoted several examples of statements from King Orchards' Web site that it said had the effect of placing tart cherries into the category of a drug. One example: "Perhaps George Washington wouldn't have chopped down his father's cherry tree if he knew what chemists now know. They have identified a group of naturally occurring chemicals abundant in cherries that could help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes."


CROSSING LINES. What made the FDA decide to go after the cherry farmers and distributors, when it seems that all kinds of food companies, large and small, promote the health benefits of their products? For example, Kellogg's claims that its HeartSmart cereal is "the best way to treat heart disease," and Welch's has an entire Web page linking to studies suggesting grape juice can inhibit breast cancer tumor formation, be an "anti-aging" food, and "may have a positive effect on blood pressure."

[hobbit709]

1. How much money

was donated to the GOP by King Orchards? Wanna bet?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. What we need in Amurka is an Alfalfa Czar.... since we already have

a Falafel Czar, then we could keep dangerous items such as cherries, blueberries, and grapes out of the hands of those who don't have a prescription for such medicines.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14972022&query_hl=18&itool=pubmed_docsum
OptiBerry significantly inhibited both H2O2- and TNF-alpha-induced VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) expression by human keratinocytes. VEGF is a key regulator of tumor angiogenesis. Matrigel assay using human microvascular endothelial cells showed that OptiBerry impaired angiogenesis. In an in vivo model of angiogenesis, OptiBerry significantly inhibited basal MCP-1 and inducible NF-kappaB transcriptions. Endothelioma cells pretreated with OptiBerry showed a diminished ability to form hemangioma and markedly decreased tumor growth by more than 50%. In essence, these studies highlight the novel anti-angiogenic, antioxidant, and anti-carcinogenic potential of a novel anthocyanin-rich berry extract formula, OptiBerry.