"Herbal" Eczema Creams Contain Illegal Undeclared Steroids

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 02:27:46 GMT, Mark Thorson <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

20 of 24 "herbal" creams tested actually had illegal undeclared steroid drugs. Parents bought these
products believing they were "all natural". Regulatory loopholes for herbal products are to blame
for lax enforcement. If these products were treated like over-the-counter drugs, they would never
have gotten away with this sort of deception.

Read about it here: tennesseehealth.comarticle.aspOpen ↗

Chinese 'herbal' meds are frequently like that. I was using a brand of red yeast rice until I found
out it was not a yeast with natural statins, as claimed, but purified allopathic statins. So I
started looking up more stuff. Seems it's often cheaper to use the allopathic drugs than go for the
natural. I stopped using that brand and now the yeast is being done in the US, so I'm back to using
some, but of a US brand.

Once in a while the 'ancient wisdom of the East' works out as 'we can get quicker results and do it
cheaper if we use something else. All our customers care about is results' Even Japan is a bit
suspect to me and they're the Eastern nation whose stuff I come nearest to trusting. Starting with
old memories of an allopathic prescription that gave me hallucinations (nasty ones, not fun ones)
where the US version just did what it was supposed to and going through the whole phase of learning
about what most stuff sold as Wasabi really is.

One of the things people really into herbals recommend is growing, finding, or buying the plants or
plant parts and then making up the tinctures or whatever yourself. Being able to identify the raw
ingredient doesn't guarantee that it's not had pesticides or other problematic stuff in its growing
area, but does guarantee that you've got the right stuff from the beginning. I know my Linden
tincture is Linden, because I got the dried flowers and leaves and did it myself. I'm pretty sure
that the herb shops I bought them at use real herbs in the things I can't identify easily because
I've found that some of their dried ingredients match all descriptions of what the herbs should be
as to form and scent and such clues. I'll trust those two herbs shops on the rest. Otherwise I go by
some recommendations I've read here as to brand names.
--
rbc: vixen Fairly harmless

Hit reply to email. Though I'm very slow to respond. visi.com~cyliOpen ↗

"Mark Thorson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

20 of 24 "herbal" creams tested actually had illegal undeclared steroid drugs. Parents bought
these products believing they were "all natural". Regulatory loopholes for herbal products are to
blame for lax enforcement.

We have enough laws, it is just lax enforcement. Mark hasn't met a law or regulation he didn't like;-
) Testing of all products to see if they contain what say they do and testing for the unwanted all
could be done now, if they had the money.

Lets us Mark's retirement funds to pay for it.
.......................................William A. Noyes

Quoted message said:

If these products were treated like over-the-counter drugs, they would never have gotten away
with this sort of deception.

Read about it here: tennesseehealth.comarticle.aspOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 02:27:46 GMT, Mark Thorson <[email hidden]> wrote:

<snip>

phase of learning about what most stuff sold as Wasabi really is.

Say what is Wasabi? I'm not much into spicey foodstuff but some of friends and family are, so
now I'm curious...

Quoted message said:

One of the things people really into herbals recommend is growing, finding, or buying the plants or
plant parts and then making up the tinctures or whatever yourself. Being able to identify the raw
ingredient doesn't guarantee that it's not had pesticides or other problematic stuff in its growing
area, but does guarantee that you've got the right stuff from the beginning. I know my Linden
tincture is Linden, because I got the dried flowers and leaves and did it myself.

When I own or rent a property where I have enough room for a garden I will be growing my own
herbs (but that won't be for a few years so at least I have time to learn all about it
first). Ken

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 13:59:11 GMT, Ken Vale <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Say what is Wasabi? I'm not much into spicey foodstuff but some of friends and family are, so
now I'm curious...

