Originally Posted By: Al
Without passing judgment on the drug industry. My confidence is that when I take my Verapamil pill it will help my BP. If I take an antibiotic I have confidence that it will cure my bronchitis. Same with my Cardura for my Prostate, etc.
I have no clue if Alfa Lipoic Acid will help or kill me.
We also have no clue as to what is really in the supplements since they are for the most part unregulated.
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids are scientifically proven essential nutrients that humans need that exists naturally in food. They have the least chance of causing harm taken at the
recommended dosage. No normal human physiology requires any prescription drugs. A few prescriptions may be helpful or necessay to treat pathology, but many if not most are not. The side effects and effects on physiology of most prescriptions does more harm than good.
Drugs masking one sympton with others, some not known or seen till much later is not a cure.
Define "normal" physiology as unless you're talking about an individual who is 30 or under in 100% perfect physical health with no genetic predispositions you're grasping at straws.
Care to give a short list which pathologies you think require meds and which are best treated with "supplements" (and boy do I ever use that term loosely).
What about psychological disorders, in particular schizophrenia? Treat that with supplements? I can give personal examples of people I've known (notice that past tense on that) who've gone the "I don't need any meds I've got my herbs" route on that particular condition.
You also mentioned "recommended dosage". Take a look at the back of your supplement bottles and what the RDA is versus the amount provided in 1 dose of the supplement. Also take note that some of the supplements don't even list an RDA.
Originally Posted By: 65cuda
I don't think that you can have complete confidence in the drugs, but at least it is better than listening to the ads on TV for all the supplements and natural medicines that if you were to believe them it would solve all of the illnesses.
When I hear the phrase "natural remedy" or "eastern medicine" I immediately tune out.
It brings to mind all of the fools I've read about in the news over the years dying of cancer because they thought that their natural remedies, supplements, and mystical eastern medicine would cure it.
Western medicine = scientifically based
Eastern medicine = wives tales, crossing your fingers, and the placebo effect
Speaking of "alternative medicine" here's a current example of what happens when you shun actual scientifically based treatment:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national...earcher_co.html
Quote:
Jobs, a practicing Buddhist,
instead pursued special alternative medicines and diets for nine months before eventually undergoing the operation to remove his tumor, according to published reports.
"Let me cut to the chase: Mr. Jobs allegedly chose to undergo all sorts of alternative treatment options before opting for conventional medicine," Amri wrote.
"This was, of course, a freedom he had all the rights to take, but given the circumstances it seems sound to assume that Mr. Jobs' choice for alternative medicine could have led to an
unnecessarily early death."
Jobs was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor,
a rare type of pancreatic cancer that spreads far more slowly than the traditional, aggressive kind that doomed actor Patrick Swayze.
During a 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, Jobs revealed his doctors told him his type of cancer was incurable and gave him 3 to 6 months to live.
But Amri described Jobs' form of cancer as "mild" and could have been remedied if he had immediately opted for surgery.
By the time Jobs underwent surgery in July 2004 at Stanford University Medical Center it was too late, Amri contends.
Other articles regarding Jobs and his illness state pretty much the same thing. Had he gone with surgery when first diagnosed he would have been alive for a least another 10 years (from today not that day was diagnosed) or more.
Originally Posted By: Al
CQ-10:
"Helps support heart and vessel function"
This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administratiion.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease"
Unless someone can give me a reputable Hospital or University research Paper stating that this product has specified benefits..I'll pass...thanks.
Agreed. I can make any claim I want for any supplement I want to bring to market so long as I include that little disclaimer at the end... and since the target market for my supplements/"natural" remedy are so invested in "natural" remedies and so anti-western medicine they'll completely ignore that statement.
Look at the scam that is Zicam or Airborne. Zicam being infinitely worse since its actually caused harm to people.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
And the FDA tested and approved side effect of some listed BP medication includes increased risk of heart attack ?
Same goes for other medications such as clonazepam and other anti-convulsives. Big deal.
The FDA requires all of the side-effects to be listed even if only 1 person in the study suffered those side-effects and that occurrence would represent less than 1/10 of 1 percent of the population of potential users of the drug.
I'm no fan of drug companies, but for God's sake at least they are required to test their products and show that they do have some effect/benefit to treat the condition they are being marketed at treating.
For some of you in this thread, I've got some colloidal silver I'd like to sell if you're interested. Guaranteed to cure all ills!
Don't even get me started on stuff like ear-candling and other "alternative medicines".
Why do I have the feeling that there are more than a handful of respondents in this thread that buy into 90% of what can be found at
http://skepdic.com/
