Natural doesn't mean safe

Some dietary and herbal supplements have failed to show a benefit when scientists have studied them. 

For example, several major studies of the herb Echinacea did not find evidence of benefit against the common cold. 

• Pharmaceuticals undergo extensive testing to prove they're effective and safe before they can be sold, but dietary supplements can be sold without proof of claims, effectiveness or safety.
• Daily multivitamin consumption does not lower heart disease risk.
• The FDA has found mor...

Placebos are often used in clinical drug trials to determine how well a potential medicine will work.

• There are two different groups of subjects in a placebo-controlled trial - one receives the experimental drug and the other the placebo. Neither researchers nor subjects know which ...