I think it’s safe to say that when individuals who don’t even live in your country begin highlighting concerning issues in it, there’s a problem. That’s what’s happening today across social media. TikTok users from around the world are expressing their deep astonishment regarding the American healthcare system and toxic American food, as well as their concern for the health of American citizens.
Foreign users have taken to the app to participate in the trend “trying American foods banned in my country.” In the videos, they reveal the popular foods loved by Americans that so many countries forbid from being sold to the public. Users go on to explain why they’re banned across the globe: from their toxic dyes, to growth hormones, to flame retardants. Yes. Flame retardants.
It makes one wonder why America has seemingly chosen to ignore these concerns as well as the welfare of the public by continuing to allow these ingredients in our foods. Take a look at this list of a few popular American foods that have been banned in other countries:
Toxic American Food Banned in Other countries:
Photo: Coffee Mate
Coffee Mate Creamers
Banned for Hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils. They say that if you have an autoimmune disease, these coffee creamers are one of the worst things you can put in your body because of their additives.
Photo: Mtn Dew/Bryan Cranston Super Bowl Ad
Mountain Dew
Banned for bromine which is the element found in brominated flame retardants. Yes, FLAME RETARDANTS, which can build up in the body and potentially lead to memory loss, as well as skin and nerve problems.
Photo: Tony Dejak
American Milk
Banned for rGBH, also known as rBST, which is a man-made growth hormone fed to dairy cows to boost milk production. Not good for the body.
Photo: Daily Mail
Red-40 & Many foods containing it
Red-40 has been linked to migraines, allergies, and adhd, and mental disorders in children. Also contains p-Cresidine, which the US Department of Health & Human Services says is “reasonably anticipated” to be a human carcinogen. Red-40 consumption has quadrupled in the last 50 years. “Coincidently,” chronic illnesses and diseases have significantly increased along with it.
Photo: Food Babe/Facebook
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Restricted and banned for its connection to obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Interesting. Wonder how many less Type 2 Diabetes diagnoses we’d see if we eliminated ingredients such as this one and sugar.
With the number of chronic illnesses and disease diagnoses increasing and the information being exposed about our toxic foods, many in the US are desperate to get away in order to heal. The problem, however, isn’t simply toxic American food. The problem lies within the “medicinal” drugs we’re being prescribed to “fix” the problems caused by our foods (and the hefty price tags that come with them if we might add).
To Abandon Home & Heal, or Stay & Continue to Suffer?
As someone who has suffered physically, mentally, and emotionally from chronic illness for five years, I know the struggle of spending thousands on various medical “treatments” that leave more bills and questions than answers.
I myself am one of the American citizens who, at this point, believes that the only way to truly heal is to leave my home country behind. I–along with countless other Americans–have faced the impossible choice of leaving my family and home in order to experience healing, or staying in my home country where I will continue to suffer.
Social media and modern technology have made it impossible for these issues and concerns to be unknown. The demand for change has surely been heard by those in positions of power. But instead of receiving assurance that change is on its way, these desperate voices emphasizing these problems and advocating for reformation are often labeled conspiracy theorists. Additionally, the voices that the public find solace in, holistic practitioners and the like, are often deemed to be unreliable and their treatments unapproved by the FDA. And that becomes that.
The Sketchy & Questionable Credibility of the FDA
Many argue that the harmful additives living in our foods are in reality harmless because they are approved by the FDA. According to the FDA, “Federal regulations require evidence that each substance is safe at its intended level of use before it may be added to foods.” It’s interesting, however, that these additives, regardless of their level, are deemed unsafe enough to be outlawed in other countries. Whether these additives are “safe” at small levels for the foods that contain them, the reality is that American grocery stores are full with highly processed, bioengineered, artificial foods. The natural and produce sections account for a small fraction of American grocery stores. The amount of harmful, unnatural ingredients being consumed through processed foods by millions of Americans is enough to cause alarm and necessitate change.
It’s enough to make one question the reliability and credibility of the FDA. But this concern isn’t new. The FDA has been called out for their questionable choices and poor oversight multiple times. The FDA was and is largely to blame for the opioid crisis that started in the late 90s.
Greedy pharma & helpless victims
If you’re unfamiliar with the crisis, tune in to Netflix’s original series Painkiller. The mini series illustrates the astonishing true story of the profit-driven Sackler family who invented Oxyxontin and sold it as a painkiller. We all know how that ended. Millions of addicts created, families torn apart, hundreds of thousands of lives lost to addiction and overdoses. To this day, countless lives continue to be affected. This forever changed the manufacturing and prescribing of opioids.
Photo: Wikipedia & Netflix
Richard Sackler (left), Matthew Broderick (right, Painkiller)
As Purdue earned billions, many other companies began taking notes and followed their lead. Because who cares who you hurt when you’re making money, right? That paints a pretty accurate picture of modern issues within the pharmaceutical industry and those profiting from it. The FDA failed to protect the public when they chose not to “properly enforce the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act when it approved Purdue Pharma’s new drug application for extended-release (ER) oxycodone in 1995.” Had they done so, such a devastating epidemic could have been avoided.
A Corrupt Theme: Profit over People
In 2002, when faced with evidence that opioid prescribing had risen beyond levels that could be clinically warranted, the FDA had the opportunity to take back control of the situation and set new regulations for the use of the drug. In order to address how to proceed, the FDA met with ten outside experts who, in the end, advised them against narrowing the indication. Why? Well, come to find out, eight of those ten experts had financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Purdue. It’s a theme that reverberates across innumerable industries: greed.
