healthnotes Flaxseed
Flaxseeds are nutrition- ally distinct. They are a highly valuable source of stable omega-3 fatty acids, linked by studies to healthy aging, and have a high mucilage content, which improves nutrient absorption. Flaxseed is beneficial to the cardiovascular
Pose Serious Risks E
Unregulated Online Pharmacies
ach year, thousands of Ameri- cans turn to illicit online phar- macies to purchase prescription
medications, unaware they might be putting their health in jeopardy and even risking their lives, law-enforce- ment officials warn. Buyers turn to online pharmacies for a
system, promotes healthy cholesterol, and is a risk-reducing factor for some cancers, par- ticularly breast, pros- tate, and colon. While individual seeds don’t digest well, they can be ground into or purchased as meal and added to hot or cold cereals, shakes, or smoothies or used in baking. For vegan bak- ing (or if you run out of eggs), substitute 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal plus 2½ table- spoons of water for each egg. To ensure freshness,
refrigerate flaxseeds, oil, meal, and milk. — Marilyn Pribus
variety of reasons, notes Jim Dahl of the Partnership for Safe Medicines in Vienna, Va. Many are uninsured and simply trying to save money on drugs they need to treat a specific illness or medical condition. Others are seeking lifestyle drugs such as Viagra or performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids. “Even more frightening are the pharmacists and physicians who use illicit websites just to enrich them- selves,” Dahl adds. However, because most online pharmacies are unregulated, consum- ers have no idea what they are buying. The medications they receive might be expired, contain no active ingredients or the wrong ingredients, or be made with dangerous substances. (Dahl has seen counterfeit drugs containing ev- erything from lead paint to rat poison.) The drugs also might have been stolen, manufactured in unsanitary conditions, or improperly stored. “When you step outside of the regu- lated supply system, you are dealing with a complete unknown,” says Dahl, a for- mer criminal investigator with the Food and Drug Administration. “It’s undocumented, unsafe, and illegal.” How bad is the problem? In 2015, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy sur- veyed more than 11,000
online pharmacy websites and found only 257 were legitimate pharmacies. The best way to protect yourself is to
avoid illicit pharmacies and instead rely on companies with a regulated online pres- ence, which includes most major drug chains, Dahl says. And don’t assume just because an online pharmacy is based in Canada that it’s safe. “The order may be placed in Canada, but if you read the fine print, you’ll find that the drugs are com- ing from Turkey or India or somewhere else,” Dahl notes. “The only thing Canadian about these operations is that the bad guys live in Winnipeg or Vancouver.” For more information on how to rec- ognize counterfeit drugs, visit www .safemedicines .org/consumer-re sources or http://
bit.ly/2b0v9i6. — Don Vaughan
24 MILITARY OFFICER OCTOBER 2016
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
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