Newsletter Quality in the Heal Th Marketplace
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ENHANCING FREEDOM OF CHOICE THROUGH RELIABLE INFORMATION NEWSLETTER QUALITY IN THE HEAL TH MARKETPLACE JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 1986. NCAHF NEWSLETTER VOL 9, NO 1 COLONICS SAID TO BE WORTHLESS AND "DR." PEPPER'S DIPLOMA MILL DEGREE UTAH DENTIST'S LICENSE SUSPENDED FOR DANGEROUS RINGS ABELL AMALGAM TOXICITY CLAIMS In the September/Ocober NCAHF Newsletter Congressman Claude Pepper made TV North Ogden dentist Edwin Harrison's dental we reported that the California Board of Medical network news on December 11 and the AP wire license was suspended for 5 years with all but Quality Assurance had won a decision which service on December 12 with the announcement the first 30 days of that period stayed providing placed colonic irrigations outside the legal that he had obtained phony Ph.D. in pscyhology he refrains from false and misleading advertising scope of practice of California chiropractors. by mail from Union University in Los Angeles. claims regarding mercury toxicity from dental Now, in the September 27, 1985 issue of (NOTE: Union University is the same fillings and practicing medicine without a CALIFORNIA MORBIDITY, the weekly report establishment that Kurt Donsbach claims to license. Harrison was using an "amalgameter'' from the State's Infectious Disease Branch (IDB) have his Ph.D. in nutrition from. Another to allegedly detect mercury leakage from of the Departmentof Health Services, it is stated infamous "nutritionist'' claiming a Ph.D. from amalgam restorations and prescribing : "It is the opinion of the State's Infectious Union University is Ruth Yale Long of Houston, compounds known as X-IT and Eaters Digest to Disease Branch that neither physician's nor Texas. Long promotes questionable nutritional allegedly expedite the release of mercury from chiropractors should be performing colonic cancer therapies and other nonscientific notions fillings prior to replacement. FDA says that irrigations. We are not aware of any scientifically about food. She has been very active on the neither the device or products have been proven health benefit of the procedure, yet we talk show circuit in recent years) Mr. Pepper approved. Product promoter Hal Huggins, are well aware of its hazards." The report then says that about 500,000 Americans have DDS, of Colorado Springs, say that X-IT and goes on to list three reports of deaths and secured --and many are employed on the basis Eaters Digest are special dietary foods that need disease outbreaks associated with the of--credentials they purchased but did not no FDA approval. Huggins claims that the application of colonies. In its closing comments earn. Hopefully, this revelation will raise the amalgameter measures positive or negative the report states that "colonic irrigation by consciousness of this problem and lead to some currents from mercury amalgams which chiropractors, physical therapists or physicians much needed reforms. allegedly play a role in releasing mercury, and should cease." that negative current amalgams should be removed before positive ones. Huggins says NCAHF agrees with the California IDB on this CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT OVERDOSE that he did not have a explanation for how the and hope it will gain legal force. NCAHF fears WARNED AGAINST process worked and that it was for scientists, that maverick physicians will affiliate with not him, to determine. (ADANEWS, November chiropractors and permit them to perform Calcium has recieved a great deal of attention 4, 1985, pp.1-3.) colonies under their medical scope of practice. lately, and the supplement hucksters haven't There obviously are people wishing to undergo missed the opportunity to promote calcium pills colonic irrigation either out of the misconception to prevent osteoporsis. Indeed, this is one that the procedure has health value or for the nutrient that seems to be lacking in the diets of AMERICAN DIETETICS ASSOCIATION many people--particulary women who don't erotic effects of this procedure--which is known WARNS OF DUBIOUS SOLICITATION to sometimes be its appeal--making offering the drink enough milk. NCAHF doesn't oppose service lucrative. sensible supplementation, but recent evidence The American Dietetics Association has mailed from studies conducted on pigs suggests that warnings to Registered Dietetians who engage megadoses of calcium may decrease bone in consultation and private practice that • POSTAL SERVICE STOPS MARKETING OF strength and induce internal bleeding. Some solicitation by the American Association of WEIGHT-LOSS PRODUCTS concern is also expressed about the amount of Nutritional Consultants (AANC) violates the Vitamin D which might be ingested by people signed "label purchase and use agreement'' Three unapproved weight-loss products- megadosing on calcium/vitamin D supplements. signed with H&M Direct Mail Advertising, Inc., Anorex-CCK, lntercal-SX and Metabolite-2050- ("Calcium: How Much Is Enough?" NUTRITION the company originally purchasing the ADA list. -cannot be marketed through the mailing aatter REVIEWS,43:345-346, Nov. 1985.) The ADA says that they are unable