Here, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office, are nine things that dietary supplements won't do:
Garlic does not prevent obesity and diabetes, and does not cure cardiovascular disease.
Ginseng does not cure cancer.
Garlic should not be used to treat high blood pressure.
Ginkgo biloba does not treat Alzheimer's, depression, and impotence, and should not be taken with aspirin.
These claims and others were made by retailers of herbal dietary supplements to GAO investigators posing as elderly customers. Some of the retailers were approached in storefronts, and others were called on the phone. The hear a recording of an undercover call, click here.
Read more about the findings of the investigation in U.S. News & World Report.
I am a salesman, with high professional standards, who wouldn’t make a good Vitamin salesperson.
The
Salespeople are told what to say to customers. If they tell the customer the information may be false or misleading they are fired.
This isn’t only Vitamin salespeople. Its all of them.
Quite a system which is leaning toward eliminating salespeople by WebBusiness. Oh great, then we will have to believe direct quotes from the owners of the business. Problem with them is they truly believe…
” The One Who Dies With The Most Money Wins”
Who is southernman?? AND WHO DOES he work for ?? I never buy anything unless I check it out,check the research etc: I don’t buy until I know what it will or wont do!! Vitamin C may shorten you’re life ? What kind of Stupid Nut would write something like that!!! Somebody that works for Big Gov, I’ll bet! Probably the FDA no doubt!! Garlic, show me the proof that it doesn’t help lower cholesterol that helps your heart right!! Totally prevent no.Lower the chance of a heart attack yes!!! Then why not take it ??
Mickey Davis said,If the FDA is against it. Im for it.look who controls the FDA. The Drug companies,and they want everyone on drugs.
Dear Bill,
Obviously you sell or consume lots of Vitamins.
Each individual responds differently to what we put in our mouths. So no one can know how each different body chemistry will respond. No not a doctor either. Certanly not a Vitamin Salesman or the owner of the Company which sells them.
Sorry,but it seems you got all worked up about the wrong thing. Try less Caffine.
I bet the source of this false claims for supplements
is the drug companies. If you want to investigate false claims, follow the drug sales persons as they call at physicans officies and provide information about other uses of common drugs, uses that the drug
was not approved for by the FDA. As a physicians
assistant, I am the person that usually has the front
line contact with these guys and gals.
People choose to believe and accept what they individually choose to believe and accept and those beliefs and acceptance will determine the effect of any and everything said individual takes whether that is a vitamin. an herbal suppliment or an antibiotic, etc.
The fact that when controlled studies have been done, both in the USA and in Europe (which is not controlled by the FDA) to accurately measure the effect of most herbal remiedies they have found to either have little effect , none at all or to be counter productive espeically if taken with pharmacueticals.
Look at the market for suppliments that supposedly support “natural body building”. If such worked as they are touted to work every gym in America would be filled with young “Arnolds (no last name needed)” and every professional bodybuilder would switch to the supposedly safer alternative to steriod but that has not and is not about to happen for very obvious reasons.
Look at the diet industry and the claims of herbal remedies there, which do not deliver on their promised effects as the nation becomes increasingly one of obese individuals.
When we look at other health claims we see the rate of heart disease and high cholesteral on the rise, as well as cancers and a host of other illnesses despite the use of herbal or natural products and the claims of the same at great expense to the American public ( as such is a billion dollar or more a year industry).
Since these products are currently not regulated, no one, often including the manufacturer, knows what is really going into them or the long term effect of consuming the same and this poses the greatest danger to the health and well being of the consumers.
If one of the governments most important roles is to protect the citizens of this nation, espeically form such unscrupulous acts by “snake oil” sales man then it is well past time that such was and is regulated and strictly controlled.
The Industry itself should welcome the same as any product that can prove its claims will now be known for having done so and the sales of the same should sky rocket. Only those who are selling that which they well know does not work as the same is promised to work need to be worried.
OK William. How can we access these controlled studies
you reference, and who provided the money for the
studies? And will you please disclose your relationship
with big pharma.
Go to the library or, if it is close, to the Library of Congress in D.C. and begin to read the peer reveiwed medical and scientific journals. Read their European counterparts (many of which may have been translated into English). A good bit of this is available on line although it helps greatly is you understand how studies should and can be conducted, controlled, double blind studies, population studies and also understand how to read and interpret the statistics that the same generate. It is all well avaialbe to the general public however, the vast majority of the general public will have difficulty in understanding the same due to limits of education and the media distortions which they often choose to accept becuase the promises being made by the suppliment companies say just what they want to hear.
It should also be said the the pharmaceutrical companies in the USA have also begun to practice the hucksterism the the suppliment companies practice as we now see adds that tell people to demand certain drugs from their doctors and using madison Ave. saleman techniques to make pepople believe that health is only one drug or one pill away.
It pays to use common sense, i.e., eat, exercise and rest properly and adequately so as to maintain health and fitness and to depend on old fashioned hard work to achieve goals rather than drugs.
I have no connection what so ever with any pharmaceutrical manufacturer, nor with any suppliment company however, I do hold several degrees one of which is a Masters in Education in the field of Rehabilitaion Services wherein and while obtaining the same I learned how to conduct valid, reliable and quantifiable test, to corelate the data from the same as well as how test, like many done by the supplimnet industry can be deliberately skewed so as to mislead and sell a product.
Thanks for playing, Rick.
Some of the remarks here are from the pharma. ind. If ALL of America were to get off pharmaceuticals , the death rate would drop like a rock!!!!!!!!!!! AND most nursing homes would be emptied !!
We rank 13th in the world in healthy people . We lose millions each year due to legal drugs and hospital diseases and errors!!
Amen to that. The USA spends more money on the health industry with the least return of all other nations on Earth.
We also need to eat less processed, whole foods without all of the chemical additives, drink pure untreated water, exercise more and live with common sense.
We all know a few who do such and a great many more who so obviously don’t.
I remember what Ronald Regan said. /// you hear a knock on your door and its a man from the Govt. he says im here to help you.
My apologies William. In your last responce, you gave
some good advice, relative to diet and exercise. Diet and exercise is the most common recommended advice
given to patients, and the most ignored.
Phony Wellness Pills are flying from Drugstores, Vitamin Stores,Websites and Doctors Offices every second of every day. Billions every year.
People take these by choise. No one is forcing them down their throat. So there’s really no one to blame or criticize here I suppose.
Larger issue is our willingness to deceive.