In my opinion, this confusion often stems from a false binary that is unhelpful to our recovery: The notion that mind-body healing and “medical issues” are two entirely different and separate things. And that taking one route seriously means excluding the other.

This all-one-or-the-other mindset can add to the nervous system stress that is already ramping up symptoms. So I want to offer you another perspective here:

For some types of chronic pain, releasing your fear of the pain can actually resolve your symptoms completely, it’s true.⁠ But this is not the case for all stress-related conditions.⁠

Chronic stress, anxiety and fear can lead to complications — like bacterial infections, inflammation, chemical sensitivities, ADHD, codependency, IBS, recurring injuries, etc., etc., etc.⁠

And often these complications require other tools to support their unraveling — from behavioral interventions to postural adjustments to antibiotics — on top of the self-love, emotional expression and fear reduction that is needed to address the underlying issue of nervous system stress.⁠

This integrative approach doesn’t negate the validity of either top-down medicine or bottom-up healing. This isn’t an either/or situation. Rather, an integrated approach uses top-down medicine to complement and support bottom-up mind-body healing, and vice vesa.

Is this perspective helpful to you? Let me know!

With encouragement and love,

💖 Anna

The post Untangling the False Binary of “Medical vs. Mind-Body” appeared first on Medika Life.

When Gwyneth Paltrow, founder of the lifestyle brand Goop, suffered “long-haul fatigue and brain fog” after her bout with Covid-19, she was recommended a program of “intuitive fasting,” which includes fasting until 11 a.m. every day and eating a keto and plant-based diet, by leading “functional medicine practitioner” Will Cole, who isn’t a medical doctor.

Paltrow was so happy with the results that she wrote about it in her blog, but the details (including regular use of an infrared sauna) set off alarm bells in the medical community. You cant go around advocating fasting regimens to people suffering from palpitations, no matter how well you feel they have worked for you.

This isn’t Paltrow’s only foray into the field of medicine either. Her lifestyle platform Goop has been proactive in promoting a number of voices from within the alternate health sector and now there’s Goop Lab. The name insinuates a laboratory and research. The fact is nothing could be further from the truth. This Lab is fuelled by marketing and no research.

In her Netflix series, The Goop Lab, Paltrow explores a variety of wellness management approaches, from “energy healing” to psychedelic psychotherapy. Goop has long been criticized for making unsubstantiated health claims and advancing pseudoscience, but the brand is incredibly popular and hugely lucrative for Paltrow. It was valued at over US$250 million in 2019.

Paltrow is savvy enough to understand the value of the alternate health market and Goop Labs whitewashes traditional alternate therapies to monetize them as newly discovered Western treatments, for instance, techniques she simply appropriates as her own from existing ancient health practice.

The “Wim Hof Method” (breathing techniques and cold therapy) is marketed as a novel therapy. Nothing could be further from the truth and the arrogance and deception employed here are all designed to create profit for Goop and, of course, Paltrow. In case you didn’t know, there is nothing novel about the Wim Hof Method, but you can’t re-sell free health techniques, can you Gwyneth?

The technique has Hindu origins, documented in the Vedas from around 1500 BCE. Additionally. the breathing component in this rip off treatment closely resembles prāṇāyāma, a yogic breathing practice, and the “Hof dance” is straight out of tai chi. Not only is Goop selling you Gobbledegook, but they’re also guilty of cultural appropriation (uncredited of course)

Creating a Fake Health Divide

Gwyneth Paltrow has no medical experience or formal medical training. She is purely a businesswoman on a mission to monetize her brand. Now while there is no harm or foul in this practice under normal circumstances, when you start interfering in the health outcomes of the people you are selling to, you sure as hell better know what you’re doing or surround yourself with people who do.

Paltrow does neither. She has an affinity for the alternative health sector (naturally, it’s proven hugely profitable), let’s call them what they are, quacks and even the odd disgraced doctor or two who cannot find a market for their outlandish ideas in an evidence-based medical profession. Paltrow rebrands these individuals and their ideas to make them “profitable” and then releases them on her trusting fan base.

Here’s a news flash for anyone who thinks Gwyneth Paltrow has the best interests of your health at the heart of her Goop gobbledygook. She doesn’t. Her only goal is to monetize your desire to be healthy by selling you literally anything she can think of that she can benefit from financially. If that product ends up compromising your health, you’re on your own.

Think about that statement. If this total lack of ethics is not sufficient reason to give you pause for thought, then nothing will.

What I would like to see to see is authorities extending medical advice restrictions for Covid to the long haul version. The same con artists, Paltrow included, that have been restricted by the FDA and DOJ restrictions from selling “cures” or “treatments” for Covid, would effectively be hobbled from further harming the public health.

In short, we need regulation to protect consumers against their health being monetized by unscrupulous agents like Goop and its sales mechanisms. Proof of efficacy shouldn’t have to rest in the hands of the unwitting victim of these scammers, rather such onus should firmly be placed on the companies selling their snake oil. Prove it works or bugger off.

In the meantime, I don’t suppose there’s much point in calling out to people like Paltrow to grow a conscience. If she had one, then neither of us would be here right now, would we?

So who is at fault?

An unpopular thought, and possibly a valid one, is that medicine itself is to blame for our current personal health predicament and I have some sympathy for this point of view. Let me explain.