In the last episode of the series, Painkiller, we’re informed that “Purdue was making $30 million a week.” The character based on Edie Flowers goes on to say “half a million people die and guys like Richard Sackler make a phone call in the middle of the night and absolutely nothing changes–except for Purdue’s bank account which only gets bigger and bigger.”
The FDA had the right, the authority, the obligation and the responsibility to step in and do something to protect the public. But because many were profiting off of the crisis, the decision was to do nothing.
This is just one instance that has tarnished the reputation, reliability, and trustworthiness of the FDA for so many.
Photo: Pacific Press / Getty Images
Susan Stevens, mother of Toria Stevens who dies of an opioid overdose in 2018. Pictured are her ashes around her neck.
This is just one instance that has tarnished the reputation, reliability, and trustworthiness of the FDA for so many.
Trump Addresses Uptick In Chronic Illnesses: “It’s time for change”
It’s safe to say that Americans–and those who chose to come to this country–are beyond exhausted and owed change. And the lack of action and acknowledgement has only been the icing on the cake. But the tides began to turn when former president, Donald Trump, called out these specific issues regarding toxic American food and our pharmaceutical industry.
Forbes Breaking News/Youtube
“If Big Pharma defrauds American patients and tax payers and puts profits above people, they must be investigated and held accountable.”
Comments from both the left and right sides all express the same things: exhaustion, frustration, and desperation for change:
Whether you’re a Trump supporter or not, it’s safe to say many of us were relieved to see someone so prominent in the political space address what many have labeled “conspiracy theories.” This announcement and validation brings so many of us a sense of hope. After years of the tiktok community speaking out, as well as countless individuals from other sources, this announcement is enough to make us feel seen, heard, and hopeful for future change.
For All that is hidden in the dark will be brought to light
Over the years, the rise of social media has given way to instant access to information and the ease to spread news worldwide instantaneously.
This has led to incredibly sudden public awareness of the toxic chemicals and additives in many American food, beauty, and household products. The revelations have been astonishing. TikTok itself has become a safe place for millions to expose the truth, bond over the shared effects, and unite as a collective voice for change.
@consumerreports/Tiktok
As a result, Tiktok has also become an educational hub where users expose corruption within the food and pharmaceutical industry, and share advice and knowledge of how individuals can heal naturally.
@blatepapes/Tiktok
Ironically, many of the natural treatments and products for various illnesses and diseases have been “discredited” and said to be in the process of being banned by the FDA. Additionally, many holistic practitioners who have become trusted voices among the public have also been discredited, banned, and even silenced. Are we surprised? Not at all. In fact, it’s become an inside joke among TikTokers that “if it’s banned by the FDA, you better start using it.”
They Silence the Truth to Keep Paying Customers
Among the silenced voices trusted by so many are Barbara O’Neill are Alfredo Bowman.
These two beloved holistic practitioners are known for their beliefs in the power of plants to cure all diseases. Both have been known to claim that through plants and herbs, they have even seen cancer cured. Unsurprisingly, the public was cautioned against Bowman and O’Neill who they deemed untrustworthy and even “dangerous.” Dr. Sebi supposedly passed from a bout of pneumonia in 2016. However, many suspect that the man known for “curing cancer” was killed in order to be silenced. As for Barbara O’Neill, despite helping countless individuals heal from various diseases including cancer (with medical records and the personal testimonies to back the results), she was indefinitely banned from providing health services or education by the HCCC in Australia in 2019.
Many people believe that these individuals (as well as others) were silenced because of the truth they spoke and shared. The reality is, if people begin to heal, they become less dependent on industries such as Big Pharma. In the US alone, the pharmaceutical industry generated $550 billion dollars, accounting for 48% of the global pharmaceutical market. If we begin curing diseases such as cancer (an industry that reached $280 billion in 2022), all that money goes away. It’s not too far-fetched when you consider the harmful chemicals that are continued to be allowed in toxic American food (despite being banned in other countries), and the money being made off of the treatments for the symptoms they’re creating.
Don’t Be Afraid. Awareness Leads to Change.
We know many people who read this article might respond the same as those on social media: “I’m so tired.” “At this point, we can’t eat anything.” “Can we just live?”
We get it. We’re tired too. But please understand that we don’t share this information or write these articles to cause fear or anxiety. We share it to spread more awareness. The most powerful thing we can do as the public is to use the tools we have (our voices and platforms) to stress these issues and demand change. Changes will never be implemented if we ignore these problems. We have to make it known that these are things that we do not and will not stand for any longer. The more we work together to demand change, the more change will happen.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t partner with fear or anxiety. Instead, exercise your right and authority to demand a better nation for yourself, for your children, your neighbors, and future generations. Progress has never been made by staying silent.
Urgent Call for Transformation: Reclaiming the Promise of Our Nation
This country is meant to be great. There’s a reason that for centuries we have been an example to follow. Only now for it to be associated with corruption, greed, and toxicity.
The first three words of our constitution, “We The People”, affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. But if our voices and requests are not being heard, and if those in positions of authority that we have elected them to won’t lead with integrity in order to impact positive change for the collective good, then maybe it’s time for new leadership.
We–the people–decide who sits in the seats of influence. We must choose wisely and carefully. And, for some of us, it might be time to step and run for those positions too.
When the corrupt and self-serving are in authority, the people suffer. But when leaders of integrity rise to the position with the goal to serve, the nation prospers.
A nation in which there is no poverty, little illness, and low homeless rates, is possible. The issues of toxic American food and a broken healthcare system are two small points of concern within a greater problem. There are solutions to all these “unsolved” problems. And with the right leadership, just authorities, and an outspoken people, these solutions will be made reality. And, in turn, our nation can become one of prospering individuals, families, and communities. A nation to follow.
