Let's not forget the mysterious but very real placebo effect though! Most of the supplement industry ($50 billion in the US annually dome say) - which you could look at as a waste of money, or a relatively safe and inexpensive way to feel better.
Of course the WH is said to have a Dr Feelgood on its staff, and those items are clearly not placebos, but maybe we are seeing the side effects play out on the world stage ;-)