Category: Herbs & Supplements

Lipo-Flavonoid for Tinnitus

Lipo-Flavonoid is sold to treat tinnitus. The claims are misleading, and the evidence isn't there.

/ October 29, 2019

The Cleveland Clinic publishes a study claiming to show benefits from functional medicine. It doesn’t.

Last week, the Cleveland Clinic published a study purporting to show that functional medicine improves health-related quality of life. Not surprisingly, on closer examination, there's a lot less to the study than meets the eye, and its results are quite underwhelming.

/ October 28, 2019

“SuperMannan Cures Bladder Infections!” Really?

The ads claim SuperMannan cures bladder infections. The science is a single uncontrolled study of 9 women; its design is a recipe for disaster.

/ October 22, 2019

Hydrogen Water Is Not “the New Nutrient;” Health Claims Are Hype, Not Science.

A new fad, drinking hydrogen water, claims to provide all kinds of health benefits. The scientific evidence isn't there.

/ October 8, 2019
Quackery duck

A horrifying survey of “pediatric naturopathic oncology” practice

"Naturopathic oncology" is a specialty made up by naturopaths in order to justify using their quackery to treat cancer patients. A new survey takes it a step further and looks at using naturopathy to treat children with cancer, including the use of homeopathy, reiki, and restrictive diets.

/ October 7, 2019
Teenagers

Teenager? Anxious? Yes, there’s a supplement for that, too.

Health Canada has criticized the marketing of an "anxiety supplement" for teens, without recognizing the larger problem involved; the poor regulations and lack of safety and efficacy data for this, and many other supplements sold.

/ October 3, 2019
Ezekiel Stephan's parents

Deconstructing Justice Terry Clackson’s outrageous acquittal of David and Collet Stephans for the death of their son Ezekiel

On September 19, in a retrial ordered by the Supreme Court of Canada, Alberta Justice Terry Clackson issued a ruling acquitting David and Collet Stephan of failing to provide the necessities of life to their son Ezekiel, whose bacterial meningitis they had chosen to treat with quackery instead of medicine, leading to his death in 2012. The news reports showed that this...

/ September 30, 2019

Do dietary supplements improve heart health?

Dietary supplements are widely consumed to improve heart health. But what does the evidence say?

/ September 19, 2019

Herbalife or Herbadeath?

A case of fatal liver failure in India was attributed to Herbalife products, adding to many other reports from around the world. Analysis showed Herbalife products contain heavy metals and other contaminants. The products have not been scientifically tested, and in the absence of evidence of benefit to human health, they can't be recommended.

/ September 10, 2019

Vitamin D and Diabetes: Another Case Where Supplementation Sounded Like a Good Idea But Wasn’t

A new study shows vitamin D supplements don't prevent diabetes. But there are still unanswered questions.

/ August 13, 2019