Remember when pain and ailment treatments were just Bufferin, Ludens, Geritol, and maybe a bowl of soup? None of these embarrassed you if they were spotted around the house by visitors.
You could even mention them at the dinner table, since they had nothing to do with, say, bladder leaks.
Back then, you never checked to see what was in them. You trusted products like Serutan because it was, after all, “Natures” spelled backward. If it spells natures backward, it’s got to be darn safe, right? So safe, you could keep it next to your ketchup and mustard.
Today, you have to be careful not to leave your “Riskall Max” with Verhexin R2M2 out on the dinner table. That testosterone booster is obviously out of place and not going to be used to sass up meatloaf. There are now scores of such unmentionablemeds being advertised in print and TV. And few ever make it by the napkin holder.
That magazine ad for Riskall Max might promise to prevent “unseemly hormonal dysfunction.” But turn the page, and you’ll find a fine-print list of side effects, including: “may cause dizziness, nausea, or emergency care.” Not to mention “not recommended for children under 5.” This page of warnings is the equivalent of a chapter from Dostoevsky. Meanwhile, the ad shows happy folks barbecuing, dancing, playing by the pool with an ostrich, or leading a racial protest.
In Mexico, more people are rediscovering natural remedies like Serutan—often healthier, simpler and way cheaper than drugs with ingredients that look like algebraic equations.
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