Without the Whitecoat
Mangosteen... food supplement or cure-all
This may be a continuation of some sort after I had brought up that the airwaves have been consumed by some food supplements without any therapeutic effects whatsoever but promise to cure all the illnesses of this world. Due to the insistence of a fellow brother, I attended the business meeting of distributors and consumers of XANGO, Iloilo City. The presentations of Mr. Tolman and Mr. Barson were products of the best business schools in the United States. A very impressive and excellent marketing strategy and presentation with the endpoint of a multi-level marketing scheme in which I took off my hat to the presentation that made wonders in the audience. With a very impressive marketing scheme then comes a very interesting product, a fruit puree in which the pericarp is used to derive xanthones, the antioxidants (Alpha mangostins and Gamma Mangostin). The phytonutrient is available in the world's most exotic fruit... the mangosteen.
The presentation had touched on the marketing side of the product, its origin, the company that is behind it and the most important thing that was shown to us was the financial rewards and gains that is involved in the product. There were distributors that came all the way from the US of A bringing good tidings and infallible examples on how the fruit drink can bring you the necessary and much awaited rewards and gains.
I had never become skeptic when it comes to alternative medicine or herbal medicine, because I also prescribe Ascof Lagundi for my patient's cough and Sambong Releaf for cases of nephrolithiasis. I hope this won't be another of those companies that promise all the downlines the best things in life and bringing all the wealth and honor to the uplines.
The first thing that caught my eye was when I signed in during the function at the Boracay Hall of Sarabia Manor Hotel was a column that indicated uplines and downlines. That really put a big frown on my face. I asked myself what kind of racket it is, but since a worthy brother invited me then it is worth a time to listen and ponder. I was looking back at that company that always promised you to live forever in a life of luxury and happiness. With only one product that is backed with research and development, but none that I have seen that is backed by any kind of scientific facts and study all I read upon with the accompanying literature "the Doctors' Choice" may contain all testimonies from all practicing physicians on all various fields of specialty, thus it has strengthened its claim as a very potent antioxidant against any toxins in the body.
As one doctor had placed "it is the most successful food supplement ever," just remember it is very hard to revoke or repudiate any statement made by a well known physician or someone who had been a pioneer in her/his field of specialty. We should all draw a line between testimonies versus evidence based medicine and practice. A lot of scientific materials and papers about "xanthones" or any antioxidants have to be published so that the medical community at large can further do clinical based trials.
Xango may be the answer to all the ailments and illnesses of life, or it will remain just like another beverage over the counter that promises to bring in energy and stamina, or could it be an answer as a cure-all drug, may the question be, can the entire community or population as an alternative medicine afford its price. At 30 to 40 dollars a pop or translated to 2,500 pesos per bottle, it may be a big hole on the patient's pocket.
I still believe that the traditional practice of medicine learned at medical schools and those that have history dating back to the times of Hippocrates and Aristotle with its time-tested cure of ailments still occupy a greater slice of the pie, and there is still room for alternative and herbal medicine in this time of our lives, but we also have to consider the cost of the remedies considering the hardship we are in now.