The Official Sci-ence “Red Flags of Quackery”
Via Respectful Insolence, the “Red Flags of Quackery” (click on the image to see the original). It’s funny, despite the fact that it’s all too...
NCL Files FTC Complaint Against vitaminwater
Alas, poor Coca Cola Company: its soda-like “vitaminwater” product is continuing to draw fire. Not only is the CSPI’s lawsuit moving forward, it may also have to tangle with the FTC… if the National Consumers League has its way. The makers of vitaminwater are using claims to sell their products that are making consumer advocates call “foul.” In a new complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, NCL is...
I’m Glad I’m Living in the 21st Century
Among other things, living in the 21st century means there are some standards in place for diet supplements. At least they don’t contain ingredients like this (click to enlarge): How common were such “supps?” Tough to say… according to Snopes.com: As unlikely as this must sound, there might be some reason to believe tapeworm diet pills were once marketed in the United States between 1900 and 1920. A number of...
The Healthy Skeptic on Telomerase Supplements
You may have heard something in the news about a recent experiment in mice… Scientists have partially reversed age-related degeneration in mice, an achievement that suggests a new approach for tackling similar disorders in people. By tweaking a gene, the researchers reversed brain disease and restored the sense of smell and fertility in prematurely aged mice. …The experiment focused on telomerase, an enzyme that makes...
FTC Goes After Rexall-Sundown & NatureSmart Over DHA Deception
This is yet another case where front-of-package labeling was used to deceive consumers. The FTC charged NBTY, Inc. and two subsidiaries, NatureSmart LLC and Rexall Sundown, Inc., with making deceptive claims about the amount of DHA – an Omega-3 fatty acid – used in their line of Disney- and Marvel Heroes-licensed children’s multivitamin gummies and tablets. The companies also made unsupported claims that a daily serving of the...
Science-Based Medicine on Bill Clinton’s Diet
In the wake of his well-publicized bout with cardiovascular disease, Bill Clinton has given up McDonald’s (good) for a mostly-vegan diet. The former prez has lost 24 lbs. and is now approx. the same weight as he was in high school. His current diet is quite restrictive, though: fruits, veggies, legumes and – once in a while – a little fish. Why is he on such a severe diet? According to Dr. Harriet Hall, of...
Find Us on Amazon!
