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Supplement Information: Help or Hype?

By Jill Place, MA, RD

Everybody wants a magic pill to cure cancer.

A very popular, and very expensive, supplement widely used by cancer patients promises just that. It's also supposed to have a lot of scientific research behind it. But the doctor who invented it has unethically done all the research. And the Federal Trade Commission has recently told this doctor that they think he's making fraudulent claims about his supplement. Yet more and more people with cancer are willing to plunk down the $100 price and believe the miracle cure hype every day.

Another herbal supplement taken as a tea has the same kind of following. And the same kind of hype. A recent well-done research study showed no significant difference between the group that got the tea and the group that didn't. In other words, the tea didn't cure cancer. There's really no magic pill that can.

There's good information about supplements on the internet and other places. You just have to find it. Here's a handy guide to separate the help from the hype.

Be Careful of Information and Internet Sites that are Selling Something.
They're probably more interested in taking your money than giving you unbiased information about supplements. You can get good supplement information from websites like The Natural Pharmacist, www.tnp.com, or Consumer Lab, www.consumerlab.com. The Natural Pharmacist says that its information is:

Science-based	Shows both positive and negative findings
Independent and unbiased	Cites both traditional and alternative treatments
Easy to understand	MD and PhD supervised
Up to date

These are exactly the qualities you're looking for in supplement information or an internet site.

Steer Clear of Information that Makes these Kinds of Claims:

miraculous/miracle	"nothing less than amazing"
cure	proves/proven
all natural	exclusive/secret
breakthrough	absolutely no side effects
non-toxic	"the most powerful ___ known to man"
organic	exotic/foreign

Unfortunately, all of the statements above were taken from literature selling actual supplements.

You Can Most Likely Believe Information that Makes these Kinds of Claims:

provides nutrition support	might be effective
may help	suggested uses
research suggests	well researched

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

If the last two statements above don't appear on you supplement bottle, the company selling it isn't savvy.

Steer Clear of Cure-All Products.

The broader the claim that a product can cure all types of illness, the less believable it is. These kinds of products are akin to cure-alls hawked by snake oil salesmen in the Old West.

Look for Credible Authors with Credible Credentials.

The author of the article or internet information should ideally be a licensed health professional like a doctor, a therapist, or a dietitian. It's also a plus if the author is affiliated with a health care institution, like a hospital or a university.

Credible Authors Don't Always Give You Credible Information.

Unfortunately, there are health care professionals who are unethical and want to cash in on the supplement boom, like our doctor above. If you're not sure about the integrity of the author, use the other suggestions on these pages to judge information in print or on the internet.

Are the Claims Scientific or Testimonial?

Steer clear of information that's got tons of testimonials by people who have used the product and are raving about how miraculous it is. Valid information has scientific research to back it up, and this research should be discussed or quoted in your information. And the more human studies they cite the better.

Do They Actually Tell You What's in There?

Legitimate supplement information fully explains all the ingredients and why they're in the product. Give a wide berth to a product if ingredients or side effects aren't fully disclosed.

Does the Information Put Down The Health Care Profession?

Run if it does. This type of "we-them" information borders on fanaticism, not science.

Is the Information Current?

New scientific research comes out every day. It's important that the information be as timely as possible.

Spiritual Thoughts Belong in Spiritual Literature.

One internet site that was selling a popular cancer supplement flew off its scientific path at some point and began to talk about angels. Spirituality and faith definitely have their place in cancer treatment. But their place is not on a supposedly scientific supplement site.

Supplements can't Cure Cancer!

Supplements may reduce side effects and help drugs work better during treatment and might provide nutrition support for prevention after treatment. So using supplements along with traditional treatment is probably a good idea. But using supplements and other alternative therapies instead of traditional treatment probably isn't. Any information that urges you to stop treatment and take a "magic pill" should be ignored.

Discuss your Supplement Choices with your Dietitian or Supplement Savvy Specialist.

Someone who knows a lot about supplements is probably your best resource for information and the one who can best evaluate your supplement choices.

If it Sounds too Good to be True...It Probably Is!

© Copyright 2002 Jill Place, MA, RD