Modern medicine will try and cure or treat you if you show up at their door, hat in hand. Sometimes, in fact, quite frequently, we just don’t have the medication or tools at our disposal to treat, let alone cure, an increasingly sickly population. Patients are left on their own, with conventional medications and treatments proving either useless or only marginally effective. Medicine then turns its back on these patients and they are left to seek out alternative treatments on their own.

Some do manage, after years of trials and tribulation, to happen on something that works for them and offers them relief. We are incredibly complex machines, each of us unique, and sadly, what works for you may have absolutely no effect on your neighbor. It’s an issue of individual molecular chemistry.

Medicines abandonment of these untreatable patients tends to be absolute. If we cannot help then we are effectively useless to the patient and although many doctors will still retain an interest in their patients, they are unable, frustratingly so, to help them. The reasons for this are simple. Modern medicine doesn’t recognize any treatment that isn’t evidence-based. It flies in the face of every shred of training the physician has received. If you cannot test it or measure it, it cannot be.

There is no denying however that there are certain practices and “potions” that are not a part of modern medicine that do offer relief and in some instances, a cure for some. This sector is widely known as alternative medicine or alternate health and much of it is complete bullshit. It’s a field that is permeated with unethical people who seek simply to profit from the patients’ desperation and it enjoys zero regulation. They’ll sell you bottled water and promise you hydration cures cancer.

It is the wild west of personal health and you’ve got a much better chance of being shot in front of the Last Chance Saloon by Goop than you have of actually finding an ethical supplier who provides genuine products that don’t come loaded with sales hype and new age mumbo jumbo.

Medicine needs to reach out to their alienated sister and invite her back into the fold of health, for the sake of their patients and to simplify regulation. Until we do this, patients’ lives will remain forfeit to the opportunists and quacks that permeate this market.

Sources:

Bloomberg: The Long Covid Picture Is Stark. Why?

The Conversation: Marketing, not medicine: Gwyneth Paltrow’s The Goop Lab whitewashes traditional health therapies for profit

The post Goop and Gwyneth Paltrow. The Rise of The Celebrity Quack appeared first on Medika Life.

His latest trending conspiracy tirade is apparently drawn from a very obtuse and mysterious organization he has dubbed the German Corona Investigative Committee. comprising himself and other unnamed members. The document he has produced is an epic 12 pager, a War and Peace sized missive, the nature, and composition of which, would almost certainly have turned Tolkien green with envy. You can view the document here.

At its root, the document is this, nothing more, nothing less. A cleverly constructed fabrication of wishful thinking, clever turns of phrase, and willful manipulation and misinterpretation of the facts to arrive at a conclusion that is so far removed from reality as to give concern for the author’s sanity. 

Fact-Checking Fuellmich’s Fairy Tale

We deal on a regular basis with the fringe of healthcare, the kooks and quacks selling their own brand of self-appointed health poisons and potions. There is a certain predictability about the channels these individuals use to amplify their brand of crazy and Fuellmich is no different. It’s the first flag we look for and it usually signals an idea or opinion that is so far removed from reality that no one else dares touch it.

Conspiracy websites and the alt-health sector adopt these individuals as their own, which is helpful, as they singlehandedly do more to discredit them than any other source. Play with the nutters and you give up your seat at the sane table for good.

Let’s look at a few of the statements Fuellmich makes and then later we’ll take a closer look at the man. We’ve cherry-picked bits, so don’t worry, your eyes aren’t going to bleed from sustained exposure to bullshit. Rather than picking apart his entire tale, we’d like to show you how he has crafted his fiction and the tools he relies on to appear convincing and authoritative. 

His small statements are made without a shred of supporting evidence, but they are made in a matter-of-fact way that suggests to the reader they ought to know these “facts”. Here is an example and we’ve highlighted parts of the text for emphasis.

Now let’s take a look at the current actual situation regarding the virus’s danger, the complete uselessness of PCR tests for the detection of infections, and the lockdowns based on non-existent infections.

His use of the word “actual” indicates your perception of reality has been flawed and he is about to set you straight. PCR testing is trashed without a shred of supporting evidence and next, he suggests there aren’t any infections. Hey folks, people haven’t been dying, not from Covid anyway.

These statements on their own don’t look dramatic and we are therefore inclined not to seek validation for them, but they begin to paint a picture in the reader’s mind and thus lend credibility to the rest of the narrative. The author uses this tactic remorselessly throughout, building on it as he progresses. Small lies and falsehoods, interspersed with facts to lend credence.

The whole article is a crock of horseshit as anyone intimately involved with the pandemic for the last 12 months can attest to. Ask someone who has been seriously ill with Covid if they think it’s regular flu.

We have a skilled and unscrupulous lawyer in Fuellmich who is painting a picture to the jury (us) of something he wants to sell us. We’ll examine possible motives for his sales pitch at the end of the article. 

A word of clarification: in Bergamo, the vast majority of deaths, 94% to be exact, turned out to be the result not of Covid-19, but rather the consequence of the government deciding to transfer sick patients, sick with probably the cold or seasonal flu, from hospitals to nursing homes in order to make room at the hospitals for all the Covid patients, who ultimately never arrived.

