Want to learn the ideas in Do You Believe in Magic? better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Do You Believe in Magic? by Paul A. Offit, MD here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of Do You Believe in Magic?

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on Do You Believe in Magic?, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Paul A. Offit, MD.

1-Page Summary of Do You Believe in Magic?

Overview

Have you ever gone to the doctor, complaining about a pain all over your body, and been told that you’re perfectly healthy? Alternative medicine practitioners would never dismiss their patients in this way. They’d use pendulums or ask many questions to find out what’s really wrong with them.

It’s no surprise that many Americans are unhappy with modern medicine. They prefer a naturopath’s personal touch to scary high-tech machines and they’ve heard negative stories about big pharmaceutical companies.

But alternative medicine isn’t always the best option. It can be dangerous and have serious side effects. For example, between 1983 and 2004, there were 1.3 million reports of adverse reactions to vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements in the United States alone. Alternative medicine is also not supported by much evidence because it’s based on testimonials rather than scientific research or clinical trials with large sample sizes.

The author will share with you three key points about dynamizers, which are people who have the ability to take a company from zero to hero. He’ll also talk about how former Playmates of the Year can connect with dying babies and what nurses used on patients when they ran out of morphine during World War Two.

Big Idea #1: Dietary supplements and natural remedies are not as healthy as you think.

If you feel tired and look older than your age, it is probably because of vitamins. However, there are some good news: You just need to take some pills and everything will be OK.

If only it were that simple. The reality is that vitamin supplements are overrated and not as beneficial as we think they are. If we listen to the claims of supplement providers, then we’re easily convinced that vitamins are a modern miracle.

Even though Linus Pauling was a great chemist and won two Nobel prizes, he still made mistakes. He claimed that if you take 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C every day, it can cure not only a common cold but also cancer. However, the studies show that this isn’t true at all. Vitamin pills don’t improve your health; they can even make things worse.

In 2004, researchers at the University of Copenhagen reviewed several studies and found that people who took vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene had a six percent higher death rate than those who didn’t take any supplements.

Big Idea #2: Celebrities have been instrumental in promoting dubious miracle cures.

Some celebrities are desperate for fame and money, so they will promote products that could be harmful to people’s health.

An example of this is Suzanne Somers, an actress. After her recovery from breast cancer, she promoted a form of hormone therapy that was actually dangerous. This therapy used hormones manufactured in Germany instead of natural ones.

Somers soon began to promote the same regimen to other menopausal women, claiming that she had discovered the elixir of youth. Somers regularly injected her face with Botox and endorsed hormone shots as a solution for menopause. The common side effects included heart disease, blood clots and cancer.

Similarly, Playboy model Jenny McCarthy blamed vaccines for causing autism. She was desperate to find alternative care for her son when she came across a doctor who recommended the controversial DAN! program of the Autism Research Institute.

Some people are against vaccinations. McCarthy has joined the fight and is campaigning for parents to not vaccinate their children. This campaign has caused many parents to be wary of vaccination, which in turn means that fewer kids are being vaccinated today than they were before. As a result, there have been more deaths among newborns from diseases like whooping cough in recent years. Of course, some people still respect celebrities and will listen to what they say about health issues because of this fact but we should remember that just because someone is on the Walk of Fame doesn’t mean that he or she knows anything about health!

Do You Believe in Magic? Book Summary, by Paul A. Offit, MD