Nugenix Total T is one of many so-called testosterone boosters on the market. Vague claims, insufficient evidence. The commercials insult my intelligence. They show men on a golf course commiserating with each other about how their performance had gone downhill since the good old days of their youthful manhood, and some telling others how Nugenix
The father of nonverbal autistic child believes videos constitute proof that other children with autism can communicate by by pointing to letters on a board held by a facilitator to spell out words. He is wrong. I get a lot of email inquiries about questionable treatments, and when I explain that there is little or
An aromatherapy room spray was contaminated with bacteria that caused melioidosis, resulting in deaths and serious sequelae. Buyers were misled. When cases of melioidosis were diagnosed in four patients in four different states, doctors were puzzled. Melioidosis, infection with the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, is typically associated with exposure to soil and water in tropical and subtropical environments, and
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
