Joseph Mercola is a popular alternative medicine doctor who advocates for many unproven alternate health treatments while making millions of dollars selling the supposed cures to those conditions. His advertising is slick, cleverly misusing and altering information, relying on scare tactics, and always turning to the reliable standby: conspiracy theories. He is the modern day snake-oil salesman who uses devious psychological techniques to manipulate and influence his readers.
1) What Mercola honestly believes causes cancer:
Root canals.
Tattoos. Birth control. Bras. Microwave popcorn. The H1N1 vaccine. The HPV
vaccine. Actually, most vaccines. Cellphones. Landlines (if they’re cordless).
Fructose. Antiperspirant. Tamoxifen (a cancer treatment). Heartburn
medications. Tap water. Power lines. Burning incense. Electric blankets. Hair
dye. Pringles. Carbs. “Dirty” electricity. Cereal.
2)
Mercola: Baking Soda Cures Cancer
Mercola
asserts several times in his web site that cancer is a fungus and sodium
bicarbonate – baking soda - is the cure.
Not one shred of evidence backs this up:
“This
‘theory’ comes from the not-very-observant observation that ‘cancer is always
white’. One obvious problem with this idea – apart from the fact that cancer
cells are clearly not fungal in origin – is that cancer isn’t always white.
Some tumours are. But some aren’t. Ask any pathologist or cancer surgeon, or
have a look on Google Image search (but maybe not after lunch…). Proponents of
this theory say that cancer is caused by infection by the fungus candida, and
that tumours are actually the body’s attempt at protecting itself from this
infection.
“But there’s
no evidence to show that this is true....... The ‘simple solution’ is
apparently to inject tumours with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). This isn’t
even the treatment used to treat proven fungal infections, let alone cancer. On
the contrary, there’s good evidence that high doses of sodium bicarbonate can
lead to serious – even fatal – consequences...... Because the body strongly
resists attempts to change its pH, usually by getting rid of bicarbonate
through the kidneys, there’s a risk that doses large enough to significantly
affect the pH around a tumour might cause a serious condition known as
alkalosis.”
3)
Mercola Brash on the Gerson Therapy
Mercola is
confident and bold in his continuous assertions that the Gerson Therapy cures
cancer. He believes the cure is achieved by a diet that is high in potassium,
low in sodium, abounding in organic fruits and vegetables, a staggering amounts
of vitamin supplements (available from his online store) and coffee enemas.
Inexplicably, this flushes out toxins, repairs the liver, and the cancer is
defeated. The facts prove otherwise:
“Based on
one methodologically flawed retrospective study and several case reports, there
is no clear evidence that Gerson therapy is an effective treatment for people
with cancer. A small ‘Best Case Series’ review concluded that both physical and
psychological benefits appeared to be offered by this regime, but these
findings have not been replicated in any acceptable trials. No randomized
controlled trials have been conducted on the Gerson Therapy. Attempts to
evaluate the Gerson therapy as a whole are problematic due to the complexity of
the treatment, time taken for its possible effectiveness and poor record
keeping/tracking of previous patients by the Gerson Institute….. A 2010
overview of the Gerson regimen reported that case reviews by the National
Cancer Institute (NCI) and the New York County Medical Society found no
evidence of usefulness for the Gerson diet.”
4)
Mercola In A Conflict of Interest
Dr. Mercola’s
web sites sells hundreds of health products and earns $9.8 million annually.
This is medically unethical:
“A
characteristic of real doctors and real health care providers is that they
usually don’t sell the drugs and remedies that they recommend. Indeed,
physicians are generally not allowed to in most states, as it’s considered a
conflict of interest. Also, the Stark Law forbids physician self-referral,
which is the referral of a patient to a medical facility in which that
physician has a financial interest, be it ownership, investment, or a
structured compensation arrangement. The reason why it’s considered unethical
for physicians to sell the drugs or treatments they recommend or to self-refer
is that there is an inherent conflict of interest in such practices, and self-referral
in particular encourages overutilization of services and the ordering of tests
that might not be medically necessary.”
