One of my immediate family is a Registered Pharmacist and they deal with this throughout their day. Especially natural herb remedies and taking vitamin cures. Three things they say stand out for me.
(1) Big Pharma doesn't have all the answers, nor a vested interest in cheap simple remedies. No snake oil salesman will ever make billions $$$ hawking $20 copper bracelets to alleviate joint pain, but big pharma often do make billions by hawking the latest Arthritis medication.
(2) The placebo effect is real and often works for small discomforts (headaches, minor pain etc). but will NEVER be a authentic cure for Cancer. As long as you clearly know that, no harm, no foul, unless that snake oil is $200,000 or that you actually do believe that it will cure terminal illnesses.
(3) Doctors rarely prescribe sugar pills, but they do often prescribe medications in such low doses, every qualified medical professional involved knows its going to have no proven effect or side effect on what the patient feels and is simply prescribed for their mental health, more than their physical health.