An amazingly exact figure (94%) and very confusing considering the ample evidence that now exists to support the fact that most Italian areas and Bergamo was no exception, were underreporting Covid deaths. Don’t take my word for it, here is conclusive proof. Also, given the 228% (you’re not the only one that can do it mate) increase in deaths compared to 2019, I think Italians could safely assume they weren’t dealing with influenza.

Fuellmich may want to avoid booking a holiday on Lake Como. Accusing the Italians of murdering their own people may not be the best way to ensure a harmonious EU brotherhood. In his defense though, he has set about trying to piss off everyone equally. Literally, no one is spared in his 12-page tantrum. This next exert is my favorite.

However, as autopsies have shown, which were carried out in Germany in particular, by the forensic scientist Professor Klaus Püschel in Hamburg, the fatalities he examined had almost all been caused by serious pre-existing conditions, and almost all of the people who had died at a very old age, just like in Italy, meaning they had lived beyond their average life expectancy.

So exactly how many bodies did the good Professor Püschel hack up for his research? You see if we choose to believe Fuellmich then there wouldn’t, according to his view of events, have been that many bodies. Hardly enough to form a solid opinion from anyway, so Fuellmich has, without realizing it, just locked his tale in with Schroedinger’s cat. Fuellmich’s Paranoia Puzzle. 

Let’s revert back to the real world and the totally ridiculous conclusion he draws. Influenza doesn’t kill people, it’s the infections that get you, Even someone as lacking in medical knowledge as Fuellmich appears to be, would know this. Covid is no different. Show me a person who has died of Covid and I’ll show you Elvis’s latest concert itinerary.

Lungs collapse or simply gum up, fatal blood clots form, hearts stop and the list goes on. That’s what kills you. Covid was simply driving the car. The older you are the more likely you are to suffer from some or other dodgy organ, stuff stops working and wears out. I’d also be interested to know why Professor Püschel didn’t investigate younger fatalities? Did he. and Fuellmich just conveniently avoids mentioning them, or did the Professor have an agenda, much like Fuellmich?

The last extract is simply to show you the depths to which this waste of flesh is willing to stoop in order to further his cause. 

there are numerous credible reports that doctors and hospitals worldwide had been paid money for declaring a deceased person a victim of Covid-19 rather than writing down the true cause of death on the death certificate, for example a heart attack or a gunshot wound

See those highlighted words? He’s at it again. Where are these “numerous credible” reports you’re referring to Mr. Fuellmich. Please produce them. Otherwise, it is my sincere hope that while on holiday at Lake Como. you take ill, and that your attending Italian surgeon is intimately familiar with your article. Best of luck. 

Not satisfied with merely insulting the memories of those who have lost their lives to Covid, Fuellmich reaches out to the doctors and healthcare providers as well, accusing them of falsifying death reports. The man is truly a piece of work.

What motivates Fuellmich?

That’s a difficult question to answer. His rise to infamy really began in 2020, and one crazy covid related headline after the next has kept him in the alternate media eye since then. This latest effort will almost undoubtedly not be his last. It may simply be that he craves the spotlight and notoriety and enjoys the media attention. 

Weird we know, but sometimes the simplest explanations are the ones we miss and nothing in the alternate universe that Fuellmich occupies smacks of normalcy. Perhaps in recognition of the danger he poses, most mainstream media have avoided amplifying his rubbish and generally shun him. As stated earlier, he survives off the charity of conspiracy websites and alternate health platforms, without whom he would just be another conspiracy nutcase pissing into the wind.

What is at once apparent is that the Department of Justice and FDA will have renewed interest in Herr Fuellmich and if they don’t, we can assure you we intend to make them painfully aware of him. His efforts to spread misinformation on the virus and create a climate of distrust in the public mind compromises public health and the healthcare industry. 

But wait, isn’t he German? Yes, he is, but he proudly brags of being licensed to practice law in the State of California. According to the State Bar of Califonia website, they hold the following information on Fuellmich.

Reiner Fuellmich #165532

License Status: Active

A new deconstruction of Reiner Fuellmich’s Fairy Tale is available here

We’ve added a new document that exposes all the glaring holes in the fiction that Fuellmich has cobbled together. You can read it here.

The post We Call Out Reiner Fuellmich as a Fraud. The Covid Conspirator Investigated appeared first on Medika Life.

That annoying rash, infected wound, or dry and brittle eczema starts to fade and three days later, it’s cleared up. Astonished and impressed you ask the wrong question.

“What’s in the jar”?

“No idea”, the family member responds. “The old pharmacist from Jenners used to mix the stuff up”.

This would be the same pharmacist who’s been dead for over ten years, which explains the dust all over the bottle and possibly the smell. You check your hand again, worried now that the concoction may result in the actual loss of the entire limb, but it’s all good. Whatever the old man used for his recipe, it worked and still does. You’ve just found the first thing that seems to soothe your chronic eczema and you’re desperate to know what’s in it.

The tale above is an all too common occurrence. It provides anecdotal proof of the efficacy of natural ingredients in the hands of skilled practitioners and is repeated daily, across the globe, in a thousand variations. Alternate medicines offer huge and mostly untapped treatment potential for almost every known affliction that affects mankind.

