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To Your Good Health

By Keith Roach, M.D.

Do Companies Advertise Ineffective Supplements?

DEAR DR. ROACH: I see supplements advertised on television that are supposed to clear “brain fog” and do many other beneficial things. Are these any good, and can they actually do the things that they claim? If they are effective, why aren’t they sold at drugstores? If not, how is it that companies are allowed to make these false claims and advertise these supplements on television? -- J.L.P.

ANSWER: I believe that there are over-the-counter supplements that are effective for treating some medical conditions, and there are a few instances in which there is strong evidence of benefit, such as a vitamin and mineral formula to slow progression of macular degeneration. Very often, there isn’t enough data to be sure a supplement is either effective or ineffective.

* On June 13, 1966, the Supreme Court hands down its decision in Miranda v. Arizona, establishing the principle that all criminal suspects must be advised of their rights when in custody and about to be interrogated. (The History Channel)