And, so we have this. (item #280083001705).
Homeopathic medicine has been in focus for several years now, with the rise in popularity of exotic Chinese medicine and the criticisms of pharmaceutical companies. As they are derived from supposedly "natural" sources like plant extracts rather than chemicals, they are touted as a safer alternative.
Therefore, instead of taking pseudoephedra (Sudafed) for a cold, you take echinachea. Instead of taking your chemical antidepressants, you take St. John's Wort. Instead of actually eating properly and getting off the couch to hit the gym or go for a walk, you take Hoodia Gordonii.
Native to regions in southern Africa, it has been traditionally used (in SMALL doses) for treating indigestion and small infections. Recently, it has been investigated for use as an appetite suppressant.
TrimSpa, is one of the many companies that market this particular product, naming this product X32, employing Anna Nicole Smith as their celebrity spokesperson. With her recent passing and the current class-action lawsuits against TrimSpa, it's no wonder why this particular auction (as of this writing), has exactly ONE bid, at a whopping total of $0.01.
ConsumerReports refuses to recommend the product based on a lack of scientific evidence, while scientific studies involving lab rats with P57, the active ingredient in hoodia gordonii, directly injected into the rat's brains, yet the product was still broken down by the liver.
This auction is particularly troubling. Since I used to work in retail, I understand the value of add-on sales and accessorizing. But when their sales pitch is worded like this: "We highly recommend also taking our bee pollen capsules along with these to get back your energy from not eating..."
The banner graphic from the seller reads, "Don't ask WHERE they are from." Uh...bad idea.
No comments:
Post a Comment