On 11/4/2011 1:45 PM, Steve B wrote:

I must admit that I would like to find a good vitamin program that may
assist me with various ailments and conditions I have. The problem I have
is that the salesman are trained in selling, and cannot intelligently answer
questions regarding the medical or chemical aspects of their product. Since
it's all results oriented, they are not going to say any of this is bad for
you. And that is the problem that I have with 99% of the people selling
this stuff. Not enough research, and the attitude that if it was bad for
people, of course, they would not be selling it.


No enough research is done on these items because they are classified as
supplements, not drugs, and by law, the FDA's regulatory requirements
for allowing them on the market is quite different. Drugs have to be
shown by scientific testing to be both safe and effective. Supplements
only have to be shown to be safe. Lots of products are grandfathered
("generally regarded as safe") and don't officially have to meet any
criterion other than not to test adulterated.

Additionally, it is MUCH cheaper to market a supplement. Current PHARMA
estimates are that it costs about $1B to invent, fully test, license,
produce, and distribute a new drug. Nothing near that for a supplement.

I interpret your comment about salesmen as pertaining to salesmen of
supplements. However, much of your criticism applies as well to drug
"detail men" that make the rounds of doctors' offices and hospitals,
handing out samples and trying to convince their potential clients to
prescribe and/or purchase what they are selling. Although they can only
legally speak to the FDA licensed indications and contraindications of
their products, as well as the chemical aspects of those products, they
too are predominantly trained to sell, and you will never hear any of
them saying anything negative about their wares.