Magic Mind claims to be the world’s first productivity drink. It seems to me an increase in productivity should be easy to prove. If your widget factory produces 1,000 widgets a day you could do a controlled study comparing workers who used Magic Mind to workers who used a placebo. If the output increased to 1,500
No medical treatment is risk-free. Paul Offit’s new book covers the history of innovations that went awry and advises how to balance the risks of new medical innovations with the risk of not treating. It is always risky to use a new treatment before all the evidence is in, but it’s also risky to let
CurrentBody’s LED mask provides “anti-aging” red and near-infra-red light therapy to the face. It is supposed to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, “clinically proven to reduce wrinkles by 35% in just 4 weeks”. It promises to improve skin tone and texture and firm the skin. It has won many beauty awards and is
An expensive pair of shorts promises to cure bladder leaks by using electrical stimulation to produce pelvic floor contractions, essentially doing the Kegel exercises for you. The science is insufficient and the marketing is misleading. My mailbox is a good source of questionable claims. The other day I received a spiffy ad for Innovo. Innovo
Prince Charles is a strong advocate for alternative medicine and is proud to be “the enemy of the Enlightenment.” For the first time, Edzard Ernst tells the full story of Charles’ ignorance and folly. Prince Charles, proud to be the Enemy of the Enlightenment. Edzard Ernst has a new book out: Charles, The Alternative Prince: An
Menopause Isn’t Taboo Menopause is not a taboo subject, and the Care Package is a mixture of quack remedies, questionable products, and placebos. This is silliness, not science.I recently got an email with the subject line “Menopause shouldn’t be taboo – this gift can help.” I wholeheartedly agree that menopause shouldn’t be a taboo subject,
Will this increase red and white blood cells and T-cells? I don’t think so! One of my fans sent me a clipping from a community newsletter, Colorado Serenity, with an article by acupuncturist Christina Fick, who calls herself a doctor. The title is “Give Your Immune System Some Love!” It is full of pseudoscientific advice about
Suzanne O’Sullivan is an Irish neurologist who traveled the world to investigate mystery illnesses and epidemics of mass hysteria. In her book The Sleeping Beauties And Other Stories of Mystery Illness she recounts fascinating stories and redefines what it means to have a psychosomatic illness. She explains how making social problems visible on the body allows voiceless
Strange messages keep popping up in my email inbox. This one was titled “New Technology Helps Fulfill New Year’s Resolutions”. It said the most popular New Year’s resolutions involved health and invited me to a complimentary session or two in a Blu Room. It went on to explain: The Blu Room features 20-minute sessions of
Joel Fuhrman thinks his Nutritarian diet will increase longevity and prevent or treat most chronic diseases. He claims it is based on science, but his evidence is far from convincing. Joel Fuhrman, MD is a celebrity doctor, entrepreneur, and best-selling author whose latest book, Eat for Life, advocates his “Nutritarian” or micronutrient-rich diet. He calls the