to locate the a ruling by the U.S. Postal Service. Experts individual who signed the agreement for H&M testified that Anorex, which contains the OUTLAWING MEASLES and they have discovered that H&M is no longer hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is ineffective in business. They now believe the whole affair when taken orally to curb appetite or cause In an interesting an compelling article about was a scheme to enlist Registered Dietetians in weight-loss (see NCAHF NEWSLETTER, the fact that measles is a eradicable disease an attempt to legitimize AANC. AANC is a JAN/FEB, 1985). Witnesses also testified that British health workers argue that only public. merger of the International Academy of guar, a dietary fiber which is. the active policy prevent prevents the -conquest of Nutritional Consultants (a Kurt Donsbach ingredient int he other two products, does not measles. In a poignant statement addressing creation) and the American Association of cause significant weight-loss. Under the ruling the issue of compulsory immunization they state: Nutritional and Dietary Consultants to which any all future orders for the products will be returned "Legislation to prevent the spread of measles is creature with a name, $50 and an address can to senders. The products are manufactured by not a denial of freedom. Rather it is a apparently belong--it is the association of which three different companies, but all are owned by celebration of a freedom, the freedom from Victor Herbert's dog, Sassafras, and Thomas the same Mitchell K. Friedlander of Fort disease." (Middleton, et al. "Measles: there Jukes' dog, Bellman, became professional Lauderdale, Florida. (FDA CONSUMER, ought to be a law against it." THE LANCET, members merely on the basis of paying a $50 Dec/Jan 85-6, p.4). November 23, 1985, p.1180). fee. The ADA legal counsel is investigating. The NEWSLETTERIs published bimonthly by The National Council Against Health Fraud, Inc., an all volunteer, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. It is in tended for members and others the Council wishes to keep informed. Annual membership categories and costs are: Student $5, Regular $15, Professional $25, Supporter $100 and Patron $1000. Applications are subject to approval by the Membership Committee. Request applications from: Membership Chair man, P.O. Box 1276, Loma Linda, CA 92354. Donations are tax deductible under IRS Tax Code Section 501 (c) (3). Donors may request to receive the NEWS- . LETTER.Libraries may receive the Newsletter for $10 per year. Items may be reprinted without permission if suitable credit is given. Edited by: William Jarvis, Ph.D., Professor of Health Education, Chairman, Department of Public Health Science, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma Linda University, and Council President. __,,___ "COMPLEMENTARYMEDICINE"--A NEW EXTENTOF VITAMIN/MINERAL RODALEPRESS CLAIMS AS BADAS EVER- TERM FROM THE UK SUPPLEMENTUSE IN THE USA BUT ARE THEY LEGAL? Heterodox* medicine thrives in the United A great deal of disparity exists on the extent of Sometimes we hear encouraging reports that Kingdom as well as in America. However, vitamin/mineral supplementation use by the Rodale Press, publishers of PREVENTION becauseof the difference in the way health care public. The most recent study of this is reported magazine and ORGANIC GARDENING is is financed--and perhaps, in the way Britons in the December, 1985 issue of the JOURNAL improving the quality of the health information deal with irrationality--variations exist which are OF THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION they offer readers. Even a study by the interesting. The term "holistic health" is (Vol.85, pp.1585-1590). Stewart, et al of the American Council on Science and Health apparently as common there as here, but more Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition measured an improvement in the accuracy of and more the term "complementary medicine" is report on a national telephone survey that the health information found in PREVENTIONOt being seen in the UK literature in reference to reached 2,991 adults, 16 years of age and older. went from 10% accurate in ACSH's 1982 study nonscientificapproaches to health care such as The methodology of this survey were of a very to 31% accurate in 1984--still low enough to be radionics, homeopathy, chiropractic, high quality and the results must be viewed as placed in the "unreliable" category both times). naturopathy,acupuncture, faith healing, and the more representative of the general population However, recent mail promotions by Rodale like. An organization calling itself the than some of the other surveys of this question. Press reveal an appalling disregard for scientific Confederation of Healing Organisations (CHO), Excluding pregnanVlactating women, 39.9% of validity. Examples of false claims for various claiming over 7,000 members from diverse the population consumed one or more vitamin supplements to be of benefit in diseases healing systems, wishes to set up standards for supplements. Of the users, 52.4% consumed are: that 86 will "stop gallstones", niacin "beyond its members to "exclude charlatans." The CHO one supplement only.