Newsletter #23: News and Commentary
- Admin
- Aug 5
- 2 min read
June 2025
Medical News and Commentary
FDA Approved versus FDA Cleared. What does that mean?
I often see ads for medical treatments, such as laser therapy for back pain in the news. These ads often state that their lasers are “FDA Cleared”. But what does that really mean?
There is a significant difference between FDA Cleared and FDA Approved. FDA APPROVED means that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially reviewed and authorized a product (typically a drug, biologic, or high-risk medical device) for marketing in the United States because it has been proven to be safe and effective for its intended use, based on rigorous scientific evidence. FDA CLEARED simply means that there was a previous device that was thought to be safe and that the current device is very similar to that one. Clearance does not mean the device has been proven through clinical trials to be safe and effective — only that it's similar to something already approved and in use. Simply being “FDA APPROVED”, does not mean that a device actually works to treat the conditions advertised. Buyer beware.
Want to slow down aging? Take your fish oil.
An international team of scientists — including researchers from Harvard University and the University of Zurich — studied 777 older adults in Switzerland. They wanted to see if supplements and exercise could help slow aging. The study found that older people who took one gram of omega-3s every day were biologically younger and healthier than those who didn’t. Over three years, they showed three to four months less aging. The benefits were even stronger for those who also took vitamin D and exercised at home at least three times a week for 30 minutes.
Recommended product: Metagenics EPA DHA 1000
Like Girl Scout Cookies? You Might Not Like This.
A recent investigation found that all tested samples of Girl Scout Cookies contained toxic metals and glyphosate, a chemical used in weed killers. Some levels were higher than what the EPA considers safe in drinking water.
Researchers, led by Dr. Stephanie Seneff from MIT, tested 25 cookie samples from three different states. Every cookie tested contained at least four out of five harmful metals: aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Peanut Butter Patties® were the most contaminated. They had mercury levels as low as 0.07 parts per billion (ppb) and lead levels as high as 42.5 ppb. They also had the most aluminum, with 27.5 parts per million (ppm), or 27,500 ppb. It's unclear where the aluminum came from, but peanuts (especially non-organic ones) are often sprayed with strong chemicals.
Out of the 25 cookie samples tested, 22 (88%) had all five toxic metals. Thin Mints had the most glyphosate, while Peanut Butter Patties had the highest levels of toxic metals overall. Seventy-six percent of the cookies had cadmium levels above what’s safe in water, and 96% contained lead. Experts say there is no safe level of lead. Both cadmium and lead are linked to cancer and brain problems.
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