When do foods become drugs?

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Only a tiny fraction of the population of the United Kingdom work in the field of pharmaceuticals. It's fine for industries to have their own jargon and usage...indeed most industries do...but the general population have to work with dictionary definitions...such as the Oxford English Dictionary. How else can anyone find out what a word means?

So what? it is far from "jargon" - all working definitions pass from the trade to the general never the other way around. Would you want a medical definition of "diabetes mellitus" or a lay one? An artist's definition of water colour or mine?

There are established channels for inputting usage to the OED and quite often you'll find specialist usages given as alternative meanings. The full link to the OED on 'drug' can be found here:- http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/drug?q=drug

I see that the OED doesn't publish the FDA meaning that you posted.

The OED doesn't quote all possible sources, just enough to illustrate the point. Also I think the online version is only the concise OED, not the full version of the dictionary?

The OED definition is entirely compatible with the FDA one, just in less detail

drug (drug)
Pronunciation: /drʌg/noun
a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body:
a new drug aimed at sufferers from Parkinson’s diseasea substance taken for its narcotic or stimulant effects, often illegally:
a cocaine-based drug
figurative
mass adoration is a highly addictive drug

The illustration uses “aimed at” – if that is not “intention” I don’t know what it is

[Les Mains]

.....the Oxford English Dictionary. How else can anyone find out what a word means?

So what?....

[Global_Worming Profile]

Die religion .. is das opium des volkes.
http://www.allaboutaddiction.com/addict ... octors-lie

[Les Mains]

Die religion .. is das opium des volkes.
http://www.allaboutaddiction.com/addict ... octors-lie

An interesting point, GW. If the definition of a drug is based on the intent of its usage is a placebo a drug, and from whose perspective -- the patient or the administrator?

As you suggest, the placebo effect is so powerful, drug trials have to be 'double-blind' which means that neither the administrators nor the patients know which treatment is being given. It's one of the big problems when looking at the efficacy of non-pharmaceutical drugs - e.g. much of the H&B stuff where there are two problems; the placebo effect and the fact that those who spend good money on supplements tend to be more health-aware and lead more balanced healthy lifestyles.

I wonder how they tested Benecol, and other similar food supplements?

[Sakkarin Profile]

I wonder how they tested Benecol

Yes, curiously it was tested by all the Marketing Department at Benecol, who all agreed it was very, very good for you.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I've seen a few food trials (though never worked on them)

Les Mains is right about the problems of doing them double blind - though I think with Benecol you could as it would be quite easy to use another spread as a compartor, and another yogurt drink. They must have done some studies to have figures for cholesterol lowering to quote, and their own website says that they have done 30 studies, and showed "up to 10% cholesterol lowering" - although a poor way of expressing it, presumably a proper lab did some cholesterol measurements.

The big problam with food studies is something called displacement - if you stop people from eating nuts, do they eat crisps instead? Do people who don't eat chocolate eat more sugar in other forms? And so on - always knock on effects in diet

[Les Mains]

They must have done some studies to have figures for cholesterol lowering to quote, and their own website says that they have done 30 studies, and showed "up to 10% cholesterol lowering" - although a poor way of expressing it, presumably a proper lab did some cholesterol measurements.

Only quacks and charlatans cite studies without giving references. It isn't science.

though I think with Benecol you could as it would be quite easy to use another spread as a compartor, and another yogurt drink.

I've never eaten the stuff...I choose not to line people's pockets buying quack medicine..but the colour of the spread is highly recognisable, along with the texture. It looks disgusting...a very bright yellow with a gunky appearance. They do make it clear that you have to eat a lot of it for it to make any difference. I think the answer, given a problem with cholesterol, is to follow the Dr's advice. If you don't trust the Dr, then change the Dr and follow the Dr's advice. Rinse and repeat as required until you trust your Dr.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Only quacks and charlatans cite studies without giving references. It isn't science.
.

Of course it isn't

Bu the Advertising Standards & food standards would have their guts for garteers if they cited it in advertising without having something to back it up

[Les Mains]

Bu the Advertising Standards & food standards would have their guts for garteers if they cited it in advertising without having something to back it up

Surely the whole point of scientific papers that come from trials and research is that they are published for peer review? Particularly with novel substances?

I've gone to the Food Standards Agency .gov.uk website and forumnites can judge for themselves. Interestingly, the likes of Benecol should make it clear that it can cause vitamin deficiency and the product should be clearly labelled to advise the max "dose" (sic). Of course we all knew that we could overdose on Benecol?

This is from: http://www.food.gov.uk/science/research ... st/g03021/

Scientific studies indicate that the consumption of 2-3g plant sterols per day can significantly reduce the level of the 'bad' low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in individuals, if consumed as part of a healthy diet.

There is some evidence that the long term consumption of high amounts of plant sterols may effect the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. In view of this (EC) 608/2004 imposes a statutory requirement for all products with added plant sterols to be labelled in a manner that indicates the maximum daily dose of plant sterols. The labelling should also advise individuals who are likely to be most susceptible to a reduced vitamin status (namely pregnant or nursing women and children under 5) to avoid consuming these products.

Incidentally, the liver manufactures most of the cholesterol so if sterols only reduce the absorption, the effect is reduced particularly in those who are medically or genetically predisposed to liver-generated cholesterol.

See also http://search.food.gov.uk/search?site=d ... submit.y=0