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Supplements And Snake Oils

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(shannonkringen/Flickr)
(shannonkringen/Flickr)

Hey, you. Want a flat stomach? A faster metabolism? Maybe to get rid of that cellulite? Well, today is your lucky day because we have a pill for that. Or if not a pill, then a cream or a tea or a belt, or some magic solution that money can buy.

Since the beginning of time, there have been snake oil salesmen, who will tell you they have a mysterious cure for what ails you. These days, instead of creepy cloaked hawkers of weird liquids, it's models on Instagram or supplement lines with fancy packaging that promises to help you with your biggest frustration.

If only it were so easy...But no, if ever there was a time for a ringing "Buyer beware!" it's when you're promised a simple solution — and if it's a supplement, it's a largely unregulated solution.

As Dr. Eddie Phillips puts it in episode 10: "Here's a good general rule of thumb for life and not just nutrition. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Headshot of Carey Goldberg

Carey Goldberg Editor, CommonHealth
Carey Goldberg is the editor of WBUR's CommonHealth section.

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