Anti-GMO Thrive Market Sells GMOs

This very important public service announcement just in from Thrive Market, guardian of all that is good and holy in the world of organic goods:

“Thrive Market is passionately committed to creating a world that is free of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. We believe everyone has a right to know what they are eating and what chemicals are used in the foods they consume every day. That’s why we have carefully screened our products to ensure we do not carry any GMO foods.”¹

Amen!  Preach it, brother!  Testify!

Actually, you might want to hold off on that.  Thrive, how about getting down off your high horse and looking at the ingredients in your own products?  Here, let me help you: Take a look at this nice bottle of Quantum zinc throat spray featured in your online store:²

Quantum Thera zinc throat spray from Thrive Market. (click/enlarge)

Vanna, show us the ingredients please (click to enlarge):

I’d like to buy several vowels. Enough to form the words “soy lecithin”. (click/enlarge)

Take note of the soy lecithin (highlighted).  Derived from soybeans, soy lecithin is a natural, safe emulsifier–an additive that lends stability to foods.  The problem for Thrive Market is that almost all soy produced in the United States is genetically modified.³  A quick phone call to Quantum’s customer service department confirmed that the soy in many of their products, including the throat spray sold by Thrive is, in fact, GMO.

So Thrive Market’s promise of a GMO-free store falls as flat as an Olympic pole vaulter who didn’t realize his shoestrings were tied together before setting off on his run.

Thrive Market is selling products with ingredients derived from GMOs.

We could quibble over the fact that the product in question is a throat spray–not a food–but it’s still clearly intended to be ingested:

“A great alternative to yucky-tasting zinc lozenges! In fact, just two spritzes every couple of hours of Thera Zinc Oral Spray is the most effective, tastiest way to deliver ionizable zinc to your throat. Thera Zinc is sprayed in the back of the mouth, sending powerful nutrients to the areas requiring the most protection.”–Quantum throat spray marketing statement ²

More importantly, Thrive and their misinformed organic backers are intent on ridding the world of GMOs in their entirety, no matter what product they’re found in.  The anti-GMO zealots are horribly wrong about the effect that genetically modified crops have on the environment, wanting them to be removed entirely.  Actually, there are ways in which GMOs are beneficial.  For example, farmers who grow Bt corn are able to use less pesticides.  Regardless,  it’s rather dishonest of Thrive to demonize a perfectly safe crop production method, then sell products derived using that same method to their customers.

And, having said this, we must pause and state in the strongest possible terms that there is nothing harmful in Quantum’s zinc throat spray.  This is just another small business trying to eke out a living that, unfortunately, got caught up in the tangled web of a $39 billion organic food industry using fear to market their products as “better”.  There’s nothing superior, in any way imaginable, about organic products compared to their GMO counterparts.  However, Quantum did tell me that they hope to eventually switch over to non-GMO soy.  This saddens me.  Yet another company bows to the irrational demands of a public that doesn’t realize how easily they’re being manipulated.

Hold On, It Gets Worse
Alert label readers may have noticed the company’s misspelled “Proplylene Glycol” [sic] next to the soy lecithin on the product label.  They’re actually talking about propylene glycol, a harmless additive with a wide range of uses, including as surfactants and preservatives.

Woe unto Thrive Market, however, as they label propylene glycol as a dangerous endocrine disruptor in another of their hilariously bad scare pieces.  In “Five Simple Pro Tips for Perfect Skin”,⁴ author Lauren Whitehouse warns readers to not allow “toxic” propylene glycol to touch their skin via cosmetics.  Yet we now find Thrive Market literally trying to shove this so-called poison down our throats.  Well, OK, spray it down our throats.  Don’t worry though:  just like GMO soy, propylene glycol is harmless.  As intimated by Pinocchio in the opening graphic, Thrive and their backers aren’t exactly behind honest with us.

From whence comes so much of Thrive Market’s bad science and resulting hypocrisy?  One culprit seems to be the pseudoscientific Environmental Working Group, a special interest group that does no real research but is oft-cited by Thrive as a scientific authority.  It turns out that EWG may have more of a financial stake in Thrive and other organic markets than meets the eye.  Check back tomorrow, and I’ll start laying it out for you.

 

References
(1) Thrive Market’s GMO-free Promise
https://thrivemarket.com/gmo-free

(2) Quantum Zinc Throat Spray
https://thrivemarket.com/quantum-thera-zinc-throat-spray

(3) USDA: Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us/recent-trends-in-ge-adoption.aspx

(4) Five Simple Pro Tips for Perfect Skin
https://thrivemarket.com/blog/skin-dos-donts

 

Image Credits
Thrive and  Quantum product/screen snapshots are used in strict accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, commonly known as “fair use law”. This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

Pinocchio and Wheel of Fortune meme characters are used under parody provisions of Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, commonly known as “fair use law”. This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

Advertisement

UnNatural News: The Health Ranger Sells Formaldehyde

For the most part, the scientific world simply laughs at Mike Adams, the self-proclaimed
“Health Ranger”.  Adams’ web site, Natural News, regularly publishes supermarket tabloid-style articles on topics such as life on Mars being wiped out by ancient aliens, World War III possibly already being underway, and both 9/11 and the Sandy Hook massacre being hoaxes.  And who can forget this side-splitting video¹ of Adams and a puppet expressing (in song) their scientific illiteracy about GMOs?

But there’s a serious, darker side to The Ranger.  In addition to spouting medical misinformation that could actually cost real human lives, such as the well-debunked view that vaccines are dangerous and pushing ineffective holistic cancer cures, Mike Adams is selling merchandise that contains the very same chemicals he claims will kill you.

To illustrate this last point, let’s go shopping at NaturalNews.com.  Having been bent over in the garden doing a lot of weeding these past few weeks, my back is killing me.  The Health Ranger promises that this bottle of NutraCool topical pain relief formula will cure what ails me:²

NutraCool, on sale in the Natural News store, contains an ingredient Mike Adams links to cancer. (click/enlarge)

Before I buy though, I’m keen to take the advice of Mr. Adams and learn what’s in the product I’m considering putting on my body.  If you read Natural News regularly, there are supposedly a lot of sneaky toxic chemicals out there in the cold cruel world–not all of them sitting out in plain sight.  Why, here… check out this advice on hidden formaldehyde in cosmetics and skin care products:

“Formaldehyde is a highly toxic chemical that is still used under the guise of different ingredient names that don’t include “formaldehyde” in the title in a large number of products that are frequently in close contact with consumers.” ³

One of those devious, hidden formaldehyde sources, according to the Health Ranger?  Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.  This compound is sometimes used as a preservative in cosmetics, much to the chagrin of astroturf “consumer advocate” sites quoted by Adams, such as the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which warns that sodium hydroxymethylglycinate can slowly release formaldehyde into cosmetics over time.

