>> I see (and even agree with) your point... but let's also remember that >> "natural" remedies have those same side effects and issues. Just because >> you can't sue nature doesn't mean that it's any less dangerous. ;^) > >I understand that there can be side effects with some treatments, but >they are few and far between. And you know that too.
Actually, no I don't know that - or least I do for different reasons. +) The main reason is that most "natural" remedies (and all true homepathic remedies) lack any effects whatsoever... something that has no effects probably doesn't have negative effects. +) Forgetting the actual substances in play supplements also lack much of the packaging and quality control requirements of pharmacueticals. Even with essentially safe remedies you have a greater chance of facing complications due to contaminants or mishandling. +) Side-effects from "natural" remedies, by some accounts, are woefully underreported. As I noted people simply assume that they CAN'T have any ill effects. Also, since the supplement companies make no legally-binding claims (it's a "wink and nod" industry) they are very, very difficult to sue. I can't sue Dr. Scholl's because their "magnetic insoles" are completely and utterly ineffective becuse they never claimed they had any effects! Lastly the consolidation that's created the giant pharmacuetical companies hasn't struck the supplement industry as hard: there are thousands of small companies producing product and the legal issues of any of them are generally not big news. +) Most "straight from the vine" natural remedies that are measurably effective are not acutely effective. In other words they do work, but are not as strong or focused as pharmacueticals for similar ailments. The greater an effect something has on the body the more nasty potential negative effects are. The vast majority of pharmacueticals contain naturally obtained active ingredients but are more exactly dosed and targeted. However the more powerful anything is the more dangerous it can be, especially when you're trying to prevent the body from taking it's natural course. Diet and birth control pills are prime example: by design they're modifying an essentially healthy person's chemistry. I think that's generally more dangerous than corrective medications. I completely agree that people should, in general, be taking less (much less) medication less often. The risks of many new, highly focused medicines often outweight the (increasingly esoteric yet expensively advertised) benefits. (I'm actually disgusted in general by medical advertising and marketing. I'm too libertarian to suggest that it be banned but the sleaze factor is huge.) But at the same time the instances of unexpected side effects in pharmacueticals is still amazing low. They make big news when they happen because they're so rare, not because they're so common. >> I'm also not sure how the billion dollar pharmaceutical industry is any >> better than the billion dollar supplement industry. ;^) > >Perhaps, but you know good and damn well, one is a bit better than the >other in terms of "healthy, organic, natural, etc" Not in my view. For one thing I clearly don't give "organic" and "natural" the same weight as you. ;^) As far as "healthy" I see regulation (even the broken regulation that we have) as vastly better than no regulation or accountability. The entire conspiracy theory about "big pharma", even if based in some fact, is played up and perpetuated by "big supplement". It's good business for them - and I'm more than cynical enough to believe that your health never enters into the picture. "Cures THEY don't want you to know about" is play on fear. It doesn't matter that those "cures" are total bullshit or that the author has made millions over millions of dollars. "They" are money grubbing and evil and "he" is open and honest and giving. >> I just don't see much difference. Nothing is truly synthetic, everything is >> "natural". It's just that in this country at least pharmaceuticals are held >> to a high standard where supplements are held to almost none. That scares >> the crap out of me. >> >> Both industries are cash-printing monsters. Neither are worth any trust to >> me, but only one has any real regulation. > >Regulation that is tied to money. And that scares the crap out of me. >Look at Chantrix! FDA approved!?!? Sure it was, and then all of >suddent the dangers of taking it crawl out of the woodwork. Taking >cinnamon supplements to help blood sugar levels never killed anyone >... eating ginger to help with a bad stomach never made someone >suicidal. Nope. And I would definately back those proven effective remedies. But the vast majority of "Remedies" (and all homepathic remedies) are either unproven or proven uneffective. People need to be skeptical. That means demanding proof of efficacy for these remedies but it also means challenging your doctor when he tries to prescibe something. "Is there a generic option?", "Is there an non-prescription option?" - these are questions any good doctor should respect and be able to answer. I honestly don't think, in the broad picture of things, that we're that far off from each other here. I really don't trust pharmacuetical companies any more than you... but I trust supplement companies even less. >> It's never a good sign when something needs redefinition to remain relevant >> - it's too like special pleading and that's a huge red flag to me. All I >> can think of is that old piece of transcendent wisdom: "you can't polish a >> turd". ;^) > >Sometimes, just sometimes, it's called Progress Jim. And if that turd >was hardened, then shellacked in Polyurethene, you could indeed polish >it. :P But it would still be a turd, wouldn't it? ;^) >Bottom line: I'm not trying to change your mind, and you certainly >won't change mine. I basically just went into a vent, as I am sure you >did. However, we should all be open to learning new things, no matter >how biased we are against current methods or beliefs. Of course... learn new things ALL THE TIME if at all possible! But only accept those things that can prove themselves. Skeptics aren't close minded - we let eveything in! We're just very picky about what we'll allow to stay. ;^) Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;160198600;22374440;w Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:253727 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
