Many health-related products are sold through multilevel marketing (MLM); now the FTC is warning them to stop making false claims about COVID-19. The tactics that MLMs use to promote all their products are deceptive and are a variation on the old Ponzi scam. Multilevel marketing (MLM) companies have a terrible… read more "Plexus: MLM Strikes Again"
Juice Plus+: Good Marketing, Not Good Science
Juice Plus+ is a multilevel marketing company selling fruits and vegetables that they have reduced to a powder and put into capsules. It’s clever marketing using deceptive advertising. There is no scientific evidence that it benefits health. Juice Plus+ reduces fruits and vegetables like these to a powder, puts it… read more "Juice Plus+: Good Marketing, Not Good Science"
Announcing: Video Lecture Course on Science-Based Medicine
A couple of years ago, the James Randi Educational Foundation commissioned me to develop a series of 10 video lectures on Science-Based Medicine. After a lot of work and many vicissitudes, it is now available. The lecture titles are: Science-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Based Medicine What Is CAM? Chiropractic Acupuncture Homeopathy Naturopathy and… read more "Announcing: Video Lecture Course on Science-Based Medicine"
Protandim Update: New Studies and an FDA Warning Letter
Multilevel distributors of the dietary supplement Protandim think that evidence from scientific studies supports their claims for their product. The FDA disagrees. The FDA identifies mislabeling and false claims On April 17, 2017, the FDA sent a warning letter to the LifeVantage Corporation advising them that their product Protandim NRF2… read more "Protandim Update: New Studies and an FDA Warning Letter"
The THRIVE Experience: Masterful Marketing, Short on Substance
One of the few things that aren’t in THRIVE products My daughter told me about the latest health fad among her group of acquaintances. She knows people who are spending $300 a month on the THRIVE program and claiming miraculous results. With a skeptic for a mother, my daughter knew… read more "The THRIVE Experience: Masterful Marketing, Short on Substance"
Oxygen Myths That Refuse to Die
One of my early forays into the world of pseudoscience was an investigation of “Vitamin O” (the O stands for oxygen). The story is hilarious; please click and read; I guarantee you won’t be able to read it without at least a chuckle. Vitamin O is still for sale; it’s even… read more "Oxygen Myths That Refuse to Die"
dōTERRA: Multilevel Marketing of Essential Oils
A stay-at-home mom recently e-mailed me. She is a former CAM user who once treated her infant’s colic with homeopathy but has since seen the light and is now thinking skeptically. She asked that I look into the dōTERRA company, seller of essential oils: concentrated extracts distilled from plants, containing the… read more "dōTERRA: Multilevel Marketing of Essential Oils"
Isagenix Study Is Not Convincing
Isagenix is a wellness system sold by multilevel marketing. It consists of a suite of products to be used in various combinations for “nutritional cleansing,” detoxification, and supplementation to aid in weight loss, improve energy and performance, and support healthy aging. It allegedly burns fat while supporting lean muscle, maintains… read more "Isagenix Study Is Not Convincing"