$Unique_ID{BRK01032}
$Pretitle{Community and Social Problems}
$Title{About Cures That Promise Miracles}
$Subject{quackery FDA cures}
$Volume{Q-23}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


About Cures That Promise Miracles


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QUESTION:  I have collected some advertisements for cures that you never
mention in you column (copies enclosed).  Do you think that the promises made
here can possible be true?  If not, you are not being correct with your
faithful readers by failing to expose them.  May I respectfully request your
comments?

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ANSWER:  Perhaps I have been remiss, but I would turn this column into nothing
else if I were to comment on all the clippings I receive that promise
miracles, such as the selection you sent me.  Surely you have observed for
yourself that these claims are too good to be true?  And they are just that
"not true"!  Yet these companies are estimated to have had sales of $27
BILLION to gullible consumers.  Let me provide you with the list of the Food
and Drug Administration's (FDA) "top ten" drug frauds.  1:  Arthritis
products:  such as snake or bee venom, copper bracelets, large doses of
vitamins; 2:  Cancer clinics promising miracle cures using Laetrile, plus
vitamin and mineral treatments; 3:  AIDS cures using homemade treatments; 4:
Instant Weight Loss schemes, including skin patches, herbal capsules and
Chinese magic weight loss earrings; 5:  Sexual aids promising increased libido
and enhanced sexual pleasure; 6:  Appearance modifiers such as quack baldness
cures, wrinkle removers and breast developers; 7:  Nutritional schemes that
promote the "beneficial" qualities of such products as bee pollen, herbal
remedies and wheat germ capsules; 8:  Chelation therapies that claim that an
injection or tablet of amino acid will break down arterial plaque; 9:  Muscle
stimulators that claim to remove wrinkles, perform face lifts, and remove
cellulite; 10:  Candidiasis hypersensitivity cures that claim to help the body
deal with overgrowths of Candida, and thus reduce anxiety, depression
impotence and infertility.  Medications approved by the FDA for use in the
United States have undergone extensive and expensive evaluations proving both
safety and effectiveness, which the promoters of these schemes have failed to
do.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
