TRENDS * TENDANCES
Physicians should warn patients Phsicians shoul warn patients about about
nutrition-related scams, doctor advises
Cameron Johnston
D r. Victor Herbert, an outspoken American nutrition expert who bills himself as "a crusading quack-buster," says it is time to put an end to nutritional and health care fraud. Herbert, who recently brought his quack-busting message to doctors at St. Joseph's Health Centre in London, Ont., is director of the Nutrition Centre at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and senior scientific editor for the Mount Sinai Complete Book ofNutrition. He differentiates between what he calls "soft-core" and "hard-core" nutritional fraud. The former is designed to sell unscrupulous products, he said, but the latter may kill. He said claims about concentrated spinach pills are an example of softcore fraud. The pills, available in most health food stores, cost about $13.00 for 30 pills. However, only 1.5% of the iron in them is absorbable, said Herbert. On the other hand, common iron supplements may lead to iron overdose in people who are genetically predisposed to high levels of iron absorption. "[A supplement] will only help 1 in 500 men who are iron deficient, but it can have Cameron Johnston is a freelance writer living in London, Ont. NOVEMBER 15, 1992
tions of Dr. Linus Pauling, a Nobel laureate and well-known proponent of taking large doses of vitamin C. The body is not capable of absorbing doses of vitamin C larger than 200 mg to 250 mg, Herbert warned, yet Pauling and Herbert thinks his followers recommend daily doses of up to 3000 mg. family physicians He complained that nutrishould seek more tion-related scams often rely on information about celebrity endorsements and highnutritional scams .and profile promotions for their success. He warned that one 1985 then pass it on to bestseller dealing with nutrition patients. "can do you great harm if you follow what it tells you to do." Its authors were featured on many television talk shows, he noted, but their academic credentials were nothing more than a degree an adverse effect on the 1 in 250 from a mail-order university in who have a second gene for iron Austin, Texas. absorption," he warned. "There are too many of these He is also angry that "purvey- so-called universities still operators of the oat bran myth" play up ing in the US, and they are one some facts about the bran while way perpetrators of nutrition omitting others. An Australian scams are able to get away with study, published in the Journal of what they do. All you need to get the National- Cancer Institute in a PhD from one of those schools 1986, showed a positive link be- is a name, an address and a credit tween bran cereals and colonic card." cancer, he said. There have also It is difficult to shut the PhD been cases of patients needing mills, but New York state was hospitalization and emergency recently able to stop one "school surgery to remove intestinal ob- of nutrition" from operating structions caused by eating too there. Herbert said the "universimuch oat bran. ty" that wanted to operate the Herbert also criticized the ac- school sells more PhDs in 1 year CAN MED ASSOC J 1992; 147 (10)
1579
THERAPEUTIC INDEX than are granted by all accredited universities in Canada and the United States. Although American lawenforcement agencies are sometimes prepared to charge health care con artists, it remains to be Analgesic seen how effective such sanctions Idarac 1416, 1417, 1418, 1419, 1516 can be. People seem to want in- Ponstan 1532, 1560 stant health, said Herbert, or at Toradol 1510. 1511, 1512, 1513, 1603 least health without effort, and they are willing to pay for it regardless of the evidence against Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor 1489, 1594, 1595 Accupril miracle diets and other scams. 