Supplements Under Siege: Inside the Conspiracy to Take Away Your Vitamins, Minerals And Herbs

. Lawmakers and regulators are constantly weighing how much freedom or limitations to impose on those of us who look to health remedies not always found in our doctor’s office. How they respond to these various interests will determine the future of American medicine - whether it's a true free market system in which the best therapies can rise on their merits, or a climate in which only the most strictly regulated and tightly controlled treatments can be used.On one side stand the vitamin and supplement makers, nutritionists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and other medical practitioners. It is estimated that one-third of Americans already use some form of alternative treatments. Opposite them are the pharmaceutical companies, the American Medical Association, the pharmacy industry, HMOs and insurance companies and their assorted lobbyists. In general, the alternative side offers lower-price solutions and the inherent advantage of warding off disease, not just treating symptoms. The other side has deeper pockets. It’s up to us to decide who wins or if there should be a truce.