Why might this matter to Mike Adams?

“Formaldehyde is highly effective as a preservative; however, it is also highly toxic to our immune system, nervous system and is also a major carcinogen.” ³

Health Ranger says to avoid sodium hydroxymethylglycinate in personal care products and links it to myriad diseases.  Do you see where this is going?  Maestro, cue the ominous drum roll.  Let’s even add some scary claps of thunder, because this is going to be big.  Without further ado, I present the ingredients in the UltraCool pain relief gel sold by NaturalNews.com:²

NutraCool ingredients

As Minnie Mouse said to Mickey on their wedding night:  Eek!  There it is in all its glory… sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.  The chemical compound Natural News links via formaldehyde to cancer, neurotoxicity, and immune system disfunction is a prominent ingredient in the company’s merchandise.

If Mike Adams is a health “Ranger”, his (moral) compass doesn’t appear to be pointing due north.

A disturbing trait of snake oil salesmen is how openly they run their con games while going unnoticed by their marks.  You might forgive an unsuspecting customer for missing the sodium hydroxymethylglycinate buried deep on a web page, but Natural News also proudly displays the additive on the product label, complete with a magnifying glass feature.  You can’t miss it if you try.  See the following image (click to enlarge).

Mike Adams proudly displays the “carcinogenic” sodium hydroxymethylglycinate on his product label. Maybe he knows nobody’s looking and/or they don’t know he’s conning them. (click/enlarge)

So NaturalNews wants me to rub this pain-relief lotion all over my skin, even though it contains an additive they’ve linked to cancer?  Let’s pause one last time and let Mike Adams “educate” us on the wisdom of this action:

Given the fact that just about everything you put on your skin gets absorbed into your bloodstream…⁵

Gee, thanks Mike.

This is just one of many (upcoming) examples of a web site/Facebook page misleading nearly two million followers.  Chuckle over Natural News’ featherbrained conspiracy theories, yes.  But don’t fall for or spread their potentially fatal lies about the dangers of vaccines and GMOS (read: they’re safe).  And by all that’s holy, don’t spend your hard-earned money in the Health Ranger’s online store.  When an unqualified, self-styled “expert” such as Adams tells us to avoid “formaldehyde-releasing” cosmetic ingredients and then sells eight ounces of the very same for $29.95–shame on us for buying.

 

References
(1) Just Label It Song
http://www.naturalnews.com/just-label-it-song.html

(2) NutralCool on NaturalNews.com Store
http://store.naturalnews.com/NutraCool_p_4.html

(3) Four Common Formaldehyde Releasers to Avoid in Your Cosmetics and Skin Care (NaturalNews.com)
http://www.naturalnews.com/041323_formaldehyde_skin_care_cosmetics.html

(4) NaturalNews.com: Chemicals in Skin Care Products
http://www.naturalnews.com/023317_skin_chemicals_products.html

 

Image Credits
Natural News and Mike Adams/Health Ranger screen and product snapshots are used in strict accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, commonly known as “fair use law”. This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

Opening photo parody/illustration by Mark Alsip/Bad Science debunked.  Produced with elements (c) Natural News; also used instrict accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, commonly known as “fair use law”. This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

David Avocado Wolfe Sells a Carcinogen (#DontCryWolfe)

Rare photo of David Avocado Wolfe auditioning for the movie “Cocktail”. David is juggling a bottle of his Longevity drops, which contain alcohol that he links to cancer.

David Wolfe is selling longevity drops!¹  Golly gee whiz!  This is exciting news!

Until we got bogged down in the drudgery of this never-ending presidential campaign here in the United States, where watching the news conjures up thoughts of sticking my tongue into a 120 volt electrical outlet, I had always hoped to live forever.  I wanted to live long enough to see humans travel to the stars.  I secretly thought I’d persevere and see the Chicago Cubs win a World Series.  I’m embarrassed about never buying life insurance and didn’t want to be confronted with the consequences of that mistake by actually dying.

So there I was, credit card in hand over on Wolfe’s Longevity Warehouse web site, ready to make a purchase of the liquid that’d give me eternal life, and I thought: “wait a minute… maybe I should check out the labeling on this product.  Wolfe hasn’t been exactly straightforward with his science in the past.”

Indeed, this is the man who claimed that water is alive.

Here’s the product in question:

David Wolfe’s Longevity Drops

Anyone want to check out the ingredients with me?¹

Longevity drops ingredients (click/enlarge)

Oh dear.  David Wolfe’s Longevity Drops contain alcohol.  This is a conundrum.

Now, for those of you who studied science at Food Babe University, a conundrum isn’t one of those things you wear while having safe sex. The word means  “a difficult problem”… something illogical…  a severe contradiction, as it were: something David Avocado Wolfe is famous for.

Why is it a problem for Wolfe to be selling a longevity product that contains alcohol?  Because the Avocado Dude recommends you consume this elixir daily, but in an article titled “This is What Happens to Your Body if You Drink Alcohol on a Regular Basis”, he warns that alcohol has the following effects on your body:²

• It causes cancer
• It decreases vitamin B12 production
• It decreases vitamin D and calcium absorption
• It damages the liver
• It’s a depressant

So… “buy my product to live longer, but it will kill you.  Bottoms up!  Love, David!”

Do yourself and/or a sick, disadvantaged person a favor:  Help make the world a better place by searching for and re-tweeting the truth about David Avocado Wolfe with this hashtag:

#DontCryWolfe

And don’t ever, ever buy anything from his online store.  If you want the grape alcohol featured in his longevity drops, it’s better known as wine, and you can pick up a decent bottle for a few bucks at your local liquor store.  #Cheers.  #BottomsUp.