5) Mercola Advises Against
Colonoscopies
Has
anyone actually died following Mercola’s dangerous advice? We may never know. He
says in one of his videos:
“I’m
61 and I’ve never had a colonoscopy and have no plans of ever getting one.
While I believe they can be valuable as a diagnostic tool, I feel confident
that with my diet (which includes daily amounts of raw turmeric) and lifestyle
it’s highly unlikely I would develop colon cancer.”
What
science–based evidence says:
“That’s
wishful thinking, not science. There is some preliminary evidence that certain
dietary interventions may be effective in modestly reducing the risk of some
cancers, but they don’t eliminate the risk. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive
Database states there is insufficient reliable information to rate the
effectiveness of turmeric in colorectal cancer prevention. It is foolish to
refuse colonoscopy based on such scanty evidence.
“Mercola
influences a lot of people, and the overall impact of this article is negative.
It will likely persuade a lot of his readers to forgo a potentially life-saving
procedure. You can see from the comments on his website that many of his
readers reject not only colonoscopies but mammograms, public health measures
like vaccination and fluoridation, and sometimes even conventional medicine as
a whole.”
6)
Mercola and Fluoridation
Mercola is a
conspiracy theorist who believes the evil US government is poisoning Americans
by adding fluoride
to drinking water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
“Early
investigations into the physiologic effects of fluoride in drinking water
pre-dated the first community field trials. Since 1950, opponents of water
fluoridation have claimed it increased the risk for cancer, Down syndrome,
heart disease, osteoporosis and bone fracture, acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome, low intelligence, Alzheimer disease, allergic reactions, and other
health conditions The safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation have been
re-evaluated frequently, and no credible evidence supports an association
between fluoridation and any of these conditions.”
7)
Mercola’s Mercurial Hypocrisy
Mercola has
stated and written that mercury is so toxic that "that entire buildings
have been evacuated for a mercury spill smaller than a standard dental
filling." He also states that: “There Is NO Safe Level of Mercury
Exposure”. However, his own product, Mercola’s Himalayan Crystal Salt, contains
mercury, as well as other chemicals like lead, aluminum and arsenic, that he
considers very dangerous in tiny amounts.
“Mercola
doesn’t stop there with the mineral misinformation. ‘[T]he salt industry is
successful in convincing you there are actually health advantages to adding
potentially toxic iodine,’ he laments. As a doctor, he must know that iodine is
a crucial micronutrient in the human diet. First added to salt in the mid-1920s
to mitigate the widespread incidence of goiter, an unsightly and life
threatening enlargement of the thyroid, it also plays a crucial role in brain
development.
“If Mercola
is truly so opposed to iodine in salt, we wonder why iodine is one of the 84
elements he claims beneficial in his Himalayan salt, over a dozen of which he
has declared unsafe or unsavory in some way, even in extremely minute amounts.
“Perhaps the
naturopathic doc doesn’t expect Mercola.com visitors to check the composition
of the products sold through his online store, and hopes the misleading
rhetoric will convert readers into customers.
After a hefty helping of fear mongering, with claims that normal table
salt causes everything from “unsightly cellulite” to arthritis, readers are
taken to a link to order Dr. Mercola’s own ‘Healthy Chef’ Himalayan Crystal
Salt.”
A more
detailed analysis is found at:
8) Mercola and Homeopathy
Mercola is well known for his advocacy of homeopathy in curing an almost
endless number of ailments and conditions. Professor in law and public health at
the University of Alberta and the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and
Policy, Timothy Caulfield summarizes the pseudo-scientific belief:
“Homeopathy has been around for hundreds of years. The basic philosophy
behind the practice is the idea of ‘like cures like.’ A homeopathic remedy
consists of a natural substance — a bit of herb, root, mineral, you get the
idea — that ‘corresponds’ to the ailment you wish to treat. The ‘active’ agent
is placed in water and then diluted to the point where it no longer exists in
any physical sense.