1476 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H, Inside Monopril As well, con artists, who usu- Front Cover 1404, 1405, 1550, 1590, 1591 Vasotec ally seem to be one step ahead of Zestril 1436, 1589 the law, make sure that their sales pitch has enough grains of truth to make fraud charges impossible to Anorectal therapy prove. Anusol-HC 1573 Legislators here would probably find it difficult, too, said a spokesperson for the Department Antianginal/Antihypertensive agent of National Health and Welfare. Adalat 1409, 1428 A,B,C,D, 1582, 1583, Although the department has food 1620, Inside Back Cover and drug directorates, the spokesperson said, there is nothing new, novel or dangerous about Antibacterial agent most of the products being pro- Cipro IV 1524 A,B, 1525 moted. Even vitamins and mineral supplements have been around so long that it would be a near- Antibiotic impossible task to restrict or legis- Biaxin 1440, 1441, 1596 Ceclor 1410, 1589 late their use. Ceftin 1435, 1499, 1549, 1587 Also, although there are no Clavulin 1529, 1576 known university degree mills operating in Canada, few people are likely to ask whether the latest Anticholinergic agent "good food guru" has a real de- Ditropan 1545, 1591 gree or one picked up through an advertisement in a consumer magazine. As the American Associa- Antidepressant tion of Nutrition Consultants has Luvox 1446, 1447, 1600 demonstrated, there is no law Prozac 1554, 1588 against offering a diploma as long as it is not misrepresented as a Antidiabetic agent university degree. Herbert thinks family physi- Novolin 1538, 1597 cians should seek more information about nutritional scams and then pass it on to their patients. Antihypertensive agent Meanwhile, the knowledge pa- Plendil 1423, 1424, 1425, 1599 tients need to ensure a healthy diet remains quite simple, he noted: do everything in moderation Anti-inflammatory agent 1402, 1581 Mobiflex and eat a variety of foods from Naprosyn SR 1564, 1565, 1585 the four established food groups.- Surgam SR 1546, 1591 1580
CAN MED ASSOC J 1992; 147 (10)
INDEX THERAPEUTIQUE
Antiviral agent 1398, 1584
Zovirax
Bronchodilator 1442, 1605, 1606, Outside Back Atrovent Cover Turbuhaler 1500 Uniphyl 1508, 1604
Cholesterol-lowering agent 1542, 1601 Mevacor 1521, 1522, 1592, 1593 Zocor
Corticosteroid for nasal use 1492, 1602
Nasacort
Cytoprotective agent 1448, 1519
Cytotec
Decongestant 1541, 1585
Sudafed
Hand protectant cream 1557
Prevex
H+,K+ Losec
-
ATPase inhibitor
1490, 1491, 1569
Oral contraceptive Triphasil
1535, 1586
Smoking cessation aid 1455, 1456, 1457, 1458
Habitrol
Topical anesthetic for dermal analgesia Emla
1400, 1598
Topical anticholinergic agent Atrovent 1553, 1605
Topical corticosteroid Uremol-HC
1430 LE 15 NOVEMBRE 1992
Physicians should warn patients Phsicians shoul warn patients about about
nutrition-related scams, doctor advises
Cameron Johnston
D r. Victor Herbert, an outspoken American nutrition expert who bills himself as "a crusading quack-buster," says it is time to put an end to nutritional and health care fraud. Herbert, who recently brought his quack-busting message to doctors at St. Joseph's Health Centre in London, Ont., is director of the Nutrition Centre at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and senior scientific editor for the Mount Sinai Complete Book ofNutrition. He differentiates between what he calls "soft-core" and "hard-core" nutritional fraud. The former is designed to sell unscrupulous products, he said, but the latter may kill. He said claims about concentrated spinach pills are an example of softcore fraud. The pills, available in most health food stores, cost about $13.00 for 30 pills. However, only 1.5% of the iron in them is absorbable, said Herbert. On the other hand, common iron supplements may lead to iron overdose in people who are genetically predisposed to high levels of iron absorption. "[A supplement] will only help 1 in 500 men who are iron deficient, but it can have Cameron Johnston is a freelance writer living in London, Ont. NOVEMBER 15, 1992
tions of Dr. Linus Pauling, a Nobel laureate and well-known proponent of taking large doses of vitamin C. The body is not capable of absorbing doses of vitamin C larger than 200 mg to 250 mg, Herbert warned, yet Pauling and Herbert thinks his followers recommend daily doses of up to 3000 mg. family physicians He complained that nutrishould seek more tion-related scams often rely on information about celebrity endorsements and highnutritional scams .and profile promotions for their success. He warned that one 1985 then pass it on to bestseller dealing with nutrition patients. "can do you great harm if you follow what it tells you to do." Its authors were featured on many television talk shows, he noted, but their academic credentials were nothing more than a degree an adverse effect on the 1 in 250 from a mail-order university in who have a second gene for iron Austin, Texas. absorption," he