Library:Do You Believe in Magic?
| Do You Believe in Magic? The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine | |
|---|---|
| Author | Paul A. Offit |
| First published | 2013 |
| ISBN | — |
| Role | Analysis |
| Domains | Health & Medicine Food, Nutrition & Wellness |
| Tactics | Pseudoscience / Junk Science Fraud or Scam |
Do You Believe in Magic? The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine is a 2013 book by Paul A. Offit.
Summary
Pediatrician Paul Offit examines the alternative medicine industry, including dietary supplements, megavitamins, acupuncture, chiropractic and treatments for autism and cancer. He separates remedies that work from those that do not, and describes the harm some have caused.
Key points
- Supplements. Offit explains how the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act let supplements reach the US market without proof of safety or effectiveness.
- Vitamin C. He tells how Nobel laureate Linus Pauling's promotion of megadose vitamin C spread despite evidence against it.
- Antioxidants. Large trials found that some antioxidant supplements, such as beta-carotene in smokers, increased cancer risk rather than reducing it.
- Placebo. Offit discusses what placebo effects can and cannot do.
Relevance to Bullshitopedia
The book is a guide to evaluating health claims for products sold as natural, which make up a large share of health misinformation.