Page 14 - Boca ViewPointe - July '22

Page 14, Viewpointe July 2022
Who’s Looking Out For The Consumer?

By Harold Katz, R.Ph. bedtime. Sleep quality and cough severity improved in
about half of the honey takers and in about 1/3 of the
Observers and interested placebo children. No good studies have tested honey in
users are aware of the ongoing adults. Evidence is pretty thin that honey is useful for
tasks that the FDA (Food cough relief in colds or flu. The downside is that each
and Drug Administration) tablespoonful of honey has 17 grams of sugar. That’s a
performs. They are committed third of the daily value of added sugar.”
to ensure that safe drugs, 4. Domino’s newest side item: “What is warm,
foods, and medical equipment delicious, and comes in three flavors?” says the ad.” Oven
are available to the consumers baked dips which pair perfectly with Domino’s bread
in this country. Their efforts twists.” Then it mentions the flavors: Cheesy Marinara,
are not without controversy. On the one hand, the The Nutrition Action response: “Who needs healthy Five Cheese, and Baked Apple.
manufacturers and distributors want their new products yogurt, when you can dump a glop of (mostly water) Critic’s response: “What better side dish for a white
(and advertising) approved for marketing. On the other mushrooms, oil, and cornstarch –with its 2,150 mg. of flour pizza with cheese than white flour bread twist with
hand, there are several non-profit, consumer-oriented sodium – into your curry, which ends up with 810 mg per cheese dips? It packs 1700 calories,54 grams of saturated
organizations that may find fault with the presentation serving and takes 45 minutes to cook? That’s a “hurry”? fat (2 ½ days’ worth) and 3,240 mg. of sodium (nearly 1
and claims of the new products. They can be harsh in their Who indeed? Maybe ask the ad execs who are on a mission ½ -day supply). That’s Domino for you. Always looking
comments. These consumer groups include: Consumer to sell Americans a steady diet of ultra- processed junk.” out for, well, Domino’s.”
Reports Health (related to the popular Consumer 2. Introducing Starbucks Coffee with Essential Yes, these criticisms seem rather onerous, especially
Reports), Nutrition Action, and Public Citizen’s Worst Vitamins. “The taste you love blended with five essential because they are directed to brands we may love and trust.
Pills, Best Pills. B vitamins. To help support a healthy metabolism and However, they accomplish two objectives:
Boca Pointers may be interested in some of the keep your body running at its best”. 1. They cause the ad men to tread carefully with the
recent new products, their advertising, and the watchdog Critics’ response: “It’s the old dump- in- a-few- claims they attribute to the product.
comments of these pro-consumer groups: unnecessary-vitamins ploy. No one runs short on 2. They cause the FDA to examine more closely not
1. Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. pantothenic acid (B-5) or biotin (B-7). Added B-12 might just the product, but the accompanying ads as well.
The TV website proclaims: “Start something Good! The be useful to people over 50, but Starbucks adds only 20% The bottom line is that we consumers are protected
wonderful consistency of our Cream of Mushroom Soup of a day’s worth per serving. ‘Get more from the cup you for the products we use by a very efficient government
eliminates the need for yogurt for our Chicken Curry in love’, says the ad. Get more of the overcrowded coffee organization, the FDA; and, looking over their shoulders
a Hurry recipe!” market sounds more like it!” are several non-profit organizations that are beholden
best in nature to relieve your cough” says the ad featuring the to no one and monitor the ad people to rein in their
3. Robitussin Naturals Cough Relief. “Powered by the
extravagant claims. Not a bad combination for advancing
Where Are new line of cough products containing honey and Ivy leaf. consumer safety.
Critic’s response:” In the largest study (partly funded

My Glasses! by the honey industry) 270 children with cough due to a Harold Katz R.Ph., Edgewater Estates. 
respiratory infection swallowed half a tablespoonful of
one of three kinds of honey or a placebo 30 minutes before

By Robert W. Goldfarb IMPERIAL ROYALE AT BOCA POINTE

Like most of my friends–and now my children!–I 2 AMAZING 3/2 CONDOS BEING OFFERED FOR SALE.
often found myself asking where I had left my
eyeglasses. I frequently bought extra pairs, scattering Over 3,000 sq. feet each at one of the most prestigious buildings
them throughout my home. Glasses sat in every 7235 Promenade Dr.
inconvenient corner because that’s where I tended to 502 H – One unit per floor!
leave them. 502 J – Two units per floor only!
That all changed ten years ago when I went to my Please contact agent for further details & to preview!
opthalmologist for my annual appointment. After the
usual tests, he peered long and deep into my eyes Prudence J. (PJ) Carswell
before saying, “Mr. Goldfarb, it’s time you had cataract
surgery. We can schedule it today.” REALTOR EMERITUS
As the oldest of my friends, I knew no one who Licensed Real Estate Advisor. Licensed CAM Direct: (954) 242-4260
had the procedure and hesitated raising the subject PjCarswell@myLoKation.com Resident Owner of La Mirada
with people I knew only slightly. I imagined my head pjcarswellrealtoradvisor@gmail.com and Boca Pointe Club Member
swathed in a turban of bandages for weeks. Would
I need a cane during what I anticipated would be a
lengthy recovery? I asked how long I would be in
hospital and in rehab. Norbert Graber, R. Ph.
The doctor laughed and said, “You’ll be in and out and Lynn Graber, R. Ph.
of surgery in less than an hour. You’ll be driving two
days later.” He was right; it was difficult even to think
of the procedure as surgery. But it was surgery and it
thrust me into a world I didn’t recognize.
What were all those creases on my face? And the
pouches under my children’s eyes and the lines etching the
foreheads of grandchildren I diapered not that long ago!
While I did drive two days later, I was staring
into a glare previously softened by a gauzy film. The
letters on signs warning “Caution, Road Repair” were
enormous in size. The police must have ordered larger
print to accommodate Florida’s older population.
Walking was equally difficult; days that used to be
hazy now shrieked with brightness. I’d need sunglasses
to walk and drive on all but the cloudiest days.
I immediately realized the shrill brightness that
made driving difficult now glared from newspapers
and television screens. Since when was The New York FREE
Times published in large print? Figures I had to squint Family Owned & Operated LOCAL DELIVERY
to see now burst from my TV screen. Would I need SERVING BOCA POINTE AND OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 2001 Free for prescription
sunglasses to watch Netflix? drugs only
I wondered if my next medical appointment should • Easy Prescription Transfer • Prescriptions Filled Fast
be with a neurologist, not an eye doctor. I felt I had • All Medicare Part D Plans Accepted • Professional Compounding FAST, FRIENDLY SERVICE
entered a world set ablaze by spotlights rather than the • Most Private Insurance Plans For • Orthopedic & Surgical SPECIAL ORDERS WELCOME
familiar one softened by a gentle blur. Prescription Drugs Accepted Supplies
I would consult a neurologist, but first kept my Including United Healthcare • Nebulizers & Supplies HIGHEST-QUALITY MEDICINES
appointment with the eye doctor. When I told him and Tricare • Compression Stockings & HEALTH PRODUCTS
of my panic, he laughed, and said “Everyone says 561-391-6336
something like that. All that scar tissue is now gone.
You’re seeing the way you did 20 or 30 years ago.” 22191 Powerline Road • Boca Raton
That was ten years ago and I can’t find my glasses SW Corner of Palmetto & Powerline • Mon-Fri 9am to 6pm • Sat 9am to 3pm • Closed Sun
because I haven’t looked for them.  BocaPharmacy.com