And yet, the alternate health industry is belittled by doctors and dismissed by almost every science-based group as a “bunch of quacks” and charlatans. Why? Let’s take a quick journey back in history.

Medicine and Magic

I still remember a story my mother would tell of their family skinning a live cat to place the hot skin on the chest and back of young children who were suffering from consumption, the old term for tuberculosis. It worked, for whatever reason, and provided relief. The barbaric nature of the cure or treatment is undoubtedly the reason the practice was discontinued, but I remember the story fascinating me. It still does.

Something in the hot skin of the cat interacted with the body it was placed on. We will never know what mechanisms, chemical or otherwise were involved. More to the point though, and what really fascinated me, was this. How did the older generations happen on this treatment?

Today’s evidence-based medicine is a far cry from its original roots of witchcraft and traditional healers. These mysterious and often revered members of the ragtag groups of earlier civilizations (some still persist to this day) were the true forefathers/mothers of modern medicine. Their oral knowledge of the medicinal value of plants and herbs was carefully preserved over generations.

Early societies would often ascribe the miraculous properties of these plants to supernatural powers which probably led to the next unfortunate development.

As always, the church interceded, and in the late 16th century set about establishing a clear divide between God and traditional herbal folklore. Labeling the traditionalists as witches, they set about destroying generations of knowledge. “Witches” were burnt, drowned, and pilloried. Again, the poor cat featured. Owning one at the time wasn’t a good idea, particularly if you were a woman with a penchant for plants and a postcode anywhere near Salem.

A clear division had been established between modern medicine and the traditional healers, one that persists till today, despite the fact that many of modern medicine’s traditions and treatemtns had been appropriated from their “witchy” cousins. To ensure medicine’s future and widespread acceptance for the profession, the simplest route was to discredit the natural healers and cast doubt on their abilities and treatments.

It was a spectacularly successful marketing stitch-up that continues to this day, now aided and abetted by the real con artists and quacks that litter alternate health.

If ever a rebrand was needed…

Health is a huge business, a lucrative business, and a continued repeat-business. The problem is that most modern medicine and alternate health practitioners seem blithely unaware of this. The sectors that have grasped this truth within healthcare are arguably not those that directly impact the health and wellbeing of patients, and these sectors most certainly don’t operate with the patient’s interest as their driving motivator. Profit rules their worlds.

In medicine, pharma and tech understand and “get” the business drivers for healthcare. They are business operating within, arguably, one of the most stable and lucrative business fields in the world. That business is your health.

In alternate health, an emerging and equally lucrative market, those who stand to benefit most are those that are best able to best exploit their markets. These individuals have proven themselves to be numerous, resourceful, devoid of ethics, and willing to adopt a “whatever it takes” attitude to monetize their businesses within the sector.

The alternate health market has proven so lucrative it has attracted some of the most deceptive and dishonest swindlers, some from within its own ranks, some from outside the industry, and some from within the hallowed halls of medicine and science. No one would appear immune to the lure of fast money and the literal fortunes waiting to be made.

This, along with the glaringly inadequate lack of evidence-based claims, is what most plagues the alternate health industry and holds it back from serious acceptance by the scientific community.

There are other factors, that play a role to a lesser degree. Fields within the sector such as homeopathy, considered by most to be complete nonsense, do nothing to bolster the acceptance of alternate health, but it is primarily the charlatans, quacks, and con-artists that permeate every corner of the industry that destroy any vestige of respectability or acceptance.

Time to clean house

Recognized medical doctors like Zach Bush have been drawn into this murky world, losing their way, lured by the promise of huge returns. Ingredients like household bleach are sold to vulnerable desperate patients by con artists like Dr Fitt, Roby Mitchell.

Once revered medical voices, like Christiane Northrup, have been swallowed up by the conspiracy theories that permeate the industry, happily embraced to expand sales. Some, like Kelly Brogan and Dr. Joseph Mercola are just patently dishonest and profit from eliciting trust in a gullible public.

The list of names is long and seemingly endless, dwarfed only by the disgusting unethical marketing tactics these doctors, quacks, and charlatans engage to sell their false hope to millions of desperate people. If you can bottle water, stick on a label and get your pitch right on Youtube, then you’ve got the next cure for cancer or diabetes. Just don’t come right out and say it, that could get you into trouble.

These unscrupulous individuals need to be identified and excommunicated from the alternate health sector. Until the industry recognizes the makings of its own downfall, it will continue to be seen by medicine for what it currently is. A sad punchline to a very dangerous joke. One that claims lives. The alternative will be enforced regulation by bodies from outside the industry and that is a double-edged sword.

While enforced regulation may very well weed out fraud and misselling, it will undoubtedly cripple the industry and stifle growth and we need this sector to function, and function successfully for one very simple reason.

Natural herbs and plant-based extracts offer untapped benefits to many people who so desperately need alternatives. Cheap, cost-effective treatments to alleviate suffering. The potential for a well regulated (self) alternate health sector to provide these treatments is huge.

Planning for tomorrow

Why not conduct clinical trials to establish efficacy for these herbs and plants? It’s a complicated issue that once again resolves down to one simple factor. Money and profit. Unlike synthetic pharmaceutical compounds that can be developed, designed, and patented, natural products cannot be patented.