“In fact, practitioners of homeopathy believe that the more diluted a
remedy is, the more powerful it is. So, if you subscribe to this particular
worldview, ironically, you want your active agents to be not just non-existent,
but super non-existent.
“The bottom line: For those of us who reside in the material world,
where the laws of physics have relevance, a homeopathic remedy is either
nothing but water or, if in capsule form, a sugar pill. The very concept of
‘like cures like’ and super dilution have absolutely no foundation in science.
There is no evidence to support the idea that the active agents — the herb,
root, mineral — correspond in any biologically meaningful way to the particular
ailments that the homeopathic treatments are meant to treat.”
9) Mercola the Anti-Vaxxer
Mercola believes in drastically reducing the number of vaccines
administered to children. This includes zero vaccines until the child is two
years old, which puts babies at risk should they catch a disease like whooping
cough. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
“Children are given shots (vaccines) at a young age because this is when
they are at highest risk of getting sick or dying if they get these diseases.
Newborn babies are immune to some diseases because they have antibodies they
get from their mothers, usually before they are born. However, this immunity
lasts a few months. Most babies do not get protective antibodies against
diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, tetanus, hepatitis B, or Hib from their
mothers. This is why it’s important to vaccinate a child before she or he is
exposed to a disease.
“Vaccines contain weakened or killed versions of the germs that cause a
disease. These elements of vaccines, and other molecules and micro-organisms
that stimulate the immune system, are called “antigens.” Babies are exposed to
thousands of germs and other antigens in the environment from the time they are
born. When a baby is born, his or her immune system is ready to respond to the
many antigens in the environment and the selected antigens in vaccines.”
10) Mercola and GMO’s
Mercola loves employing scare tactics. Declaring GMO’s one of the
greatest and gravest threat to life on earth is just one example. The evidence
points otherwise:
“Different
GM (genetically modified) organisms include different genes inserted in
different ways. This means that individual GM foods and their safety should be
assessed on a case-by-case basis and that it is not possible to make general
statements on the safety of all GM foods.
“GM
foods currently available on the international market have passed safety
assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health. In addition,
no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of
such foods by the general population in the countries where they have been
approved. Continuous application of safety assessments based on the Codex
Alimentarius principles and, where appropriate, adequate post market monitoring,
should form the basis for ensuring the safety of GM foods.”
11) FDA Warns Mercola
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has learned that you are
marketing the Meditherm Med2000 Telethermographic camera at your Thermography
facility in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and endorse for other thermography
centers outside of Illinois for uses that have not received marketing clearance
or approval, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the
Act)…… The Meditherm
Med2000 Telethermographic camera is not intended to be used as a stand-alone
device to diagnose or screen any disease or condition. However, your
website makes claims that the Meditherm Med2000 Telethermographic camera can be
used alone to diagnose or screen for diseases and conditions…….”
The FDA
quotes Mercola and his incredible claims:
“Yes, it’s
true. Thermograms provide you with early diagnosis and treatment
assistance in such problems as cancer, inflammatory processes, neurological and
vascular dysfunction, and musculoskeletal injury.”
Mercola
lists other amazing benefits that include the detection of: bursitis, herniated
discs, ligament or muscle tear, lupus, nerve problems, whiplash, stroke
screening, arthritis, immune dysfunction, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, and Crohn’s disease.
The FDA also
issued the following general medical device alert and notice:
“The FDA is issuing this communication to alert the public, including women and health care providers, that thermography is not a replacement for screening mammography and should not be used by itself to diagnose breast cancer. The FDA is not aware of any valid scientific data to show that thermographic devices, when used on their own, are an effective screening tool for any medical condition including the early detection of breast cancer or other breast disease.”
http://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20180125064105/https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm257259.htm
“The FDA is issuing this communication to alert the public, including women and health care providers, that thermography is not a replacement for screening mammography and should not be used by itself to diagnose breast cancer. The FDA is not aware of any valid scientific data to show that thermographic devices, when used on their own, are an effective screening tool for any medical condition including the early detection of breast cancer or other breast disease.”
