evidence: Alternative therapies involve a variety of products and practices that aren’t part of conventional medical care and are used instead of standard treatment. But many of those methods haven’t been adequately tested, and there is little information about their safety and efficacy. This is particularly true for health products marketed online, which are largely unregulated. One main risk of these products is they may discourage patients from seeking life-saving medical treatments. Furthermore, many of them can also cause side effects or interfere with standard medical treatment. In the worst-case scenario, the product itself can be downright dangerous to people.