Granted, others buy organic goods for the lack of pesticides and chemicals used in the growing process, and while that may sound great and healthy, people must realize that certain foods need to be treated before consumption due to naturally occurring health concerns.  The dangers of organic peanut butter are a great example of where consumer education is key. Malignant bacteria in peanuts can cause health problems.  Consumer education is important because relying on generalizations to classify food as healthy or not can backfire.

Companies also don’t make much money on their organic lines, often because of higher prices.  Conventionally processed foods that offer the same nutrient quality are more appealing to those on a budget, especially during economic hardships, such as the one the world is currently experiencing.

Organic foods often don’t contain some of the more processed derivatives that most conventional foods do, which make them a preferable option, such as being free of high fructose corn syrup and trans fat.  

It is important for consumers to understand what they buy, and in many cases the difference between organic and conventional is nothing more than price.

Take for example what the FDA revealed on Tuesday. According to CNN, the FDA has warned the public not to use products that claim to be steroids or contain “steroid-like substances.”

Another Shocker: Many brands and products are actually “unapproved and misbranded.”

As we learned recently with the Ziacam situation, the FDA doesn’t necessarily approve everything that’s available over the counter. This time, the threat is out to American Cellular Laboratories Inc. CNN reports that the FDA wrote a letter to this company to make it aware that the products it’s labeling as “dietary supplements” directly violate the actual meaning of “dietary supplements,” as provided by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

This act defines a dietary supplement as a product that contains one or more dietary ingredient like vitamins, minerals, herbs and amino acids. There are nine products that are affected.

Along with those nine products, the FDA wants to send a nice little reminder to everyone to be careful about what you believe.

This isn’t to say that the products that aren’t quite dietary supplements are completely unhealthy, but it’s always best to make sure that any product is FDA approved. Homeopathic remedies don’t have to be approved by the FDA, so it’s important to do your own research before deciding to take anything.

Final Shocker: You have the final say in the supplements that you take.

Our bodies require certain types of bacteria in order to function properly.  There are various colonies and subtypes of bacteria, like acidophilus, that line our intestinal tracks as well as all of our wetwork piping. This makes it important to distinguish between the good and the bad.  

Bad bacteria can cause infections and lead to sickness, but a lack of good bacteria can cause bodily dysfunction, which can also lead to the same.

Good bacteria are more commonly known as probiotic bacteria, and are found in all dairy products.  Several yogurt brands now feature higher levels of probiotics for digestive health.  What many don’t understand is a highly efficient and functional digestive system not only helps with keeping nutrient flow proper and food digestion optimal, but it can boost the immune system.  Proper replenishment of these bacterial colonies is essential following sickness, cleansing programs and anti-biotic treatments.

Children as young as 3 to 5 years of age also benefit from probiotic supplementation, according to a health report, leading to less chance of sickness.  The results are similar in children as many clinical studies have found in grown adults: proper nutrition from all macronutrients, vitamins, minerals and maintenance of the healthy bacterial flora that aid in our bodily function help reinforce our health.

The cost of treating obesity-related diseases and health problems has increased to staggering proportions, with some estimating it to have reached as high as $147 billion in 2008.  That’s an increase of $73 billion from 1998, showing not only that our country’s obese population has increased, but has done so rapidly, rising 37 percent from 1998 to 2006.  

Obese people on average spend 47 percent more on health related medical costs than those who fall under a normal weight classification.

The news underscores the problem the country has faced in recent years with its battle against obesity and associated health problems such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type-II diabetes, more commonly known as metabolic syndrome-X.  These are pretty common health problems that can lead to a variety of future health concerns like congestive heart failure and heart attacks.  Fortunately, all of those problems can be reduced or ‘cured’ by removing the key cause: obesity.

There are attempts from the government to aid in the fight against obesity by increasing taxes on certain items, like sugar-loaded drinks, and encouraging smaller portion sized meals.

Whether or not the effect will be as hoped, it seems a greater intervention to slow the obesity pandemic is required, because people are simply not able to save themselves from the attack of a cheeseburger.

The company, based in Canada, has been forced to recall 14 of its products. Yet nobody really knows what’s causing the problems. The main culprit is hydroxycitric acid, which is derived from a fruit. Hydroxycut’s other primary ingredients are Garcinia cambogia, Gymnema sylvestre, chromium polynicotinate, caffeine and green tea.

Some of the serious symptoms some people are experiencing include jaundice and liver failure. One person has already received a liver transplant, supposedly, due to these complications, and another is on the waiting list for one.

Because the FDA doesn’t heavily regulate dietary supplements and is unable to regulate anything until it’s marketed, sometimes these products and their associated issues go unnoticed. It’s probably a good idea to avoid Hydroxycut since the real cause of the problems is yet undetermined. (This is mostly because the ingredients have changed multiple times.)

According to CNN.com, a new “functional candy” product known as Fuwarinka scented gum contains aromatic compounds that cause skin to release such scents as “Fresh Citrus” and “Fruity Rose” for up to six hours after chewing. For those more masculine chewers, a “Rose Menthol” scent is also available.

So if you’re looking to freshen your breath or just flat out beat B.O. altogether, this new Japanese innovation in the fight for an overall better body smell might be what you’re looking for.

Weird, yes, but apparently it works.