Accordingly, there is no mechanism for a company that does the research on a particular plant, say for instance dandelions and their efficacy in treating indigestion (an example, please don’t start swallowing dandelions for your heartburn), to benefit financially from the research. Research is useless unless made public and once in that domain, anyone who sells dandelions stands to profit from it.

The solution is a simple one. Create an internal regulatory body and task it with the research. Fund the body through grants and compulsory membership. Traditional pharma would be a willing partner, eager to explore promising clinical trials of natural ingredients for the production of synthetic versions. The alternate health sector is a cash-rich industry and the money exists within the sector to fund an organization of this nature.

One that would enjoy scientific credibility and possible legislative recognition. It would finally draw a line below the anecdotal references the industry relies on and allow modern science-based doctors to accept the many benefits alternate health has to offer their patients. A mutually respectful relationship between the two sectors would be of immense benefit to patients.

Until this happens though, expect the ridicule to continue. Science doesn’t tolerate fairies and fake cures any more than it accords respect to charlatans. They are exposed and shamed and we will continue to assist in this process, ever hopeful that the parent of modern medicine can reclaim its rightful place in the world of health.

Don’t take too long about it

Time isn’t on the side of alternate health. Our planet is at a tipping point and the loss of insect diversity directly impacts our flora diversity. It isn’t just the animals that are feeling the impact of global warming. Massives swathes of tropical jungle are under threat, from both human and environmental pressures. The same jungles that are, without a doubt, a treasure trove of yet to be discovered medical compounds.

By stabilizing the alternate health sector, we encourage research and exploration to increase the diversity of the plants we study. Increased interest leads to increased funding, but we don’t have any time to waste.

Any cessation or slowdown in the processes that contribute to global warming is unrealistic, given our lack of engagement. That rich reservoir that could potentially offer cures for billions is under serious threat and with each passing day, we lose more and more of it. We aren’t simply losing the lungs of our planet, but potential cures for diseases we have yet to encounter.

The post Sorry, Alternate Health. We Just Don’t Trust You. Here’s Why appeared first on Medika Life.

What is the Predatory Health (PH) sector 

This broad term, which Medika has coined for convenience, encompasses practitioners from almost all the fields of healthcare and includes the complimentary and alternate health (alt-Health) sectors,

For clarification, the alt-Health sector we refer to includes Complimentary and Alternate Health (CAM) – which includes fields like homeopathy and chiropractic – and is far less strictly regulated. The same is true of the other included sectors under this heading, including but not limited to, the natural products and supplement market, new age life coaches, and the grey area of unregulated health (medical) devices. 

The alt-Health sector tends to far more representative of Predatory Health practices. Traditional medicine is broadly regulated and therefore less susceptible to the quackery of PH, but by no means immune to its perpetrators.

Predatory Health practitioners gravitate towards the alt-Health sector, attracted by lax regulation and the vast legally grey areas that allow them to operate and ply their wares almost with impunity. 

The more outlandish and non-traditional the peddled cure or treatment becomes, the more likely the PH practitioner is to gravitate away from traditional medicine by embracing these fields, where their cohort welcomes them with open arms. 

What does a Predatory Health practitioner sell?

Their main product is intangible. They are selling hope, albeit false, something terminal patients and those afflicted with conditions like chronic pain are desperate for. These patients cling to the hope of finding some relief or miracle cure and the predatory health market preys on this. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the typical markets (marks) and strategies these individuals exploit with their health cons.

• Offering miracle cures, treatments, and relief to the terminally ill. Cancer patients are a favored target, but any deadly disease offers these quacks the opportunity to peddle their dangerous and untested wares.
• If you or your child suffers from conditions like autism, you are a primary target. Support groups, especially closed groups on Telegram, Facebook, and other social media groups offer these practitioners the opportunity to exploit you in relative safety. Be wary of any individuals offering treatments for conditions that do not have known medical remedy.
• Chronic pain sufferers are a massive target for Predatory Health. They have an unlimited number of relatively safe, but ineffective treatments and natural products they can peddle to you. It isn’t in their interest to kill their cash cow, but there are unscrupulous merchants who will offer you products that are known to be very dangerous and sometimes fatal
• Obesity, eczema, high blood pressure, influenza, and covid. The list is endless as are the techniques and strategies these unscrupulous merchants will engage to appear legitimate.
• Mental Health is also catered for with New Age life courses offering all sorts of benefits from attending costly online seminars and retreats. It is hocus pocus and has no foundation in solid science. None of these things will cure your chronic pain, cancers, or autism.
• Machines claiming to offer some sort of medical benefit, some working on sound, some using vibration, and others still, claiming amazing unvalidated results and health benefits. Never, ever take endorsements at face value. If these devices actually worked, don’t you think your doctors would be using them?
• The exploitation of misguided activist groups like anti-vaxers to further promote their sales. More damage is done to the cause of vaccines by these individuals than any other group combined. It serves the interests of Predotory Health to promote distrust in traditional medicine.

False Prophets and Fake Prophets

There is a distinction between the two and in the examples and names I will highlight below, most occupy one camp or the other. 

False prophets are usually doctors and medically trained individuals who, for unknown reasons, have latched onto treatments that are not evidence-based and they believe, without conclusive medical evidence to support their beliefs, in the safety and efficacy of the treatments they peddle. 