http://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20180125064105/https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm257259.htm
12) FDA forces Mercola to issue refunds for bogus product:
The FDA caught Mercola red-handed in blatant lies and falsehoods made in
selling his tanning beds. He was forced to fully refund his duped customers and
to terminate the sale of all tanning beds. Below are three examples taken from
official complaint filed by the United States District Court, Northern Illinois
District:
False FDA Endorsement and Proof Claims
Through the means described in
Paragraph 13, Defendants have represented, expressly or by implication, that:
-----The FDA has endorsed the use of indoor tanning systems as safe;
-----Research proves that indoor tanning systems do not increase the
risk of melanoma skin cancer.
In truth and in fact, the FDA has not endorsed the use of indoor tanning
systems as safe; and research does not prove that indoor tanning systems do not
increase the risk of melanoma skin cancer. Therefore, the making of the
representations as set forth in Paragraph 20 of this Complaint constitutes a
deceptive act or practice and the making of false advertisements….
False or Unsubstantiated Anti -Aging Claims
Through the means described in Paragraph 13, Defendants have
represented, expressly or by implication, that the Mercola brand tanning
systems with the model names SunSplash Refresh, SunSplash Renew , Vitality, and
D-Lite will pull collagen back to the surface of the skin, increase elastin and
other enzymes that support the skin, fill in lines and wrinkles , and reverse
the appearance of aging.
The representations set forth in Paragraph 23 are false or misleading, or
were not substantiated at the time the representations were made. Therefore,
the making of the representations as set forth in Paragraph 23 of this
Complaint constitutes a deceptive act or practice and the making of false
advertisements…..
Failure to Disclose Material Facts Related to
Health
Through the means described in Paragraph 13, Defendants have
represented, expressly or by implication, that tanning with Mercola brand
tanning systems provides various benefits to consumers, including but not
limited to increasing Vitamin D and providing Vitamin D-related health
benefits. Defendants have failed to disclose that:
-----Tanning with indoor tanning systems increases the risk of skin
cancer, including melanoma skin cancer;
-----It is not necessary to tan to produce Vitamin D
This additional information would be material to consumers in their
purchase or use of Mercola brand tanning systems. Defendants’ failure to
disclose the information described in Paragraph 31, in light of the
representation described in Paragraph 30, constitutes a deceptive act or
practice and the making of false advertisements…..
Mercola
recently settled his false advertising claim and must refund up to $5.3 million
to his customers:
13) The ever sly Mercola exploits
these major weaknesses inherent in most people:
-----He
knows most people will not fact check his misleading claims as long as they
“sound” true. Couch an outright lie in a morsel of familiar truth and you
deceive them every time. Proper vetting and fact-checking takes time and work.
-----He
exploits the brain’s dopamine rush people get when they believe conspiracy
theories. When it feels so good, and boosts the ego, most people will not want
to properly vet points from both sides, specifically from evidence-based
sources. Mercola tells his followers not to check out these sources because …..
it’s a conspiracy!
-----Mercola
is an emotional button-pusher. He knows most people think with their emotions
more than their brain. He publicizes unsubstantiated hysteria and paranoia - anti-vaccine spin or his long list
of cancer causes – knowing he can “hook” them emotionally and after a few weeks
no one can tell them any different. Pride kicks in and most people will go to
any length to avoid admitting they were wrong, especially about such important
subjects.
-----Mercola knows people are looking for meaning and purpose in life.
Many are spiritually and emotionally bankrupt to some degree. He exploits this
by elevating himself as the “truth-teller” and medical hero exposing all the lies
of modern medicine. When the target buys in, he or she experiences an
existential rush, a quiet, deep-rooted euphoria of being one of the select few who
are “in the know”. All religious cults, conspiracy theorists, and alternative
medicine practitioners use this method.
