Unproven Alternative Substances on Shelf Next to Helpful Products

The idea of freedom of expression is near and dear to Americans. Unfortunately, it does not always fully protect us from misinformation of the type that is disturbingly common among people or companies hawking health-related products and services.

The Food and Drug Administration has the authority to limit claims made by manufacturers of prescription drugs and certain food products, but it has minimal power to regulate claims for “food supplements,” a broad category that includes vitamins, herbs and other botanicals, as well as many other over-the-counter remedies. In the public’s mind, these products often are lumped into the category of “alternative” therapies, while the medical community prefers to use terms such as “complementary” or “complementary or alternative therapies.”

For those involved in complementary medicine, this absence of regulatory oversight creates a problem, and it is an even greater problem for the consumer. How do we know what’s good, what’s bad, and what, indeed, could produce serious harm?

The phrase “complementary and alternative medicine” is confusing because it combines two unrelated categories of health care. “Alternative” therapies often are promoted as literal alternatives to mainstream treatment, often for serious illnesses. Complementary therapies, in contrast, are used for more common aches and pains, and to enhance quality of life.

Until recent decades, “alternative” therapies--or those that were not scientifically “proven” by Western medical standards--were largely available underground or outside of the United States. Some of the claims were outrageous, with proponents claiming benefits beyond anything that mainstream medicine could offer.

Outrageous claims are still out there, but the variety of questionable cures for illness is now crowded with openly promoted, widely available regimens. This has created unfortunate marketing practices, which are enticing to patients facing major disease.

Recent changes help clarify needed distinctions between unproved alternatives and supportive complementary modalities. For example, a research agency of the National Institutes of Health, formerly called the Office of Alternative Medicine, has been renamed the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The importance of a clear distinction between “alternative” and “complementary” was validated by results of a 1999 study, the largest public survey of how people use unconventional therapies. The study found that all but 2% who used unconventional remedies did so to complement, rather than replace, mainstream care.

The key for the consumer is less what the therapy consists of, but rather how it is used or promoted. Therapies sold as cures for incurable illnesses are by definition unproven and “alternative.” Those promoted to control pain or improve well-being may be perceived as “complementary” therapies.

Laetrile, long promoted as an “alternative” cancer cure, has never been proven to work. On the other hand, the “complementary” therapy glucosamine is accurately marketed for relief of arthritis pain. It works for that purpose, but makes no claim to cure the underlying ailment.

Some therapies could fall into “complementary” and “alternative” categories, depending on how they are used. Massage, for example, is a wonderful complementary therapy, but I know one therapist who claims he cured a patient’s breast cancer using a form of massage.

So what does this mean to the reader? Unproven alternatives are out there, often on the shelf next to products that actually are safe and helpful. Before you try something, especially if it’s not clear if the product is safe and helpful, look for indicators. How is the product promoted? Is it described as a “secret remedy?” (Beware!)

You may also want to investigate which scientist conducted the research into the product and at which medical institution to assess the claims’ credibility. You can use the Internet to tap reliable resources, such as https://www.nih.gov or https://www.cancer.org and talk with your doctor.