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Introduction
This
article originally appeared in the Spring 2002
issue of Wise
Traditions in Food, Farming
and the Healing Arts,
a publication of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Much
of what we believe is shaped by what we see, read,
and hear. The media's message about supplements-those
substances regularly ingested as pills, powders,
and liquids by over one-half of all Americans
in their quest to feel better and live longer-is
decidedly mixed. We often read or hear stories
about the benefits of taking supplements of vitamin
E, St.
John's Wort or Coenzyme
Q10. Often these stories refer to published
scientific studies demonstrating usefulness. A
week later, we read or hear a report about the
dangers of the same substance, with warnings by
a designated expert to stay away from it.
This
is not an article about the media or politics,
but a few words about what's behind the news and
what the media calls "science" are in
order. Actually, one word is in order. The word
is MONEY. Money vastly influences what is reported
and the slant placed on that reporting. So where's
the money? Most of the ads on the nightly news
now are drug company ads. And newspapers and magazines
today are full of drug company ads. This means
we should expect enormous bias against anything
that would take away from pharmaceutical profits.
Do you want to trust Rather, Brokaw, and Jennings
—or your own judgement?
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