Myles, I don't know about the FDA but over here, supplementary and alternative medicines can make whatever claims they like. Thus - chiropractors claim to cure asthma and diabetes, homeopaths claim to cure cancer, acupuncturists claim to cure autoimmune and joint diseases, and all amount of pseudoscientific quackery flourishes. OTOH - pharmaceuticals are strictly regulated, especially expensive drugs. As a doc, if I wanted to prescribe some drugs labelled "authority", I have to call up the feds, give a code, justify my decision, before I am allowed to prescribe.