warned. "There are too many of these He is also angry that "purvey- so-called universities still operators of the oat bran myth" play up ing in the US, and they are one some facts about the bran while way perpetrators of nutrition omitting others. An Australian scams are able to get away with study, published in the Journal of what they do. All you need to get the National- Cancer Institute in a PhD from one of those schools 1986, showed a positive link be- is a name, an address and a credit tween bran cereals and colonic card." cancer, he said. There have also It is difficult to shut the PhD been cases of patients needing mills, but New York state was hospitalization and emergency recently able to stop one "school surgery to remove intestinal ob- of nutrition" from operating structions caused by eating too there. Herbert said the "universimuch oat bran. ty" that wanted to operate the Herbert also criticized the ac- school sells more PhDs in 1 year CAN MED ASSOC J 1992; 147 (10)
1579
THERAPEUTIC INDEX than are granted by all accredited universities in Canada and the United States. Although American lawenforcement agencies are sometimes prepared to charge health care con artists, it remains to be Analgesic seen how effective such sanctions Idarac 1416, 1417, 1418, 1419, 1516 can be. People seem to want in- Ponstan 1532, 1560 stant health, said Herbert, or at Toradol 1510. 1511, 1512, 1513, 1603 least health without effort, and they are willing to pay for it regardless of the evidence against Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor 1489, 1594, 1595 Accupril miracle diets and other scams. 1476 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H, Inside Monopril As well, con artists, who usu- Front Cover 1404, 1405, 1550, 1590, 1591 Vasotec ally seem to be one step ahead of Zestril 1436, 1589 the law, make sure that their sales pitch has enough grains of truth to make fraud charges impossible to Anorectal therapy prove. Anusol-HC 1573 Legislators here would probably find it difficult, too, said a spokesperson for the Department Antianginal/Antihypertensive agent of National Health and Welfare. Adalat 1409, 1428 A,B,C,D, 1582, 1583, Although the department has food 1620, Inside Back Cover and drug directorates, the spokesperson said, there is nothing new, novel or dangerous about Antibacterial agent most of the products being pro- Cipro IV 1524 A,B, 1525 moted. Even vitamins and mineral supplements have been around so long that it would be a near- Antibiotic impossible task to restrict or legis- Biaxin 1440, 1441, 1596 Ceclor 1410, 1589 late their use. Ceftin 1435, 1499, 1549, 1587 Also, although there are no Clavulin 1529, 1576 known university degree mills operating in Canada, few people are likely to ask whether the latest Anticholinergic agent "good food guru" has a real de- Ditropan 1545, 1591 gree or one picked up through an advertisement in a consumer magazine. As the American Associa- Antidepressant tion of Nutrition Consultants has Luvox 1446, 1447, 1600 demonstrated, there is no law Prozac 1554, 1588 against offering a diploma as long as it is not misrepresented as a Antidiabetic agent university degree. Herbert thinks family physi- Novolin 1538, 1597 cians should seek more information about nutritional scams and then pass it on to their patients. Antihypertensive agent Meanwhile, the knowledge pa- Plendil 1423, 1424, 1425, 1599 tients need to ensure a healthy diet remains quite simple, he noted: do everything in moderation Anti-inflammatory agent 1402, 1581 Mobiflex and eat a variety of foods from Naprosyn SR 1564, 1565, 1585 the four established food groups.- Surgam SR 1546, 1591 1580
CAN MED ASSOC J 1992; 147 (10)
INDEX THERAPEUTIQUE
Antiviral agent 1398, 1584
Zovirax
Bronchodilator 1442, 1605, 1606, Outside Back Atrovent Cover Turbuhaler 1500 Uniphyl 1508, 1604
Cholesterol-lowering agent 1542, 1601 Mevacor 1521, 1522, 1592, 1593 Zocor
Corticosteroid for nasal use 1492, 1602
Nasacort
Cytoprotective agent 1448, 1519
Cytotec
Decongestant 1541, 1585
Sudafed
Hand protectant cream 1557
Prevex
H+,K+ Losec
-
ATPase inhibitor
1490, 1491, 1569
Oral contraceptive Triphasil
1535, 1586
Smoking cessation aid 1455, 1456, 1457, 1458
Habitrol
Topical anesthetic for dermal analgesia Emla
1400, 1598
Topical anticholinergic agent Atrovent 1553, 1605
Topical corticosteroid Uremol-HC
1430 LE 15 NOVEMBRE 1992