Belief is a dangerous drug and the sustenance of religion. It has no place in evidence-based medicine. 

Fake prophets, on the other hand, are under no such illusions. They know full well the potential dangers and risks of the products or treatments they peddle. They are highly skilled at manipulating marketing channels to ensure they reach their potential ‘marks’ and will often possess no formal medical training. 

Both are equally dangerous. The fake prophets are usually limited to the alt-Health markets and prefer this environment as it allows for greater freedom to ply their deadly wares. 

It is important to note that sales may not be the only motivating factor that drives certain Predatory Health practitioners. It can simply be a desire to spread disinformation, or, as they may see it, deeply insightful information they have come upon. These are possibly the most disruptive and dangerous voices from within the Predatory Health sector as they enable and empower the real charlatans by creating doubt in people’s minds. 

Take for instance Dr Christiane Northrup, whose divergence from a reasonably distinguished medical career in women’s health has been abrupt and complete. Her adoption of conspiracy theories, 5G cell towers, microchips in vaccines, and other nonsensical rantings on YouTube and social media beggars belief.

Whatever her motivation, this doctor enjoys a broad following on social media, and her voice has impact. I have no doubt whatsoever that her rantings will result in eventual deaths. People avoiding the Covid vaccine because of baseless lies, people not inoculating their children, and an avoidance of traditional medicine because of the distrust she sows. She epitomizes the False Prophet. 

Meet the Predatory Health Practitioners

The names below are linked to Medika’s Quack Scale, a tool designed to enable the public to identify quacks and charlatans operating in the Predatory Health sector. 

The other end of the scale (Fake Prophets) is occupied by individuals like Dr Fitt, a marketing pseudonym for a disgraced doctor, Roby Mitchell, who now peddles bleach treatments and enemas to autistic children from his base in Texas. Purely driven by financial gain, Mitchell ranks among the bottom feeders in the world of predatory health. 

Dr. Kerri Rivera is another example of a doctor gone bad. Her exploitation of vulnerable mental health patients for profit is well documented and her association with Sayer Ji, an alt-Health proponent who used to sell health foods, has resulted in them spewing a sea of misinformation on Covid and other medical topics. Once again, their motivation is the sale of their products and treatments ay any cost

Kelly Brogan, Joseph Mercola, Zach Bush, the list is as endless as it is dangerous and the reason it grows daily is simply this. Money. There are fortunes to be made in the alt-Health sector, particularly if you claim to have the “cure for Covid” marketed of course as a drug or treatment to boost your immune system against influenza viruses. The FDA might be watching.

Millions of dollars change hands daily, paid over freely by those duped into believing the lies. Often, customers also pay with their lives. 

The individuals who engage in Predatory Health are willing to risk being caught. The system grinds slowly and by the time the FDA catches up with them, the damage is already done. Their message is out there and they simply move the supply of their “toxins” to less mainstream channels. Loopholes and blindspots in current U.S legislation leave room enough to drive buses through. The system offers little more negligible punitive fines and smacks on the wrist, which are not a deterrent.

This is the nature of predatory health and it isn’t always easy to spot. Particularly if your desperation and need for relief or hope outweigh your common sense.

Buying from a “large” business isn’t always a guarantee of safety either. Take the following company Phoenix Biotechnology, whose aggressive marketing campaign to sell a “natural extract” called Oleander 4x is a textbook case of manipulating the health market to promote sales of a product that can potentially cause death. 

Through the misrepresentation and manipulation of clinical studies, they have produced the illusion of medical acceptance and the latest FDA warning issued against them for offering their toxin as a treatment for Covid has exposed the true nature of their business. 

Many other similar companies operate below the radar for years in relative safety, selling and enabling Predatory Health practitioners by making their fake treatments and products available to a global market. 

It is a monumental problem that the healthcare industry and the American government can no longer afford to ignore. Every Predatory Health practitioner we allow to operate, particularly those who still have a foot firmly placed in traditional medicine, bring disrepute to the industry. 

They encourage mistrust of conventional treatments to the detriment of many critically-ill people. The formally qualified quacks breach the oath they have taken and a legal option must be explored to permanently strip them of their qualifications and the right to their use.

Many of these individuals took an oath and their actions are a clear breach of this oath, thereby rendering the conditions of the degree null and void. Simply removing their right to practice is an insufficient response and continues to endanger public health. Where clear intent to harm and deceive is established, the full force of the law should be brought to bear on these quacks.

Legislation enabling medical boards to act more aggressively against medical professionals in the predatory health sector is desperately needed on a federal level. It is in the interests of public safety and in the continued interests of maintaining credulity in existing public healthcare institutions.

Dealing with alt-Health

Policing the alt-Health sector requires an entirely different approach which may include clear legal guidelines of operation, enforceable by institutions like the FDA. This is simply one mechanism though, and the problem will require a multi-faceted approach. 

What compounds the complexity of the problem is the alt-Health sector itself. There are definite and real health benefits to certain treatments and therapies offered by the sector. Recognizing, regulating, and protecting these practitioners, products, and therapies will be critical to the future of this market. An excellent example of how a legitimate profession can be ruined by its association with predatory health is the Chiropractic industry.

