Medical Quackery

Medical quackery is loosely defined as the practice of palming off fake cures as medical fact. It is not always done for the purpose of financial gain but often to concoct or contort fact simply to suit one's own personal beliefs or pretensions.  

Signs of Medical Quackery:

1. Products that claim to provide a relief, remedy  or cure to a whole number of medical conditions. Be suspicious.
2. Special or secret cures that can only be obtained through a single company.
3. Promises of quick or easy weight loss without diet or exercise.
4. Products advertising instant or fast cures.
5. Products advertising instant or fast weight loss while eating whatever you want (the "no diet" diet).
6. Products or persons promising cures for diseases with no known cure. (Example: "The cancer cure being hidden by doctors")
7. Testimonials about miracle breakthroughs with no reporting in the medical literature.
8. Products that require advance payments or products with limited availability.
9. Offers promising a scientific breakthrough or a miracle cure.
10. "Money-back" guarantees if success is not achieved.
11. There are no reliable and specific medical references to independent research on the claims.
12. Claims using only heartfelt testimonials and anecdotal evidence as proof of Patent Medicine effectiveness..
13. Presenting quack science as proof while claiming to be the source of truths suppressed either by the government, corporations or the medical establishment.
14. Publishing scientific papers/proof in "The Journal of Irreproducible Results."
15. Finally, if the claim sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true.

According to the industry, nutraceuticals are ‘pharmaceutical grade’ nutrients that are consumed for a health benefit. In reality, they are vitamins, minerals, herbs, and extracts. 

But you won’t find the word “nutraceutical” in federal law. The only place it appears on the FDA website is in the names of companies that have received warning letters for violating the FDA regulations.

According to the FDA regulations, most nutraceuticals would be categorized as “dietary supplements”. These are extracts, concentrates or combinations of vitamins, minerals, botanicals, herbs, or dietary substances  “for use by man to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake.” 

One of the primary indicators between dietary supplements and drugs relates to health claims. Whereas a dietary supplement is meant to provide nutrients, a drug is designed to treat illness or disease.

So, in order to maintain classification as a dietary supplement (and avoid the FDA’s strict drug approval process), Nutraceuticals must maintain that they are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure diseases. So, no label claims about treating pain, or preventing cancer.

Producers of nutraceuticals classified as dietary supplements are required to register their facility with the FDA. Much like foods, producers of nutraceuticals are expected to comply with Current Good Manufacturing Practices -- these outline facility standards, employee practices, and sanitation requirements, to ensure that the product is produced in a safe manner.

Labeling standards for dietary supplements are lumped together with those for foods. However, there are unique expectations for how dietary supplements are marketed and what claims they can make. 

For the complete set of regulations on producing dietary supplements, check out the guided question set in 21 CFR 111

Information from ---> AARP