Pipe dream Ha , perhaps; but try to imagine whats so impossible about getting some farmer to save back the glands and then buying a bit of dry ice to freeze dry it for yourself. People have lost the self reliance that made the free world great. Its my view that a person shouldn't have to be subject to any authority when it comes to providing the means of health. If you have to get some holy grail supplement from a factory source to make yourself whole then is that real health freedom. I hear where you are coming from, its just that I have taken a more absolutist stance that the food should be thy medicine. There is a natural food source that could replace any supplement that the body truly needs.
For example you say that mineral supplements really helped you, well what about using bone meal instead, I take a rasp and grind up a few mouth wads of bone meal from time to time myself. I am an advocate of the Idea that most supplements are not necessary if you would only seek out the right food sources. I don't wish to take anyone's rights away, I am just saying that the supplement industry in itself feeds off of much of the same ignorance that the medical establishment feeds off of and people should educate themselves about food based alternatives before they start popping pills.
As for the power of the free market to regulate the snake oil salesmen , I seriously doubt that the Laissez-faire anything goes free market faction is much more of an Ideal than at least attempting to have a constitutionally based system of limited regulation.
No one has yet to address that proposal directly. I am not saying that we should allow for total arbitrary control to be placed in the hands of central government , only that the government should have a limited authority to step in when there are any real and scientifically valid areas of concern. Of course I here the voice of the opposition to any regulation and do have concerns myself about how you will never find a way to put people of integrity into such positions of power.
No one wants the same people who approve round up ready GMO crops to have the power to ban harmless vitamin supplements
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/07/worlds-largest-human-experiment-part.htmlWe have scientific proof that these chemicals that are being placed in the food supply are causing biological harm, but the agency responsible for regulation is to busy trying to prevent people from using vitamins to address the real issues of mass poisoning. There are just so many absurdities regarding corruption that must be resolved before a rational debate can occur. (Just a Pipe dream I know)
Things are dire on both fronts of the debate and the path of the righteous man is beset on all sides.