Left unchecked, the alternative will be an eventual wholesale ban on many potentially helpful drugs, therapies, and products. This would be a knee-jerk response, an oversimplified solution to a complex problem and needs to be avoided at all costs. Sadly, all too often, this type of exaggerated response is typical of politicians who lack a clear grasp of an industry’s dynamics and are looking to simply exercise damage control.

There has been little effort shown by the alt-Health sector to police themselves and whatever results now from the proliferation of fraudsters within their sector, they will share blame in the outcomes. 

If you’ve been affected by Predatory Health practitioners what can you do to stop others falling victim?

Stop enabling Predatory Health Practioners

Every time you come across these individuals and you paths will cross, perhaps frequently, as they proliferate on social media, call them out, unfollow them, report them, block them. 

Their current success is largely attributable to the internet and their mastery of social media as a sales and marketing tool. The privacy of private groups on Facebook and other platforms allows them to operate with impunity, away from prying eyes. 

They are usually only exposed when tragedy occurs, when someone dies from the poisons they peddle and that death is often a child. You can help by exposing them before this happens. 

Websites like Medika Life and others offer pages that highlight the unethical and dangerous practices of these doctors. We also offer a page where the public can confidentially bring names to our attention. You can also report the professionally registered quacks to the relevant boards within their states or directly to the FDA if medication is involved. 

Reporting accounts to the social media platforms is often futile as they are slow to respond, if ever, particularly if groups are closed. Take screenshots of offending materials and include these in a report to the websites listed below. 

Your actions are essential to saving lives and stopping the spread of the rot of predatory health within our communities. By using your voice, you can join a growing community of people speaking out against disinformation. You will not be alone and somewhere on the planet, a child may owe you their life. 

You can also sign a MOBILIZE™ Health petition if you would like to add your voice to a campaign to rid the industry of this blight by creating a formal watchdog, an Organization tasked with and legally enabled to, root out health fraud and the dangerous practices of predatory health practitioners. 

Help us to help protect the most vulnerable sectors of our communities. 

The post Exposing the Dark World of Predatory Health appeared first on Medika Life.

DATE OF RELEASE: Aug. 19, 2020 

NEW YORK/PRNewswire/ — BioLift™, a patented botanical beverage with a refreshing fruity taste, hits US shelves. The drink is formulated to sync with the body clock to overcome the afternoon slump known as Post Lunch Dip (PLD), which costs the US economy $134.6 billion per year due to lower productivity from employees at work. These hours are also the most dangerous hours of the day for work and road accidents.

For many people, pushing through this daily slump is challenging. A bottle of BioLift helps our body’s circadian rhythm overcome the tiring midday slump known as ”Post Lunch Dip” (PLD) as it is light, refreshing, and doesn’t leave you feeling edgy or agitated. 

“BioLift was shown through 3 clinical trials to increase productivity, reduce brain fog, and maintain clarity for higher performance. But, unlike its caffeinated competitors, BioLift does not increase pulse or blood pressure,” says Eli Faraggi, Founder of InnoBev.

InnoBev, the startup behind BioLift, uses the science of Chronobiology, defined by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, as “following the biological rhythms or the biology of time associated with our internal biological clocks.” BioLift’s functional properties help people bypass the tiredness integrated into our biological rhythms, especially between 1:00-4:00 PM when the human body typically wants to sleep.

“In these uncertain times, more people are working remotely and struggling with alertness and concentration,” notes Faraggi. “The workforce is facing new challenges, and BioLift is a natural solution with uplifting benefits. Whether it be gamers, entrepreneurs, or health professionals working around the clock, BioLift can help individuals realize their full potential.”

It is the perfect midday ‘pick-me-up’ — and it also works well in the morning and the evening. BioLift is the first beverage in the United States that is sweetened only by a low glycemic carob extract designed to reduce sugar fluctuation. 

With over ten years of scientific studies, backing BioLift’s efficacy, the formula is also being used by pilots traveling the world and tested and researched by the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, the Rambam hospital, and the Carmel Medical Center. 

The energizing beverage is said to increase vigilance, focus significantly on work performance, and improve cognitive function and word recall. BioLift products are made with all-natural, high-quality plant extracts, such as ginkgo biloba, elderberry, and guarana.

BioLift Details:

• BioLift is available in three refreshing varieties: Mandarin Orange, Melon Lime, and Mixed Berry.
• All three flavors contain only 10mg of caffeine and are low-glycemic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and low in calories.
• BioLift’s properties allow the body to override fatigue, enhance focus, and increase performance.
• BioLift improves alertness and cognitive performance for more than 120 minutes.
• BioLift does not build tolerance over time and does not increase heart rate or blood pressure.

About BioLift 

BioLift™ is a patented botanical beverage and the brainchild of Eli Faraggi, an Israel-based, award-winning entrepreneur. Eli and his team spent nearly a decade in a joint venture with International Flavors & Fragrances to create a great-tasting, scientifically proven, and botanical beverage that offers consumers a boost of sustained focus and enhanced alertness. BioLift is made with all-natural, high-quality plant extracts such as guarana (which offers just 10mg of natural caffeine), ginkgo biloba, and elderberry. BioLift’s properties allow the body to override fatigue, enhance focus, and increase performance.

