I am also in support of a free market economy - let the buyer beware. I take time to research and understand the vitamins and supplements I take, I don't feel sorry for those who get scammed. If you don't know how to use gasoline correctly, you just may get burned. Should we outlaw gasoline? How about those who buy the higher grades of gas thinking it's better for their car, they pay more but in the vast majority of the cases it doesn't actually benefit them. Buyer beware.
If you think the government should be in the position of telling us what vitamin is good for us and what isn't, then you are saying that you believe the government will be acting in your best interest when it has proven time and time again that it doesn't work that way. If you have a powerful lobby, your drug/scam/"high priced item" can be government approved no problem.
Research has clearly shown that many heath conditions can be improved or even cured by taking food supplements. It's not all that surprising to me that the body can heal itself if given what it needs since many of those conditions are caused by poor nutrition over a period of time. A quick fix pill is a "liberal" solution that covers symptoms but seldom cures the problem. The cure often requires self discipline, a longer term approach, and personal ownership of your own health - that sounds like conservatism to me.
In many cases, that can't or shouldn't be done without a doctor's help. That assumes everyone has access to one, which isn't true.
And I never advocated outlawing anything, did I? I hate it when people do that.
All of this also assumes perfectly educated people, and that everyone is in total control of their faculties. Even if we miraculously get the former (dream on), we never will have the latter, which is why financial scams against the elderly can work so well. I'm sure you wouldn't advocate total dereg of the insurance industry or of complex financial products.
As to FDA, Walter Williams suggested that in the absence of FDA, a drug-biz equivalent of Underwriters Labs would be created and that would serve as a better screen than the totally risk-averse FDA. This would serve as a great due-diligence starting point for consumers and docs, when available. And I'd be willing to entertain the notion that someone can try to peddle their supplements with the drug-UL equivalent label, so that it people wanted to do the experimental stuff, they could.
I'd be willing to take a chance on gutting the FDA and trying the private-screening idea out. Is that free-market enough for you?