A US District Court judge (Federal) has again ruled the FDA violated the 1st Amendment to the US constitution when it tried to censor a health claim about the anti-cancer effects of a dietary supplement. This time regarding green tea labeling.
The tea company wanted the label to say that "green tea may prevent prostate and breast cancer".
The FDA wanted the label to also read, "The FDA does not agree that green tea may reduce the risk because there is very little scientific evidence for the claim"
The judge ruled that by forcing the company to put this negative statement on their label, the information to be communicated was effectively negated.
In 2011 the National Cancer Institute published a meticulous review of 13 studies that showed a trend of prostate cancer reduction in Asian Green tea drinkers of 38%. They summarized their findings by stating:
In conclusion, this meta-analysis supported that green tea but not black tea may have a protective effect on prostate cancer, especially in Asian populations. This is only one of over 600 studies conducted relating to green tea and cancer - all of which are stored at the National Library of Medicine's database - which, by the way - is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the same parent agency as the FDA!
The FDA is empowered to regulate almost every aspect of our health care, yet this federal agency continues to behave in a manner that promotes illness.
If the data about green tea and prostate cancer risk turn out to be only partially accurate, the lives of millions of men could be saved and billions of dollars shaved off future health care expenditures. Yet the law still allows the FDA to censor truthful information about foods and dietary supplements.
