In this era where Congress celebrates the killing off of Americans in need of their expensive medications, treatments, etc…why won’t the FDA start testing natural remedies? Is the FDA in the back pocket of Big Mamma Pharma? Is the FDA in on this one way or another and therefore denies any home remedies?
I suppose one could start by checking the FDA’s own site for Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements. Weird notion, I know.
Moderator Note
You’ve got a perfectly valid factual question here. Let’s not muddy it up with political commentary. Keep the politics out of GQ and focus on the facts, please.
Supplements are exempt.
Thank Orrin Hatch.
My apologies.
Running Coach, as I understand your quote, am I correct to say I’m looking at it all backwards? It’s not the FDA after all? Very interesting!
Yes. For obvious reasons, the sellers of complementary medical products have more to lose than to gain by having their therapeutic effectiveness independently assessed. The number that would be validated (and the revenue from the sales of those products) would likely be vastly exceeded by the number that would be invalidated (and the revenue from those sales).
Having worked briefly in the supplement industry, the shit they get away with due to lack of regulatory oversight would horrify you.
Oooo, I like being horrified! Are you able to divulge any details?
If you like your horror served with spasms of rage, consider this case of a Hyland’s homoepathic “teething remedy” which contained deadly nightshade in decidedly non-homoepathic quantities.
Ten children died, and hundreds more were hospitalized because of the negligence of a company that sold magic poison water.
Ten children died because the Hatch Act prevented the FDA from making sure the magic poison water was made correctly in the first place.
Ten children died because the Hatch Act prevented the FDA from doing proper safety testing on magic poison water.
Ten children died because the Hatch Act prevented the FDA from recalling deadly magic poison water in a timely manner.
Countless people have died and suffered because the Hatch Act forces the FDA to allow the sale of magic poison water.
And now I have to have a stiff drink, because I’m too enraged to go to sleep after re-reading this case.
As noted by others, contrary to the OP’s premise, most of the supplement / natural remedy market is B.S. and not based on any scientific studies and most do nothing to help health (just snake oil & whoo). I’m sure big Pharma would love it if the supplement industry was held to the same efficacy standards they are and products removed if they didn’t work. The “natural remedy” section would be pretty much empty.
In the podcast “Skeptics Guide to the Universe” they advocate science & evidence based approach to medicine and they did a recent interview with Acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen and asked her about regulation around the supplement / natural cure industry etc:
Its worth a listen if you’re curious about this topic.
Although you should listen yourself, as I recall, the FDA’s view is that as long as there’s no evidence of harm to the end user by product usage, they don’t worry so much about specific claims. They seem to take a “buyer beware” view. If you’re dumb enough to believe in the snake oil treatments without looking yourself at the evidence of efficacy behind them, then “a fool and his money…”
I don’t think the SGU were too happy with that answer, since they feel the FDA should play a more active roll in protecting consumers.
If an herb actually has a medical benefit, they wouldn’t market or approve the plant as a treatment. Instead, scientists would identify the active compound in the plant, find a way to synthesize it, test for efficacy and side effects, then go through the FDA to get it approved as a drug. That’s how many drugs are developed.
Consumer Reports had a lengthy article about dietary supplements in their July, 2016 issue. (You can probably find that in your local library.)
As I recall, many of them tested as containing far less of the actual supplement than the label claimed. And they had a list of a dozen or so very common ones that they said were harmful and should always be avoided.
Pretty much. There’s absolutely nothing stopping the makers of supplements, herbal remedies, and “alternative medicine” from seeking FDA approval. The fact is that most of them don’t, because seeking FDA approval is a costly process that may lead to a very public demonstration that their product doesn’t do what it claims to do, or indeed doesn’t contain the compounds they claim it contains at all!
Rather, supplements and many “alternative health” cures have an explicit regulatory loophole carved out for them, to ensure that they don’t have to go through the FDA. Because, you know, why should alternative medicine be subject to the same rigorous testing process as real medicine? I guarantee you that if actual pharmaceutical companies pulled the kind of shit supplement-manufacturers pulled, people would be out for blood.
“You know what they call alternative medicine that’s been proved to work? - Medicine.” - Tim Minchin
(Sometimes, synthesising a medicinal plant compound is more hassle than just farming the plant and extracting the compound - especially in cases where the plant produces it quite abundantly - Thymol is probably a good example of this.
It wasn’t just Hatch - R. Tom Harkin - D Iowa was in full cahoots. You’ll never guess were most of the supplement companies donate campaign funds? Okay, maybe you will.
So called herbal remedies and their kin, get away with selling stuff that doesn’t harm, but doesn’t do good (except as a placebo) either, so long as there are people who believe the snake oil salesmen.
What I don’t understand is how, in a country as litigious and regulated as the USA, any company can get away with making false claims about ingredients or about effects.
Weasel words “May be effective against…”; “Believed to be beneficial to…”
Unless you die or are seriously injured, why or how could you sue? You have to prove it was the supplement. These companies have lawyers, lots of them, deep pockets too. And legislators, don’t forget them. Didn’t get the proper effect? Prove you followed direction precisely, with data, blood/tissue samples, witnesses, etc… [ironic that the companies themselves aren’t proving it either]. Don’t forget to read all the fine print on the labels or in the ads or on the web site. Good luck without a law degree.
A side note, JNJ had another suit about talcum powder causing cancer go against them in the St. Louis area. There and some parts of Texas are known as being highly favorable to injury suits and patent trolling. JNJ has prevailed in other areas of the country. I expect JNJ will prevail on appeal.
Ethical medical scientists would maybe love it, but Big Pharma and Big Alt med are to a large degree the same companies. This way they get to make money from both. Regulate the natural remedies and they lose a lot more revenue than they’ll gain from people switching to functioning remedies.