Maybe we are as dumb as they think!

                    

        I did some research this morning on , of all things, sodium in cat food. Surprisingly (or maybe not depending on where your degree is) cats suffer far more from low sodium than high sodium, which is good for the cat, since some commercial cat foods have as much as twice the recommended dry weight percentage of sodium.

       The above discovery caused me to reflect yet again on some of the things that make me say "huh?"  ( due respect to Arsenio Hall)  Sodium, or more correctly many person's attitudes toward Sodium,  is one such thing.  Just as my friend, believing he was doing the best for the cat by limiting sodium intake, as in low sodium tuna, many perfectly healthy people almost religiously  avoid salt in foods without reason.  Right up front, if you suffer from hypertension or related cardiovascular issues, then  limiting sodium may be a good thing.  just be aware that, while  taking too much sodium may make you unhealthy, even dead, taking no sodium will almost guarantee your death.

        Gluten is another such disconnect. Most of us can and do consume wheat products which contain gluten. There are, of course those who are gluten intolerant,  ergo, should avoid  it. The condition may be referred to as gluten intolerance, or in its worst state celiac disease.  All that having been said, more and more shoppers today are buying "gluten free" products simply because of the impression that if gluten is bad for anyone, it's probably harmful to all. What a load of crap, and what a windfall for manufacturers of products which have been gluten free forever! We now see labels proudly proclaiming fat free/gluten free on products which have never had either substance.  I'm still waiting for "fat free, gluten free' bottled water.

        Some American consumers ought to wear a sign which says "over charge me" as they enter  stores like Whole Foods and others , which  showcase "organic" products. These are seldom displayed next to regular produce, simply because they look much worse. There may be a bigger scam than "organic", but I have yet to find it. The chemicals which fertilize plants are basic elements -  Potassium, Nitrogen,  Phosphorus and  various trace minerals. Their atoms are identical whether they're in cow poop, or a bag of fertilizer. Of course what's not in the bag of fertilizer is e-coli and various other little meanies which can cause sickness and/or death in humans.  Affluent persons will spend more for less and lesser quality  in the name of Organic, even when shown the science which shows conventionally grown food to be safer. Of course having committed to the First Church of Organic, they will speak in tongues and swear to the superiority of the taste of said foods and to their own superiority as parents.   

        Another burgeoning example of consumer gullibility can be seen in the seemingly exponential increase in  "new and better" drugs to treat conditions like diabetes, COPD, depression, and a litany of others. Most of these new miracle drugs have several thing in common - the letters "Z" or "X" (usually pronounced as "S") and a list of possible side effects which would make Dr. Moreau think twice. It's not that the drugs aren't an attempt to bring relief to sufferers, it's the larger attempt to bring profit to the manufacturer and compete with similar drugs.

        There are at least 5 drugs, from different manufacturers which by exactly the same mechanism moderate  the effects of psoriasis, they all are named differently for retail and are all God awful expensive. None of the names address what the drug does, yet like aspirin, they are remarkably similar, being just different enough to 1. get a separate patent and 2. enter into the 20 year race to maximize profits before a generic drops the price from $1400 per prescription (a real number for 8 Enbrel 25 mil syringes) to perhaps 1/10 that figure once off patent. The competition,  fueled by creative naming by ad agencies, is fierce.  

         "Xeljanz" isn't only almost unpronounceable, it is also another "X word" drug entering an arena with plenty of contestants already there. Xeloda,  Xenazine,  Xenical, Xeomin, Xgeva, Xiaflex,  Xifaxan, Xofigo, Xolair, Xopenex, Xtandi, Xyntha, Xyrem, Xyzal..... ad nauseum. None of these names, it should be noted, even hints at the drug's usage. Xarelto,  Xtandi,  Xalkori,  Xgeva, are all relatively new .  "You can't have a name look like or sound like another drug," said Scott Piergrossi, vice president, creative at Brand Institute Inc. "Someone could receive the wrong drug."  Am I the only one who thinks the "X" named drugs listed above categorically controvert this asinine statement?  " Z"  is also becoming popular for new drugs like Zaltrap,  Zelboraf, Zocor, and Zytiga, not to mention the new crop of "X pronounced as Z" drugs.  Mr. Piergrossi's statement looks ludicrous in light of this spate of  similarly pronounced names.  

        So why the X and Z frenzy?" "It's really about the novelty of the name," Piergrossi said.  Yep, when I have the discomfort of  rheumatoid arthritis, give me something with a zippy name, sung to the tune of "a C, a bouncy C;"  something which rolls off the tongue - give me new XZRSBTIVOL!  (Side effects may include  runny nose, liquid farts, pustular acne, paralysis, stroke, heart attack, atrophy of genitalia and hangnails)