Some herbal nutritional supplements that advertised as "free-radical
scavengers" cause liver damage. One is chaparral, which is
extracted from creosote. So can the supplements germander,
groundsel, skullcap, comfrey, and mistletoe.
J. Am. Med. Assoc., Dec. 16, 1992
Spinal manipulation has been shown to help ease back pain temporarily,
but some chiropractors don’t know their limits. They use spinal
manipulation to treat asthma, indigestion, constipation, and migraine.
There are no good controlled studies to show that spinal manipulation
is an effective treatment for these conditions.
Annals of Internal Medicine, Oct. 1992
J. of Manipulative and Phys. Ther., Mar-Apr 1992
There is no evidence that DMG has any health benefits. In 1943,
Ernest Krebs isolated a chemical from apricot pits, which he called
pangamic acid, which later became known as vitamin B15.
Entrepreneurs have made millions by marketing it as a cure for
asthma, immune defects, heart attacks, cancer, and other diseases.
The FDA seized samples from 22 companies and found different
chemicals among them, meaning we don’t even know what pangamic
acid is.
Mirkin Report, Dec. 1992
Chelation therapy doesn’t work. It’s supposed to relieve the
symptoms of claudication, which occur when people develop severe
pain in their legs after walking for a few minutes. The pain is
caused by fatty plaques that block blood flow in the legs. Some
doctors inject chelating agents, such as EDTA, into the veins of
these patients to unblock the arteries. However, the calcium
deposits associated with the fatty plaques are a result of the
artery damage, not the cause, making it an ineffective treatment.
There is no evidence that chelation therapy is effective in
preventing strokes and heart attacks, either.
J. of Internal Medicine, 1992;231
Coenzyme Q10 pills sold in health-food stores do not improve
athletic performance.
Int. J. of Sports Nutr., 1992;2
Don’t believe ads that claim enzyme pills will help you lose weight,
prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, treat acne, and treat
varicose veins.
In particular, if you are among the 50% of Americans who get
diarrhea or cramps from diary products, don’t take the missing
enzyme by mouth. Instead, drink LactAid milk, or add the missing
enzyme to the milk and leave it in the fridge for 24 hours.
Mirkin Report, Sept. 1992