Sounds like an epitaph or the ending to a murder mystery doesn’t it?

But no, it’s what my husband said to me after finding out that a supplement he ordered for me had something in it called progoitrin that is really bad for your thyroid. The scary part is it wasn’t listed on the bottle. ‘How is that possible?’ you might be wondering. If you come up with a good answer please fill me in.

I used to think that the regulatory agencies that we have in place to protect people from dangerous or toxic ingredients were reliable and all knowing. I’d also like to think this instance is just a singular or random failing, but in my own experience, that is not the case. A lot of people read labels to insure the food they are eating doesn’t contain potentially harmful dyes, preservatives or sweeteners, but it seems that even those of us who are trying can’t stay ahead.

I got a call about a week or so ago from one of our daughters saying that a particular tea she had bought for its wholesome sounding components also contained probiotics that were genetically modified. Horrified she called the company to find out how long these unwanted guests might remain in her gut, how they interacted with the natural flora and fauna already present, and what the long-term effects might be. She was met with a corporate shrug – and then promptly added to their spam e-mail list. How have we come to this?

For myself it is just a reminder that as Pierce Pettis sings, “We are all in this together – we are all in this alone.” But I do not intend as in the song “Just Like Jim Brown” to,  “Let her go.” We live in a world full of information and misinformation, unknowns and things that appear to be paradoxical. I can’t read what isn’t there. But I can continue to ask for more transparency and I can vote with my pocketbook. No one else is going to care for my health or the health of those that I love more than I do, so it is up to me to buy as carefully I can, and to continue to support products and companies that really do have my health as the first ingredient on the inside and outside of their package. Because I never want to have say to anyone “I’m sorry I poisoned you.”

Here’s Pierce Pettis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3htroE50PQ