Joseph Mercola

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**[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/02/01/joe-mercola-proof-positive-that-quackery/ Joe Mercola: Proof positive that quackery sells]
 
**[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/02/01/joe-mercola-proof-positive-that-quackery/ Joe Mercola: Proof positive that quackery sells]
 
**[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/07/31/mercola-attacks-vaccinations-again/ Joe Mercola attacks vaccinations again. Film at 11.]
 
**[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/07/31/mercola-attacks-vaccinations-again/ Joe Mercola attacks vaccinations again. Film at 11.]
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**[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/08/03/15-years-of-promoting-quackery/ Joe Mercola: 15 years of promoting quackery.]
  
 
==Footnotes==
 
==Footnotes==

Revision as of 21:27, 5 August 2012

Against allopathy

Alternative medicine

Icon alt med alt.svg
Alternative articles

Joseph Mercola, "doctor" of osteopathy, is a popular guru of alternative medicine and a member of the right-wing quack outfit Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. He advocates and provides a forum for many classic crank medical ideas, such as vaccine hysteria and the belief that modern (sorry, "allopathic") medicine kills more people than it helps. His website is a veritable spring of pseudoscience, quackery, and logical fallacies. He is a promoter of the idea of an AMA/Big Pharma/FDA conspiracy.[1]

Despite his claim that unlike real other doctors, he is not interested in profit,[2] he advertises all manner of unproven products, and has a health center that dispenses alternative medicine for a steep price.[3]

Contents

Issues

In addition to the issues mentioned above, Mercola promotes various disproved crank health ideas such as:

  • Toxic metals in vaccines and dental fillings. The idea of heavy metal poisoning as being responsible for many common health problems is a popular one, and completely wrong. The studies of mercury in dental amalgams and vaccines are conclusive – there is no danger (which is more than can be said for the unnecessary chelation therapy quacks prescribe to fix the "problem").
  • Statin drugs are dangerous. This one is particularly horrible, as few medications or interventions has been found to be as safe and effective as statins. Failing to prescribe a statin to someone with coronary artery disease is very much against the standard of care (meaning that it could be construed as malpractice).
  • Microwaves "kill nutrients in food." Just plain wrong.[4]
  • Modern medicine kills you dead, but homeopathy works! (Fractal wrongness).
  • Seriously, just pick a quack bête noire out of a hat, anything from aspartame to water fluoridation.

FDA warnings

Mercola has received two warnings from the FDA for hyping coconut oil, chlorella, and the Living Fuel RxTM diet.[5][6] He received a third warning for selling infrared cameras that he claimed could be used to diagnose a number of illnesses.[7]

External links

Footnotes

  1. When Should You Use Conventional Medicine?
  2. http://www.mercola.com/forms/background.htm
  3. http://www.mercola.com/forms/nptour/index.htm
  4. The Claim: Microwave Ovens Kill Nutrients in Food, New York Times
  5. FDA warning, Feb. 16, 2005
  6. FDA warning, Sep. 21, 2006
  7. FDA warning, Mar. 22, 2011
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