If It Ain't FDA, It Ain't Nothing

I know the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has its flaws. How could it not? It consists of human beings. On top of that, it's a government institution. So the FDA has two strikes against it before it ever steps up to the plate. But it has its purpose and place in the world.

In my world, one of the FDA's most important roles is approval or disapproval of medications and the like. Which brings us to the point. If someone is trying to sell you a product--be it a new-and-improved prescription medication, an herb from ancient China that has healed the world since being discovered, or a vitamin C/vitamin D hybrid--and it's not approved by the FDA, stay away.

Without FDA approval, there is no guarantee that what is on the label is what you're going to get. There is no guarantee that the energy-boosting pill you're taking is going to give you energy and not diarrhea. And don't think that every dangerous item that gets sniffed out gets taken out of the market place. Far from it. Just look at those little boxes of cigarettes behind the counter.