 

Image Credits
David Wolfe/Longevity Warehouse screen captures and product images are used in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, commonly known as “fair use law”. This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

“Cocktail” parody by Mark Alsip/Bad Science Debunked.  Used under the parody provision of Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of U.S. copyright law.  This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

References

(1) Food for the Immortals Longevity Drops (50ml)
http://www.longevitywarehouse.com/food-for-the-immortals-longevity-drops-50-ml

(2) This is What Happens to Your Body if You Drink Alcohol on a Regular Basis!
http://www.davidwolfe.com/happens-to-body-drink-alcohol/

The Quack Doctor/Blogger Quiz

So you think you know your con artists?

Which major organization did “holistic psychiatrist” Kelly Brogan falsely accuse of supporting birth control in Africa via vaccinations?

What inanimate substance did woo peddler David Wolfe hilariously claim is alive?

Which doctor sells the most “toxic”, heavy-metal containing products branded in his own name: Mercola, Hyman, or Oz?

If you think you know the answers, try my thirty-question Playbuzz quiz.  (I got really bored last night, and we were out of blackberry wine and red velvet cupcakes, so I put this quiz together). Click the image below to launch:

Try the quiz! (Click to launch)

David Wolfe’s Salty Product: “Bro! Mine Is Toxic!”

According to his product literature, David Wolfe’s Himalayan salt contains the same “toxic” element he avoids in seawater.

#DontCryWolfe
David Avocado Wolfe has once again stuck foot firmly in mouth in a YouTube video,¹ encouraging a spellbound crowd at a nature retreat to avoid drinking bromine-laced seawater, urging instead the imbibing of a solution of Himalayan Pink Salt that contains–you guessed it–bromine.  And who sells this Himalayan salt?  None other than Avocado Wolfe himself.  Bromine is listed as one of the 84 elements in the salt sold by his internet store, Longevity Warehouse.^2,3

As with all snake oil products, somehow, magically, David Avocado’s bromine is safer than the same bromine he says will poison you. Wolfe can’t take the “trace elements” dodge on his salt, claiming levels are too low to be harmful, as he clearly claims in his video that trace amounts of the element from sea water will build up to toxic levels over time.  By his own logic, eat enough of his salt, and you’re in the same (sinking) boat.

The YouTube salt video was recently posted by the Facebook woo-fighting page “NFBR But…”, and is a comic gold mine.  In one hilarious segment,  Wolfe tells the bald-faced lie that all of the earth’s water would levitate off the face of the planet if not for the salt in the earth’s oceans.  You’d think the crowd would realize they’re being snowed at this point and move on to something more interesting, like seagulls attempting oral sex with a manatee, but they continue listening to the con man.  I won’t waste the time of those of you who’ve studied third grade science by debunking the levitation claptrap. Instead, let’s concentrate on the consumer fraud Wolfe perpetrates on his unsuspecting followers.

The deception comes early in the video:  when questioned on the risks/benefits of consuming Himalayan salt  vs. the salt in ocean water, Avocado recommends Himalayan salt because, according to him, it doesn’t contain the element bromine.

Oops.

Wolfe’s company, Longevity Warehouse, sells Pink Himalayan salt, and they’re happy to provide a list of the “essential elements” it contains.  All you have to do is write and ask them what’s in their product.  I know, because I did.  Their reply:²

“The vendor has confirmed that the statement is referencing the book Water & Salt, The Essence of Life by Dr. Barbara Hendel MD and Peter Ferreira, which states that Himalayan salt can contain as many as 84 trace minerals. […] Attached is the list of minerals from the book for your reference.” — Longevity Warehouse  Support  Case #166810: Himalayan salt ingredients“

And from that attached list of minerals (actually, they’re elements), ladies and gentlemen, I give you… bromine:

Bromine is one of the listed elements in David Wolfe’s Himalayan Salt.

Yes, bromine.  Hypocrisy, thy name is Avocado.

It gets worse. Exhibiting balls the size of Texas, Wolfe goes on to claim he’s tested up to ten salts in his “lab” and found that none contain bromine, except for Morton’s– a competing salt company.

One has to wonder which salts Avocado tested in order to disparage a competitor over a “toxic” element and miss the same in his own product.

This isn’t the first time the hypocrisy of Wolfe’s Himalayan salt has been laid bare for all the world to see.  In an earlier article, I pointed out that according to his own customer service reps, Wolfe’s product contains the same “toxic” heavy metals he warns the world to avoid.  At this point, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that Avocado has a full range of detoxifying books and products available for purchase, just to cure you from the very toxins he’s feeding you.

Himalayan salt from Wolfe’s Longevity Warehouse.  According to his own literature, David Wolfe’s Himalayan salt contains bromine.  But he warns followers to avoid bromine!

The scariest thing about David Wolfe isn’t that he’s fleecing innocent people out of their paychecks.  It’s that he goes on to dissuade them from taking advantage of real, potentially-life saving medicine and instead dabble in nonsensical, mystical woo that could literally cost them their lives when it comes to serious medical conditions like cancer.  Please, for your sake, and the sake of loved ones, don’t share articles or memes from this man, no matter how cute or appealing they might be at first glance.

When someone tells you “X” is dangerous and then sells you a product containing “X” in the same breath, that should be your first clue that something is wrong.  Do you and your loved ones a favor this year.  #DontCryWolfe

 

Image Credits
David Wolfe/Longevity Warehouse web site screen and product snapshots are used in strict compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”). This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

Google web site screen snapshot used in compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”). This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

References
(1) David Wolfe–The Importance of Salt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XJCnanT4ac

(2) Longevity Warehouse Customer Support  Case #166810: Himalayan salt ingredients
(Email response, references Hendel/Ferreira book.  See Reference 3)

(3) Water & Salt, The Essence of Life
Dr. Barbara Hendel MD and Peter Ferreira
ISBN 978-0974451510

Your Worst Day Ever: David Avocado’s Himalayan Salt Debunked

I’ve had more than one good belly laugh over the scientific absurdities of David Avocado Wolfe, a believer that water is a living organism whose attitude is shaped by the path taken through the pipes entering one’s house.¹² Adding to the fun, Mr. Wolfe’s fog of incomprehension regarding electricity is fodder for an upcoming article debunking his horrifically expensive “Zapper” and grounding mat products, so do stay tuned for that.

But as I launch my 2016 #DontCryWolfe series exposing this man’s dangerous pseudoscience (e.g., turning cancer patients away from effective treatments in favor of bogus vegetable cures), I’d like to kick things off with what has become the forte of my blog: proving that internet hucksters like Wolfe are selling products with exactly the same ingredients they claim will kill you.

As an example, let’s look at this Himalayan Crystal Salt available from Wolfe’s Longevity Warehouse:¹

Wolfe makes an interesting claim about this salt:²

“Himalayan salt contains the 84 natural elements needed by the body. “

Eighty-four elements needed by the body? Curiosity got the better of me, so I contacted Longevity Warehouse and asked what my body “needs”. In response, they opened help ticket “LW Support #166810: Himalayan salt ingredients“, and eventually emailed this reply:

“The vendor has confirmed that the statement is referencing the book Water & Salt, The Essence of Life by Dr. Barbara Hendel MD and Peter Ferreira, which states that Himalayan salt can contain as many as 84 trace minerals. […] Attached is the list of minerals from the book for your reference.”

You can consult the Hendel/Ferreira book¹¹ for the full list if you’re so inclined, but here are a few particular items from the publication that I think readers will find interesting:

Arsenic As 33 <0.01 ppm
Cadmium Cd 48 <0.01 ppm
Mercury Hg 80 <0.03 ppm
Lead Pb 82 0.10 ppm
Polonium Po 84 <0.001 ppm
Uranium U 92 <0.001 ppm
Plutonium Pu 94 <0.001 ppm

Before I dig into this lineup, it’s of utmost importance to understand one of Wolfe’s key claims about his product. To wit: even though the salt contains only trace amounts of 84 elements, it’s their very presence that makes the product beneficial to your health, and it’s their removal during commercial salt processing that makes regular table salt “toxic“. Speak to us, oh wise one:

“In order to make table salt, natural salt is heated to high temperatures and cleaned chemically, reducing all the important minerals and leaving only sodium and chloride”²–David Wolfe

Never mind that the salt you buy from Wolfe is still, by and large, nothing more than sodium chloride. He’s telling us that the mere presence of these 84 trace elements is important to our health. All of them. Uh oh.

Let’s look at some of these “important” elements:

 

MERCURY
Mr. Wolfe warns that mercury is one of the top ten toxins poisoning our children, and once it’s in the body, it’s impossible to remove naturally.³ So as you consume his salt, by the man’s own logic, you’re writing a toxic check your digestive system can’t cash.

No mercury-based fear mongering from a pseudoscientist would ever be complete without a reference to dental fillings, and Avocado does not disappoint. In this YouTube video,⁴ he describes mercury as one of the “highest toxic substances known to man”, and frets over the small amounts found in older dental fillings. You won’t find him agonizing over the mercury in the Himalayan salt he sells you, though. Why? Because money.

Wolfe boarded the Woo Train long ago on vaccines, not seeming to grasp whether thimerosal (a mercury-containing compound–which is not mercury) might actually be used in certain vaccines at all. Once his misinformation train left the station, a lot of innocent people have gotten sick from vaccine-preventable diseases. Avocado is fixated on his belief that your body can’t remove these heavy metals (which originated from his own Himalayan salt!) on its own.⁵ Perhaps this is why he’s happy to recommend and sell unproven detox routines to help in the cleanup.⁶

If you spend a lot of time reading Wolfe (I do), you’ll see this mantra repeated again and again when it comes to “heavy metals”:

“That is a long scary list and many of these things will not leave the body naturally.” ⁵–David Avocado Wolfe

 

LEAD
I’ll let Wolfe’s “lipstick meme” speak for itself on ingesting trace amounts of the toxic element lead:⁷

David Wolfe on lead. (click/enlarge)

I agree with Wolfe: we should be concerned about eating or drinking lead. So why is it found in his Himalayan Crystal Salt?

Wolfe frets over a literal kiss of death, yet he would have us sprinkle the same elements of our destruction over our garden salad. You’ve heard me say it countless times in my writing: Pot. Kettle. Black.

I’m looking at you, David Avocado Wolfe.

 

ARSENIC
Wolfe’s own marketing material for Himalayan salt² takes great pains to name arsenic as a toxin that we’re adding to our body in “normal” salt, and yet you’ll find the very same element in the Himalayan mix he’s selling you.

“Also considering salts come from the ocean, and our oceans are polluted with mercury, lead, arsenic and more, we are then adding more toxins into our body.”²

Along with “Shazzie”, Wolfe is listed as co-author of “Detox Your World”,⁸ a book that warns that ingesting low levels of arsenic over extended periods of time can lead to darkening of skin and warts. The book then goes on to link arsenic to several cancers, including lung, skin, bladder, and prostate.

 

URANIUM
On July 23, 2015, Wolfe tweeted a link to a story about abandoned uranium mines slowly contaminating Navajo water sources:

David Wolfe tweet on uranium (click/enlarge)

I think Wolfe is right to be concerned about the accumulation of radioactive elements such as uranium in the human body through sources such as groundwater.

My question is, why doesn’t he care that he’s listed trace amounts of uranium as one of the 84 essential elements in his Himalayan salt? One can’t help but notice the radioactive polonium and plutonium in the salt as well, even if Wolfe hasn’t spoken out specifically against them. These elements are most definitely harmful to the human body and, as Wolfe so often loves to shout from the rooftops,⁶ there’s no way to remove these toxins once we’ve ingested them (unless you subscribe to one of his detox regimens).

 

CADMIUM
Cadmium is listed repeatedly^10,11 (along with arsenic and lead) as a “metallic toxin” in Wolfe’s book, Superfoods; The Food and Medicine of the Future.

Can you name a food where you’ll find cadmium? Oh hell, I’ve ruined the surprise by now, haven’t I? Yes, it’s in Wolfe’s Himalayan Crystal salt.

 

Conclusion
There’s nothing really dangerous about Himalayan salt.  The trace amounts of elements found there are too small to do you any good–or harm.  David Wolfe’s health and science advice swing from harmless, laughable blurbs such as “chocolate being a magical octave of the sun”, to irresponsible, and patently dangerous claims such as ginger being more powerful than chemotherapy in cancer treatment. The former is funny; the latter can cost someone their life.

Wolfe lures unsuspecting readers to his web site through the use of cute memes featuring the likes of Charlie Brown and Snoopy, drops a load of dangerous pseudoscience on them that could dissuade them from seeking real medical attention, and sells them products that by his own claims could damage their health.

Do the world a favor and don’t share David Wolfe memes in 2016. Please share, and tag with #DontCryWolfe. Thanks for reading.

#DontCryWolfe

Edit History
18 Jan 2016: Four astute followers caught the embarrassing misspelling of prostate; added some extra verbiage to assure worried readers they don’t need to throw out their pink salt.  It’s completely safe.

Image Credits
David Wolfe/Longevity Warehouse web site screen and product snapshots are used in strict compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”). This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

References
(1) Longevity Warehouse David Wolfe Himalayan Salt (One Pound)
http://www.longevitywarehouse.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&q=himalayan+salt

(2) Himalayan Salt Claim
http://www.longevitywarehouse.com/david-wolfe-foods-himalayan-crystal-salt-1-lb

(3) Top Ten Toxins Poisoning Our Kids
http://www.davidwolfe.com/toxins-poisoning-kids/

(4) Dental fillings wit mercury in them. (David Wolfe)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmvewxE4D-4

(5) Vaccines and Vaccine Safety
http://www.davidwolfe.com/vaccines-and-vaccine-safety/

(6) David Wolfe Vaccine Detox
http://www.davidwolfe.com/vaccine-detox-children-adults-remove-heavy-metals-toxins/

(7) Wolfe’s Lipstick/Lead Meme
https://www.facebook.com/DavidAvocadoWolfe/photos/a.10150364951666512.342374.102515706511/10152895865466512/

(8) Detox Your World (Shazzie, David Wolfe)
North Atlantic Books
ISBN 978-1-58394-450-1
https://books.google.com/books?id=fP5QuCv05vYC&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=david+wolfe+arsenic&source=bl&ots=pIxgnCJpYa&sig=er7xVWgZ6VZAwf2KlVUtU658emg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAjgKahUKEwidgOmfwpDIAhUEWh4KHdwODs0#v=onepage&q=david%20wolfe%20arsenic&f=false

(9) David Wolfe Uranium Tweet
https://twitter.com/davidwolfe/status/624365403381219328

(10) SuperFoods: The Food And Medicine Of The Future
North Atlantic Books
ISBN 978-1-55643-776-2
https://books.google.com/books?id=6EtHo7N3-PYC&pg=PT51&lpg=PT51&dq=david+wolfe+copper&source=bl&ots=Jg-DZ0J5X4&sig=DGbZnuv0bNDABzNCebBSxwulB6w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvnuP59obKAhVFMj4KHYICDZY4ChDoAQglMAE#v=onepage&q=david%20wolfe%20cadmium&f=false

(10) SuperFoods: The Food And Medicine Of The Future
North Atlantic Books
ISBN 978-1-55643-776-2
https://books.google.com/books?id=6EtHo7N3-PYC&pg=PT51&lpg=PT51&dq=david+wolfe+copper&source=bl&ots=Jg-DZ0J5X4&sig=DGbZnuv0bNDABzNCebBSxwulB6w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvnuP59obKAhVFMj4KHYICDZY4ChDoAQglMAE#v=onepage&q=david%20wolfe%20cadmium&f=false

(11) Water & Salt:: The Essence Of Life: The Healing Power of Nature
Natural Resources
ISBN: 978-0-97445-151-0
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Salt-Essence-Healing-Nature/dp/B001DVZMW6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453116977&sr=8-1&keywords=Water+%26+Salt%2C+The+Essence+of+Life

(12) David Wolfe Shares on Getting the Best Water You Can Get
http://www.donotlink.com/hx8w

(13) Chocolate As An Octave Of The Sun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzMmzd2qJVw

(14) Ginger Stronger Than Chemo
http://www.davidwolfe.com/ginger-stronger-than-chemo-kills-cancer-cells/

Dr. Mercola Brand Facial Cleanser Contains Pesticide

Dr. Joe Mercola is infamous for his zero tolerance policy on “harmful” chemicals (read: those not sold via his online store).  He’s pontificated about clearing an entire building due to a mercury spill smaller than the size of a tooth filling, so I find it ironic that after writing nearly three dozen articles on pesticide dangers, he’s selling a personal care product that contains…. wait for it… a pesticide.

Surprised?  You shouldn’t be.  Grab your credit cards and breathing gear.  It’s time for a shopping trip to Mercola.com.

Why look!  Here’s a nice bottle of organic facial cleanser:¹

Let’s let doctor Mercola himself describe some of the key ingredients in this product:

Partial ingredients list for Mercola’s facial cleanser, according to Mercola.com. (click/enlarge)

 

Neem oil is really interesting.  Mr. Mercola, if you’d be so kind as to elucidate:¹

“Neem oil is the unique ingredient which makes Daily Facial Cleanser clearly stand out.”–Mercola.com

Neem oil stands out, indeed:  It’s a pesticide used in organic farming!  You can pop over to your local lawn and garden shop and pick up a bottle during halftime of next weekend’s football game and be home in time to kill off a large population of the creepy crawlies in your back yard:

Neem oil, featured in Mercola’s facial cleanser, is an organic pesticide (insect killer). (click/enlarge)

If Mercola was here to defend himself, no doubt he’d say this is an all-natural, organic pesticide, and that it’s been used for centuries in folk medicine, with no ill effect. Except there have been ill effects:

“Twelve children were admitted with convulsions and altered sensorium following ingestion of locally obtained neem oil.  Ten died within 24 hours.”–Indian Journal of Pediatrics ²

and…

“This report highlights the toxicity associated with neem oil poisoning in an elderly male. […]  In the emergency department, the patient developed generalized convulsions with loss of consciousness. “–Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine ³

There are a lot more examples.  Don’t believe me?  Spend some time on PubMed.  True, neem oil can be refined to remove toxic components, but given Mercola’s aversion to refining natural compounds, that isn’t likely a recipe he’d find palatable.

But I’m not here to do Mercola’s research for him.   My goal is to simply point out that the fear mongering de facto king of snake oil salesmen rants, ad nauseam, about pesticide use and then, without blinking an eye, uses a known insecticide in one of his facial care products.  For the record, Mercola isn’t the only pesticide-hater hawking neem oil. His compatriot, the Food Babe, does so as well–in a children’s product!

This isn’t the first time we’ve caught Dr. Joe vending products that contain chemicals (or classes of chemicals) he says are dangerous.  Who can forget the dozen or more highly toxic chemicals in his Himalayan Pink Salt (lead or mercury for breakfast, anyone?), or the Joe-Banned sweetener in Mercola Brand protein bars?

When will the public catch on to the fact that these health care gurus are taking them on an costly, extravagant ride?  At first glance, the answer might seem to be “never”:  Mercola has over one million followers, and most seem to be so indoctrinated that no amount of evidence is ever going to sway them.

I have a more optimistic outlook, however.  There are billions of people who have never heard of Joseph Mercola.  Think of them as unvaccinated, and Mercola as a virus.  Now, what if skeptics such as you and I are a verbal vaccine?  If we can reach out to the uninfected–those who have never been shopping at Mercola.com–and warn them about what they’re going to find there, perhaps we can build up a measure of immunity and save them from this nonsense.

Food for thought.

Oh, anyone need any facial cleanser?

Neem oil has many uses, including the killing of annoying insects and, apparently, cleaning your face.   (click/enlarge)

Image Credits
Mercola.com screen snapshots and product image captures are used in strict compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”). This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

Commercial neem oil pesticide product image captures are used in strict compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”). This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

Mercola in the garden parody image by the author, used under parody provisions of Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law.

References
(1) Organic Daily Facial Cleanser–Mercola.com
http://shop.mercola.com/product/organic-daily-facial-cleanser,1030,488,0.htm

(2) The Indian Journal of Pediatrics
May 1982, Volume 49, Issue 3, pp 357-359
N. Sundaravalli, B. Bhaskar Raju M.D., K. A. Krishnamoorthy M.D. (1)
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02834422

(3) Neem oil poisoning: Case report of an adult with toxic encephalopathy
Indian J Crit Care Med. 2013 Sep-Oct; 17(5): 321–322.
Ajay Mishra and Nikhil Dave
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3841499/

PABAble Cause: A “Carcinogen” From Dr. Axe

Author’s note:  Sometime between the publication of this article (December 2015) and April 2018, Axe’s manufacturer quietly changed the formulation and relabeled the product reviewed here.  Axe has repeatedly ignored requests for comment since I wrote this piece, including blocking me on his social media pages, so I’m unable to say when the changes took place.  The screen snapshots of the product/ingredient labels stand testament to what was being sold.  I leave this article, with this correction, as a record of what took place.  In the meantime, Axe continues to sell products that contain the same ingredients he claims are harmful.  Just type his name in the search box in the upper right corner of BadScienceDebunked.com and enjoy the reading. — Mark Alsip, 04 Apr 2018, Lexington, KY

Original article follows:

When we last visited our good friend Josh Axe, he was hard at work selling antimatter-laden miracle dirt to unsuspecting customers, with the claim it would sweep toxins out of their bodies while simultaneously delivering vital nutrients. (Yes, I was confused too.)

Today I’d like to take a look at another product being peddled by “Dr.” Axe. If you read to the end, I can guarantee you’ll be outraged.  The hypocrisy could not be more blatant.

The topic of the day–and don’t be scared by the long words–is para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA).  Let’s start off with Josh Axe giving us a quick backgrounder on PABA:¹

“A recent study published in Environmental Science Technology has also shown the common sunscreen ingredients oxybenzone, methoxycinnamate, and PABA are estrogenic chemicals linked to cancer. That’s right, I read the labels on not only my food products, but on anything I’m putting on or near my body, and you should too.” ¹

(Emphasis mine.)  So PABA is an “estrogenic chemical linked to cancer”, Josh?  Hold that thought, and let’s go shopping at draxe.com.  You might want to put on some older clothing. This is going to get messy.

Here’s a nice vitamin B supplement:²

Dr. Axe Vitamin B supplement. (click/enlarge)

If you’ve read my blog before, having seen me highlight Josh’s disdain for PABA followed by a screen snapshot of a product he’s selling, you’ve probably guessed where this article is heading.  You won’t be disappointed.  Time to have a look-see at what’s actually in the supplement Axe is hawking:²

Dr. Axe’s supplement contains PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), the very same compound he just linked to cancer. (click/enlarge)

Oh, good grief…  this supplement contains PABA!  Para-aminobenzoic acid.  The cancer-causing boogeyman of Josh Axe’s nightmares: on sale now for only $39.99 on the Dr. Axe web site (you save $11.25!).

This would almost be comical if not for the fact that in the same sentence in which Axe attacked PABA, he said:

“That’s right, I read the labels on not only my food products, but on anything I’m putting on or near my body, and you should too.”¹

So there you have it.  Here’s a chiropractor/”natural medicine doctor” who warns his followers to avoid putting a chemical on their bodies due to cancer concerns, sells them that very same compound in a supplement they’re supposed to ingest, and in the same breath tells them he reads product labels to avoid putting dangerous product on or in his body.

The mind boggles.

 

Image Credits
Josh Axe product and website screen snapshots are used in strict compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”). This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

Axe “look at that” parody by the author.  Created and used under parody/education/public health knowledge provisions of Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”).

References
(1) 75% of Sunscreens Are Toxic: What To Do Instead
http://draxe.com/75-of-sunscreens-are-toxic-what-to-do-instead/

(2) Dr. Axe Vitamin B Complex
Organic Vitamin B Complex

Anti-GMO “Natural Society” Links Formaldehyde To Cancer–But Sells Formaldehyde

Recently I wrote about the so-called Natural Society’s hypocrisy in criticizing cellulose as indigestible food filler while at the same time using it in the dietary supplements they sell.  This offense is minor compared to the gaffe they’ve committed in their virulent anti-GMO campaign.

The Natural Society doesn’t like formaldehyde.¹  I mean, they really don’t like formaldehyde.^2,3  Ranting about the supposed natural production of this compound by GMO soy, author Christina Sarich terrifies readers with tales of an IARC Group 1 carcinogen skulking in their food, while compatriot Patrick Gallagher warns that even the vapor content is so dangerous it should be avoided.

So:  why is the Natural Society selling formaldehyde to their followers?

Don’t believe me? Let’s visit the Natural Society online store. Here’s a nice 8-ounce jar of Sombra Pain Relieving Gel:

Sombra Pain Relieving Gel from the Natural Society. (click/enlarge)

 

The list of ingredients seems innocent at first, but I’ve highlighted something interesting:

Sombra contains sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, aka a “formaldehyde releaser.” (click/enlarge)

As Winnie the Pooh is famous for saying: “Oh, bother!”.  Sodium ‘hydromethylglycinate’, the preservative in Natural Society’s Sombra gel, is either accidentally or intentionally misspelled.  We can go to the Sombra web site and confirm it’s actually sodium hydroxymethylglycinate:  a compound known as a “formaldehyde releaser.”

As you might guess from the name, a formaldehyde releaser slowly releases formaldehyde into a product over time.  The purpose is to act as a preservative, deterring the growth of bacteria, fungi, and other undesired “guests.”  Here’s the correctly-spelled ingredient list, courtesy the Sombra web site:¹¹

Natural Society either accidentally or intentionally misspelled one of the ingredients.  Here’s the correct ingredient list, straight from the manufacturer. (click/enlarge)

For a small fee, the Natural Society could have gone through PubMed or PubChem and purchased access to one of the many papers confirming their favored preservative’s role in releasing formaldehyde into the product they’re selling.^5,6,7 It cost me just $6.00 and 15 minutes of reading time to learn about sodium hydroxymethylglycinate in “Formaldehyde-releasers in cosmetics: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy”: ⁵

Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, excerpt from “Formaldehyde-releasers in cosmetics: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy.”⁵

 

But it gets worse.  Like so many other snake oil peddlers on the internet, Natural Society quotes the non-science-based Environmental Work Group (EWG) at every drop of the hat.^8,9  And even EWG pegged the formaldehyde releasing capabilities of sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.¹⁰

So where did Natural Society go wrong?  Was it a lack of research?

“After working to find all of the best brands in the industry, we settled on Sombra’s Cool Therapy gel after over an entire year of testing and research.” ⁴

Whoa.  An entire year of testing and research, and they missed the formaldehyde?

Or did they?

Remember Christina Sarich, the Society writer/formaldehyde-hater we discussed at the beginning of this article?  Here she is again, writing for the Natural Society on  the subject of toxic formaldehyde releasers in skin care products:

“Furthermore, many face and body soaps contain ‘antibiotic cleansers’ like Triclosan. What else? Benzethonium chloride, artificial colorants, BHA, BHT, silicone derived emollients, parabens, and Formaldehyde releasers [DMDM hydantoin diazolidinyl urea, Imidazolidinyl urea Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, N-(Hydroxymethyl) glycine, monosodium salt, and quaternium-15]. YUCK!”¹²

Holy GMO-free sh*t!  The same author who writes about the dangers of carcinogenic formaldehyde in GMO food also warns about it avoiding in skin care products–then turns around and sells it to you.

And all of this after an entire year of testing and research.  Cojones the size of Texas!  But I weep for the masses who hand their hard-earned money to businesses like this.

I weep.

 

Revision history:  corrected spelling of cojones (10 Dec 2015);

corrected title of reference (6) (12 Dec 2015)

 

 

 

Image Credits
Natural Society, Sombra screen and product snapshots are used in strict compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”). This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, from “Formaldehyde-releasers in cosmetics: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy. Part 1. Characterization, frequency and relevance of sensitization, and frequency of use in cosmetics” ⁵, used under Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”) with the intent of providing education.

References
(1) Study: GMO Soy Accumulates Cancer-causing Formaldehyde
http://naturalsociety.com/study-gmo-soy-accumulates-cancer-causing-formaldehyde/

(2) New Study: GMO Soy Accumuluates Cancerous Formaldehyde
http://naturalsociety.com/new-study-gmo-soy-accumulates-cancerous-formaldehyde/

(3) Styrene and Formaldehyde Use Causing Health Complications
http://naturalsociety.com/styrene-formaldehyde-use-causing-health-complications/

(4) Sombra Pain Relief Cream on Natural Society Shopping Page
https://shop.naturalsociety.com/product/sombra-cool-therapy-pain-relieving-gel-8-oz

(5) Formaldehyde-releasers in cosmetics: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy. Part 1. Characterization, frequency and relevance of sensitization, and frequency of use in cosmetics.
Contact Dermatitis. 2010 Jan;62(1):2-17. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.2009.01615.x.
de Groot AC1, White IR, Flyvholm MA, Lensen G, Coenraads PJ.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20136875
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0536.2009.01615.x/abstract  (full text, last accessed 08 Dec 2015)

(6) Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
Dermatitis. 2010 Mar-Apr;21(2):109-10.
Russell K1, Jacob SE.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20233550

(7) Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate: a potential formaldehyde-releasing preservative in child products.
Dermatitis. 2009 Nov-Dec;20(6):347-9.
Jacob SE1, Hsu JW.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19958742

(8) Natural Society Quotes EWG: Toxic Flame Retardants in Baby Products
http://naturalsociety.com/toxic-flame-retardants-found-in-80-of-baby-products/

(9) Natural Society Quotes EWG: Glyphosate Doubles Cancer Risk
http://naturalsociety.com/ewg-monsantos-herbicide-chemical-glyphosate-doubles-cancer-risk/

(10) EWG: Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/706077/SODIUM_HYDROXYMETHYLGLYCINATE_(FORMALDEHYDE_RELEASER)/#

(11) Sombra Gel Ingredients (manufacturer website)
http://www.sombrausa.com/cool-therapy

(12) Five Healthier Swaps for Expensive Toxic Skin Care Products
http://naturalsociety.com/5-cheaper-healthier-swaps-expensive-toxic-skin-care-products/

Axe-idental Poisoning (Josh Axe Debunked)

How are iron and copper released by bentonite clay while chromium and manganese are targeted and swept away?  Dr. Axe doesn’t sufficiently explain this, but accidentally delves into antimatter and magic in his attempt (see text).

 

So you’ve had another gut-wrenching GMO-free meal at Chi-coli (aka Chipotle) and you’re in need of a quick detox?  Is that what’s bothering you Bunky?  Well set your mind at ease. According to chiropractor and “natural medicine doctor” Josh Axe, all you need to do is eat some dirt.  But not just any dirt.  No, what’s needed here is bentonite clay, a miracle soil that will cleanse and heal the body (get your credit cards ready).¹

“Bentonite clay benefits your body by helping to expel many of these toxins [mercury, cadmium, lead, and benzene] and therefore increases immunity and reduces inflammation” ¹ — Josh Axe

Golly gee!  I want to know more!

“On top of being able to draw-out toxins from the body, the clay itself has a range of nutrients” ¹ — Josh Axe

 

Wait.  Hold on.  Does the clay draw elements out of the body, or put them in?

“When ingested into the body, either in a drink form or by eating the clay, its vitamins and minerals are absorbed similarly to how a supplement would be. Therefore some people use it as a supplement since the clay is a natural source of important dietary nutrients.” ¹ –Axe, again

Clay is a source of “important dietary nutrients”, so it puts them into the body?  OK, I’ll bite (no pun intended).  For the sake of argument, let’s take this claim and run with it.  What are the nutritional benefits of bentonite clay, Dr. Axe?¹

Dr. Axe’s claimed nutritional benefits for bentonite clay include many elements he claims are toxic. (click/enlarge)

 

¡Madre de Dios!  Let’s look at some of the “nutritional elements” I’ve highlighted in the above graphic from draxe.com, and see what the man himself has to say about them:

“Mercury exposure, both in one large dose and through low level exposure over time, is linked through scientific data to kidney, brain, urological, fertility, neurological, and renal problems” ²  (emphasis mine)

Low level exposure to mercury over time is linked to some very nasty problems by Axe.  But you’ll find it in the clay he wants you to eat.  The story is even worse with lead:

“No level of lead exposure appears to be ‘safe’ and even the current ‘low’ levels of exposure in children are associated with neurodevelopmental deficits.” ³ (emphasis mine)

Axe’s lead quote comes from an article he penned on “toxic” chemicals found in lipstick.  According to him, there’s no safe level of this poisonous element, but you’ll find 1.17mg of lead in each heaping helping tablespoon of his recommended clay.¹

Not content with both feet in his mouth, Axe figuratively inserts other remaining body parts as well: in his bentonite clay, you’ll find each and every element I emphasize in his following quote:

“The European Union has banned the presence of cadmium, chromium and lead altogether in cosmetics. The Canadian government has set limits for the content of antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead in cosmetics. They’re still trying to determine what levels are avoidable in the manufacturing process.” ³

Why limit the levels of these elements, Dr. Axe?

“While the FDA does limit lead in certain color additives used in cosmetics, it doesn’t set limits on lead in final products.  This is troubling because heavy metals accumulate in the body over time. Low amounts can add up to big effects.” ³

 

But… but… all of these “heavy metals”, according to you, Dr. Axe, are found in the clay you’re pushing.  But do go on…  what kind of “big effects” can consumers of your super soil expect to experience as the toxins accumulate in their bodies over time?

Axe issues dire warnings for specific metals accumulating in the body over time.  But each and every metal on this list is found in the bentonite clay he recommends you eat. (click/enlarge)

 

Pot.  Kettle.  Black.

Of course, you could still buy into Axe’s contradictory argument that bentonite clay hunts down and removes these metals from the body.  The problem is, he can’t explain how the good metals are dropped off at the physiological bus stop while the bad ones are picked up by the heavy metal police and carted off to jail without ever passing go.  He makes a hilarious attempt, referencing “positively charged electrons” (that’s antimatter!), but in the end it boils down to magic.  So that I’m not accused of quote mining, I invite you to read his entire article.

Speaking of buying:  Bien sûr, after Axe sings the praises of bentonite clay, he just so happens to have a particular brand he recommends…

“Dr.” Axe has a favorite clay–and an undisclosed Amazon.com affiliate link. (click/enlarge)

 

Not only does Axe recommend bentonite, he earns money when you buy it.   In the above image, I’ve highlighted the hidden, encoded Amazon.com affiliate link.  When you’re redirected to Amazon to snag this product, not only does Josh Axe get a cut of the purchase price, he’s also set up to earn commissions on anything else you happen to buy during your shopping session.^4,5  Amazon pays out because they’re grateful to Axe for directing you to their web site.  The problem is, legally, the good doctor is supposed to clearly disclose his affiliation when he sends you off to buy–but he never does.

You can clearly see Axe’s affiliation in the decoded URL (uniform resource locator) after being directed to Amazon.  Axe earns money not only from this purchase, but others you make as well. (click/enlarge)

 

I’ve covered a lot of ground (another dirt pun; sorry) in this piece, and for good reason: there are few things worse, in my humble opinion, than a person hiding behind the title of “doctor” using bad science and fear mongering to sell you products that contain the very same ingredients they’re telling you will harm you.  Here’s a brief recap and, as always, thanks for reading:

• Axe simultaneously claims bentonite clay both sweeps elements out of your system and puts them in.  Which is it?
• No scientific explanation is given for the above contradiction.  Axe ascribes near-magical abilities to bentonite, allowing it to hunt down toxins with “positively charged electrons” (antimatter?  WTF?) after coming into contact with water.  Harry Potter would be proud.
• The so-called doctor’s mastery of chemistry is so poor he can’t differentiate between elements and minerals.
• The “no safe level of chemical to ingest” mantra could not be more clear in Axe’s writing, yet he proudly lists the levels of each proclaimed toxic chemical in bentonite clay.  Does he ever read his own words and labels?

 

Help Dr. Axe go on vacation by giving him a cut of all qualifying purchased you make after visiting Amazon.com via his hidden affiliate link.  (click/enlarge)

 

Image Credits
Josh Axe, Redmond Clay, and Amazon.com website screen snapshots are used in strict compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”). This material is distributed without profit with the intent to provide commentary, review, education, parody, and increase public health knowledge.

Snippet of the periodic table of the elements taken from ptable.com and also used under Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of United States copyright law (commonly known as “fair use law”) with the intent of providing education.  Happy faces poorly drawn by the author.

 

References
(1) 10 Proven Bentonite Clay Benefits And Uses
http://draxe.com/10-bentonite-clay-benefits-uses/

(2) Dangers of Amalgam Fillings
http://draxe.com/dangers-of-amalgam-fillings/

(3) Is Your Lipstick Toxic?
http://draxe.com/is-your-lipstick-toxic/

(4) Amazon.com Affiliate Program Description
https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

(5) Amazon.com Affiliate Compensation Schedule
https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/join/compensation.html