It's a green plant that requires lots and lots of fresh flowing water. The land proper for it is
rare in Japan and I gather the cultivation requirements are heavy. It's similar enough to
horseradish, which can be grown easily in a regular field, that horseradish is used extensively
instead. You can buy small jars of the powder and mix your own fresh or buy jars of it ready made,
though they're harder to find. I, personally, like only small amounts, but I've liked all but one
taste I've had (wasabi peas I picked up somewhere. Not good peas and the wasabi didn't have enough
bite.) And I can't tell the difference between what I've had that was claimed to be wasabi and
horseradish. Like horseradish, it can be mixed with things to take the bite down to more gentle. Buy
some horseradish in vinegar at the grocery and mix it with a suitable amount of mayo or use it
plain. Put a couple of drops of green food dye in it and I'd bet your relatives would go for it.
There are also some horseradish sauces already mixed to mild them a bit that should be near it on
the shelves should you wish to try it without tears.

There's a place in Washington state that grows and sells real wasabi. Quite expensive compared to
what I can pick up in the grocery store and figure is doctored up horseradish.

Hah! I just Googled up google.comgoogle.comOpen ↗ and put in wasabi + horseradish. There are now products
named (possibly because of regulations) Wasabi Horseradish. A good page that came up was:
japanesefood.about.comaa071900a.htmOpen ↗

The second clickable on that page
japanesefood.about.comoffsite.htmOpen ↗
Leads to the US one that claims to have real wasabi. If you're willing to go some expense, that's
the one I'd recommend to try.
--
rbc: vixen Fairly harmless

Hit reply to email. Though I'm very slow to respond. visi.com~cyliOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

... going through the whole phase of learning about what most stuff sold as Wasabi really is...

Details? It had never occurred to me to suspect that one.

========> Email to "j-c" at this site; email to "bogus" will bounce <========
Jack Campin: 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU; 0131 6604760
<http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/purrhome.html> food intolerance data & recipes, Mac logic fonts, Scots
traditional music files and CD-ROMs of Scottish music.

[email hidden] a écrit dans le message <[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ken Vale said:

Say what is Wasabi? I'm not much into spicey foodstuff but some of friends and family are, so
now I'm curious...

It's a green plant that requires lots and lots of fresh flowing water. The land proper for it is
rare in Japan and I gather the cultivation requirements are heavy. It's similar enough to
horseradish, which can be grown easily in a regular field, that horseradish is used extensively
instead. You can buy small jars of the powder and mix your own fresh or buy jars of it ready made,
though they're harder to find. I, personally, like only small amounts, but I've liked all but one
taste I've had (wasabi peas I picked up somewhere. Not good peas and the wasabi didn't have enough
bite.) And I can't tell the difference between what I've had that was claimed to be wasabi and
horseradish. Like horseradish, it can be mixed with things to take the bite down to more gentle.
Buy some horseradish in vinegar at the grocery and mix it with a suitable amount of mayo or use it
plain. Put a couple of drops of green food dye in it and I'd bet your relatives would go for it.
There are also some horseradish sauces already mixed to mild them a bit that should be near it on
the shelves should you wish to try it without tears.

There's a place in Washington state that grows and sells real wasabi. Quite expensive compared to
what I can pick up in the grocery store and figure is doctored up horseradish.

Hah! I just Googled up google.comgoogle.comOpen ↗ and put in wasabi + horseradish. There are now products
named (possibly because of regulations) Wasabi Horseradish. A good page that came up was:
japanesefood.about.comaa071900a.htmOpen ↗

The second clickable on that page
japanesefood.about.comoffsite.htmOpen ↗

asabi.com/order.html

Quoted message said:

Leads to the US one that claims to have real wasabi. If you're willing to go some expense, that's
the one I'd recommend to try.
--
rbc: vixen Fairly harmless

Wasabia japonica (Miq.) Matsumura The root is used in making the product.

PCSPES springs to mind.. Anth

<[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Chinese 'herbal' meds are frequently like that. I was using a brand of red yeast rice until I
found out it was not a yeast with natural statins, as claimed, but purified allopathic statins. So
I started looking up more stuff. Seems it's often cheaper to use the allopathic drugs than go for
the natural. I stopped using that brand and now the yeast is being done in the US, so I'm back to
using some, but of a US brand.