Magic Bullets or Modern Snake Oil? #6

Final Thoughts

The whole idea behind this book, “Magic Bullets or Modern Snake Oil? - Your Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements” was to provide a critical look at the dietary supplement industry and the scientific evidence for (or against) the hundreds of supplement ingredients currently on the market – and to do so from a consumer’s perspective by providing education and guidance in deciding whether or not to try a given supplement.

Despite the large number of supplements outlined in the following chapters, this guide barely scratches the surface of the thousands of products presently available in the marketplace. As much as possible, I have attempted to distill the most directly relevant information about each supplement in an effort to clarify the primary (substantiated) benefit for a particular ingredient. In many cases, supplements may have overlapping indications, such as vitamin E, which has benefits in the heart, brain, eyes and skin – so although this book covers specific supplements in specific chapters, it is important to note that many “multi-function” supplements exist (see Master Supplement Chart for the extent of each overlap).

One final note needs to be made about the clear limitations of any book dealing with health, disease and self-care issues – that being the obvious fact that no two people are alike and that each person has specific health needs that must be addressed on an individual basis in consultation with his or her own health care provider. In no way should the information presented in this book be construed as medical advice or as an alternative to professional medical care. Instead, this book is meant as a first step in exposing the reader to the pros and cons of using dietary supplements as well as an attempt to raise the public awareness of the level of scientific substantiation behind these products – and the need for more research.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A version of this monograph can be found in A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements (Haworth Press) by Shawn M. Talbott, PhD.

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