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    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    So-Called Smart Drugs

    Herbal supplements are a huge business, even though lots of them have no proven effects. And in fact, some may be a total scam. Yesterday, the New York State attorney general cracked down on supplements sold at Target and other stores that were fake, and in many cases contaminated with non-listed ingredients.

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    By Madeleine Brand • Feb 3, 2015 • 1 min read

    Herbal supplements are a huge business, even though lots of them have no proven effects. And in fact, some may be a total scam. Yesterday, the New York State attorney general cracked down on supplements sold at Target and other stores that were fake, and in many cases contaminated with non-listed ingredients. But that won’t keep people from trying to “hack” their biology with so-called smart drugs. We hear about the attempts, and the pitfalls.

    The full episode

    3 of 6
    Vaccines Get Political, “Smart” Drugs, and Harper Lee’s New Novel
    1. 0:00The Politics of Vaccinations
    2. 8:09Eula Biss’ Vaccine About-Face
    3. 18:13So-Called Smart DrugsYou’re reading this
    4. 26:06“To Kill a Mockingbird” Sequel Coming This Summer
    5. 32:44Newbery Award Winner Kwame Alexander on “The Crossover”
    6. 40:59Self-Driving Cars, Uber, Google, and Other Car News
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Andrew Walsh

      Too Beautiful to Live

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Matt Holzman

      Producer, 'The Document'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Marek Kohn

      Neurobiologist

      News

    The full episode

    3 of 6
    Vaccines Get Political, “Smart” Drugs, and Harper Lee’s New Novel
    1. 0:00The Politics of Vaccinations
    2. 8:09Eula Biss’ Vaccine About-Face
    3. 18:13So-Called Smart DrugsYou’re reading this
    4. 26:06“To Kill a Mockingbird” Sequel Coming This Summer
    5. 32:44Newbery Award Winner Kwame Alexander on “The Crossover”
    6. 40:59Self-Driving Cars, Uber, Google, and Other Car News
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand