Sitting at a stoplight yesterday, I noticed a fly on my windshield. It stubbornly held on while I accelerated to 10MPH. It was still there at 20, 30, then 40MPH. At 45MPH I admit a cruel streak brought on thoughts of flipping on the windshield washer, but the scientist in me fought off the urge, and so, curious, I accelerated hard and, finally, at 55MPH, the creature succumbed to the inevitable.
Chiropractor Josh Axe is a lot like that insect Give him a bad idea and he’ll cling to it like a fly to a windshield in a tempest. Hang on at all costs. Never, ever, let go, despite the obvious outcome. No matter how much the right thing to do would be to let go (of your incorrect opinion).
Back in December, 2015, I wrote that Axe was pushing Bentonite clay as a detox agent, even though the product was loaded with the same “toxic” heavy metals Josh claimed would kill you.1 Undeterred, on November 19, 2018, Axe used Facebook to recycle another Bentonite detox post. Like a fly on a windshield, Josh clings to irony in a hurricane of hilarious gaffes.2 Let’s have some fun.
For reference, below is an analysis of one of the Bentonite clay products Axe was hawking back in 2015.1 I don’t have a breakdown of the bath product he’s pushing in his 2018 Bentonite resurrection, but it’s reasonable to assume the clays are chemically similar:
Chemical analysis of a Josh Axe Bentonite product from 2015 .1
Note the lead, cadmium, and mercury.
(click/enlarge)
According to Axe, Bentonite clay is used to remove toxic heavy metals from the body, by either consuming or applying the mud topically. Quoth the raven, er, chiropractor:
“Heavy metal toxins” usually refer to substances like mercury, cadmium, lead and benzene.”4 — Josh Axe, Ten Bentonite Clay Benefits and Uses
Isn’t it ironic then, that Axe’s own chemical analysis revels that Bentonite contains mercury, cadmium, and lead, the very elements he’s trying to remove?1 (See the chart above)
Now, this is the part in our story where Axe defenders leap in to invent a magical chemical matrix that works synergistically to scoop up the toxic heavy metals and channel them safely away. “Even though they’re present,” (I hear you, David Avocado Wolfe!) “they aren’t toxic. Their ionic charges are reversed causing them to blah blah blah…”
Go ahead Axe fans. Make something up, I’ll wait. Then I’ll shoot you down in Axe’s own words. Time is on my side.
Ready now? You see, in his article, Axe confesses that Bentonite clay does not trap toxins. He acknowledges that lead is present in the clay, and warns that it’s a danger, but only to pregnant women, except when you’re pregnant. SAY WHAT? OK, walk through this with me… it’s all from the same article:
“Bentonite clay benefits your body by helping to expel many of these toxins–Josh Axe, Ten Bentonite Clay Uses and Benefits3
“Some bentonite clay products contains trace amounts of lead and other heavy metals and may not be appropriate for consumption by children and pregnant women.”–Josh Axe, Ten Bentonite Clay Uses and Benefits3
“Some people use bentonite clay as relief for nausea and vomiting by pregnant women–Josh Axe, Ten Bentonite Clay Uses and Benefits3
So Bentonite clay expels toxins, except that it retains them when you’re pregnant (why only then?), so pregnant women shouldn’t use it, except that pregnant women should use it for nausea relief. And what about the mercury and lead?
Oh God, just shoot me now. Josh Axe calls himself a doctor and he cranks out medical advice like this?
Dear reader, I humbly submit to you that (1) if you wish to eat mud it’s going to taste, well, muddy, but the trace amounts of metals found therein are not going to be of any health concern and, more importantly, (2) you can find far, far better sources of health information than chiropractors who falsely call themselves doctors and make their living selling you bone broth and mud for a living.
Live long and prosper.
References
(1) Axe-idental Poisoning (Bad Science Debunked)
https://badsciencedebunked.com/2015/12/08/axe-idental-poisoning-josh-axe-debunked/
Retrieved 20 Nov 2018
(2) Ten Detox Bath Recipes
Warning: Not a reputable/scientific article
https://draxe.com/detox-bath-recipes/
Retrieved 20 Nov 2018
(3) Ten Bentonite Clay Benefits and Uses
Warning: Not a reputable/scientific article
https://draxe.com/10-bentonite-clay-benefits-uses/
Retrieved 20 Nov 2018
Image Credits
Josh Axe, Redmond Clay, 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.
Forrest Gump meme used under parody provisions of 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.
Link to Rolling Stones/YouTube clip is done using tools provided by YouTube/Google, Inc. Author does this in good faith, believing tools to link and embed are provided for this this purpose, and that videos available on YouTube are displayed legally, with the consent of the copyright owner. Author assumes, and makes no copyright claims to the linked/embedded video.
Bad Science Debunked 