Beware NutraMedix!

[Guest guest]

Below is a copy of my complaint to the Consumer Fraud Department, Office of the 

Attorney General, State of Florida, PL-01-The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL

32399-1050 regarding NutraMedix.

 

I read The Effectiveness of Samento, Cumanda, Burbur and Dr. Lee Cowden's

Protocol in the Treatment of Chronic Lyme Disease by Suzanne Arthur, Towsend

Letter for Doctors and Patients, April 2007, pages 101 – 106. On page 106,

Suzanne Arthur did not identify avea as turmeric.

 

Herbs are called by their latin name, common name or active ingredient. The

known names of turmeric is turmeric common name, curcuma longa latin name and

curcumin active ingredient. Avea is neither the common name, latin name nor an

active ingredient of turmeric.

 

Suzanne Arthur is the founder and editor of the Lyme Disease Research Database

www.lyme-disease-research-database.com.  The Lyme Disease Research Database and

Townsend should have a policy that its writers identify herbs by their latin

name, common name or at least their active ingredient. Otherwise, readers may

erroneously believe that herbs are rare foreign herbs and become tricked by the

manufacturer into paying a higher price.

 

I am not blaming Townsend Letter nor Lyme Disease Research Database. Townsend

is  an excellent holistic medicine publication. It would be an unfair burden to

place the responsibility of identification of herbs on Towsend and the Lyme

Disease Research Databse. The manufacturers of herbal tinctures have the

responsibility to disclose the correct name of their herbal tinctures. Thereby, 

writers, researchers, publlishers, health practitioners and customers will be

apprised of its true identity.

 

I am requesting Townsend to publish my complaint as a letter to the editor and

requesting Suzanne Arthur to identify avea as turmeric in the Lyme Disease

Research Database.

 

Based on the above-mentioned article, I paid my assistant to order avea, burbur

and cumanda from NutraMedix's website.  After opening the package, I read the

labels. I was shocked to read that avea is turmeric!

 

For several years, I have been taking turmeric tincture. I buy eight ounce

bottles of fresh organic turmeric tincture. Fresh is more potent than dried..

Organic is more potent than nonorganic. Avea is neither fresh nor organic.. 

Eight ounce bottles are much cheaper than once ounce bottles. NutraMedix

manufactures only one ounce bottles of avea, burbur and cumanda.

 

I called twice to ask why NutraMedix labeled turmeric as avea. I called again on

on October 1, 2008. Philomena Dowling replied that their products have multiple

ingredients in them. I objected that avea has only turmeric as an active

ingredient. The other ingredients are water and ethanol which are in all

alcoholic tinctures. Philomena Dowling replied that they can call a herb by any

name they wish. 

 

She refused to compensate me for the return shipping cost I will incur returning

avea. I warned her I would complain.

 

Philomena Dowling stated that NutraMedix's website identifies avea as turmeric.

I went to NutraMedix.com.  The lower left hand corner of their homepage is a

icon titled “Products. Scrolling down, I selected avea. Also in the upper middle

of their homepage is an icon titled “product list. I scrolling down, I selected

avea.

Both methods  broughts up the identical avea webpage. The webpage does not

disclose ingredient.

 

There is a tiny box in the lower right hand corner of the avea webpage that is

titled “view label.” I clicked on the “view label.”  The “view label” webpage

disclosed: “turmeric root extract (avea TM) .50 ml, mineral water, ethanol (20 –

25%).”

 

Most customers would not notice this icon. I have purchased various herbs and

supplements on the internet. No other website forces customers to search for

another icon to click to obtain ingredients.

 

Indeed, resellers of NutraMedix don't. For example,

herbalremedies.com/avea-mood.html sells avea by NutraMedix. Their avea webpage

clearly identifies avea as turmeric in the body of the webpage.

 

Herbalremedies.com's price is the same as NutraMedx. $20. However, lower down on

their page, they sell a TWO ounce bottle of organic turmeric tincture by Herbal

Remedies for $14. Two ounces of dried organic is cheaper than one ounce of dried

nonorganic!

 

Better prices may be found with companies that sell four ounce bottles and

especially eight ounce bottles of tinctures. For example, Heron Botanicals

manufactures fresh organic four ounce and eight ounce turmeric tinctures.

 

I request that the Florida Attorney General request NutraMedix to disclose the

ingredients of all their products on the same webpage of their products and

desist using a tiny icon on the bottom of the page titled “view label.” I also

request the Florida Attorney General to request NutraMedix to call turmeric by

its correct name. Thank you.

 

Cc: Suzanne Arthur

Towsend Letter