-----This one is subtle. Whether Mercola knows it or not, he is
exploiting the prevalent human tendency to feel a need to immediately
come to an opinion or conclusion on any subject or issue. If the person is
brutally honest, he or she knows the counterpoints have not been examined and
evaluated. For many people, this just doesn’t matter.
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12 Quick Guidelines For Uncovering & Exposing Quack Medicine http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2013/08/12-quick-guidelines-for-uncovering.html
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Photo: http://jamespatemd.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/quack-snake-oil.jpeg?w=300
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
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So Dr. Karen Becker, a well respected veterinarian who does lots of social media videos about dog health and diet is associated with Dr. Mercola. Is she also not to be trusted?
ReplyDeleteHer name is nowhere in this blog post, I have never heard of her, but if she supports medical quackery, of course liars should not be trusted.
ReplyDeleteA characteristic of medical doctors is that they push the drugs they are told to by drug companies for kickbacks, as well as the benefit of not lodong their job. This ' article' is clearly written by yet another drug pushing shill.
ReplyDelete9 simple points
ReplyDelete1) I notice you have nothing to say about all the 13 points (and there are many more) that completely expose Mercola for the total fraud that he is. That is because you can’t. They are irrefutable. Yet you believe in Mercola’s claims that he has NO EVIDENCE for except --- it’s a conspiracy!!
2) You’re falling for the fallacy of the Argument From Perfection. There are bad characters in every pursuit and profession. There is no perfection. The simple facts are that hospitals all over the world cure and heal tens of millions of people annually. Mercola and the quacks will never admit to that. Pointing to the failures and imperfections of the medicare system is just another deception. NO HOSPITAL claims it will cure everyone who enters its doors. Many people go to the hospital to die. Aging, disease and the natural deterioration of the human body are facts of life. Tell me the name of the hospital that claims it will cure all diseases and the effects of aging. Yet this is Mercola’s basic deceptive premise.
3) Yes many drugs prescribed are unnecessary and some harmful, but most drugs are life-saving and beneficial. That is why most people are living to their 80’s instead of their 60’s like they did decades ago. If you were to snap your fingers and eliminate all prescription drugs you would be murdering millions of people. Once again, things need to be reformed and improved. Mercola is being deceptive when he quotes unfortunate stats, but that doesn’t magically make his “cures” legitimate. There are no perfect, magical solutions, only con artists like Mercola who has cleverly crafted his lies over decades and makes millions of dollars annually selling his quack medicine. How many people has he murdered who followed his useless treatments and died, when conventional medicine would have healed them?
4) The World Health Organization and numerous others are trying to solve this problem ……. Tackling the growing problem of overmedication
https://knowablemagazine.org/article/health-disease/2021/tackling-growing-problem-of-overmedication
5) 12 Simple Facts Debunking Big Pharma Conspiracies …….. http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2017/05/12-simple-facts-debunking-big-pharma.html
6) The Facts On Cancer Survivorship: What The Quacks Don’t Want You To Know http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2017/02/good-news-on-cancer-survivorship.html
7) I have covered this problem in a previous post ------ Big Problems With Big Pharma (+ New Infographic) …… ….. http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2013/09/big-problems-with-big-pharma-and-remedy.html
8) Mercola and every other quack bank on the fact that most people are clueless about critical thinking. They allow themselves to be duped by something Mercola says. If you asked them what the top 3 counter-arguments to Mercola’s point is, they have NO CLUE. Yet they believe Mercola because it SOUNDS true to them and there is a SMIDGEON of truth along with a pack of lies. Most people have little or no scientific or medical knowledge to properly evaluate claims being made. Mercola also banks on the fact that most people have big EGOS and they will never admit they are wrong. Only a few weeks need to go by and Mercola has them permanently fooled. If someone tries to give them facts and truth, they don’t want to hear it because it will obliterate their massive ego.
9) I could go on and on, but many people are not sincere about truth and their ego is their God. In this blog there are additional posts with more details that expose the deception of alternative medicine. Just type “medicine” in the Search field.