Sometimes expert panels have wisdom - No evidence soy, garlic pills work Experts: Benefits unproven for popular supplements.

But leading botanical researchers, meeting under the auspices of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said these products vary greatly in what they contain and some may not even be in a form that can be used by the body.

“The available clinical trial results are not adequate to answer important questions about the potential cardiovascular benefits of garlic,” Christopher Gardner of Stanford University in California told the meeting.

But why should we believe that any supplement will help? Why do we rebel from conventional medicine and data, turning instead to herbal gurus? We should not allow the sale of potentially dangerous supplements - which apparently have no standards for ingredients. Should we allow herbal placebos? Are we satisfied if the supplements just do not harm? I am not satisfied with that standard.