Scientific research and clinical trials have shown that BioLift is more effective than caffeine. BioLift is a refreshing beverage that offers an afternoon pick-me-up without the jitters, to improve productivity at work and maintain brain function.

For more information, visit DrinkBiolift.com, or visit them on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@DrinkBioLift).

Press contact: Ms. Liat Simha, Tel: +972-9-974-2893, liat@nutripr.com www.nutripr.com

SOURCE BioLift

The post The New Botanical Beverage that Biohacks Your Body Clock appeared first on Medika Life.

I first heard about Korean skincare a few years ago when the ten-step challenge was going viral. I imagine this is how many people got their first introduction; articles about this growing trend were everywhere. I read with skepticism-did people really do this? There was no way I could devote that much time to getting ready in the morning, and in the evening I was just too lazy. In fact, that’s one major reason I shun makeup- I hate taking it off.

To me, skincare meant applying sunscreen before going outside, and I only did that when I knew I was going to be outdoors for an extended period of time. I do not recommend this by the way. The most important take home message of this article is to wear sunscreen. Always. Essential. Got it? OK, keep reading.

Eventually I gave in. K-beauty just looked like so much fun! Cute packaging, crazy ingredients, fun names that seemed to have gotten lost in translation; I had to be a part of it.

Taking stock of the situation

The first step was to assess the current state of my skincare routine. I used moisturizer and well, that was pretty much it. I was the very definition of a minimalist. Next it was time to decide what I truly needed for my skin. I had some signs of aging: wrinkles and dark spots, splotchy redness on my cheeks and nose, and a forehead that was constantly dry.

I calculated I would need at least six new products. No way, not going to happen. Rather than spending tons of money by diving full in, I would just dip my toe into the waters of K-beauty. I started with the sheet masks.

Sheet mask saga

How fun were these? Eagerly I slapped these on my face every night. I loved the variety: pearl, green tea, snake venom, I couldn’t get enough. But was this just a gimmick or were there legitimate claims to these ingredients? I really started to give it some serious thought at this point. And to be honest, the sheet masks weren’t doing a lot for my skin. But how could they? I was using the band-aid approach. No, I had to do this right.

First steps

I started by washing my face. Sounds so simple, but I had never gotten in the habit. I had set a bad precedence in my teenage years, using harsh alcohol- based products that stung and made my already sensitive skin worse. K-beauty routines recommend double washing- using an oil based cleanser followed by a water-based one. This seemed like overkill to me, especially since I didn’t wear makeup. But I reasoned that since one of my biggest problems was dry skin, using an oil-based cleanser would be more moisturizing. In hindsight, this logic was probably wrong, but the result was right. Just that simple step of washing my face twice a day was enough to make my skin softer than it had ever been before.

After this, I was hooked. I immediately added toner, essence, eye cream and lotion to my moisturizer-only routine. Yes, I was steadily climbing that ladder toward ten steps.

Trend setters

Fortunately the move now seems to be toward minimizing the process, focusing instead on multifunctional products that target each individual’s unique skincare needs. For instance, to get the new look- cream skin- the product used is a hybrid toning and moisturizing one.

Korean beauty companies are also trend setters when it comes to responsible leadership. Most products have been cruelty free for years but now more companies are becoming vegan as well. They are also starting to minimize waste and use eco-friendly packaging.

Hanbang philosophy

I was impressed by how the K-beauty scene seemed ahead of its time. They had been focused for years on innovative, more naturally sourced products. There was even a term for it- hanbang- the use of traditional herbal ingredients. Was Korean skincare free of icky things like parabens, silicons, artificial dyes and fragrances? Absolutely! But they were also moving away from using essential oils, which I didn’t realize could cause allergic reactions in quite a few cases. I also liked their philosophy- there were no quick fixes. Instead these products were to be applied consistently, with a focus on prevention. Beautiful skin, not hiding behind makeup was the goal. Best of all, there seemed to be a lot of good quality products that were affordable. Even the boys were getting in on this, men in South Korea spend the most money worldwide on skincare.

Here are a few of the ingredients that I am most excited about; the superheroes of Korean skincare.

Ginseng

This centuries old favorite is undergoing a revival since new technology has made it possible to extract a highly concentrated compound from the seeds instead of the leaves. This process gives us more of the good stuff, antioxidants, which by fighting free radicals can slow damage at the skin’s cellular level. Ginseng also works wonders at reducing inflammation, firming the skin, and erasing those fine lines and wrinkles. This is definitely on my list of must-haves.

Honey, propolis and bee venom

Who knew bees were so good for the skin! To think I had been running away from them since I was a kid. These products all contain antimicrobial properties, making them great choices for acne prone skin. Super hydrating, the honey sheet mask I used had been one of my favorites. Honey’s moisturizing properties are so well known that there’s even a look called “honey skin” which is soft, glowing, and supple. Propolis is known as bee glue, and has been used in skincare since ancient times. Also packed with flavonoids, propolis soothes, softens and moisturizes. And then there’s bee venom, which is said to plump the skin by increasing blood flow and oxygen to the skin’s surface. I don’t know how they harvest it but apparently it doesn’t hurt the little guys.

Centella Asiatica Extract

I discovered this one while researching ways to reduce the redness on my cheeks and nose. Packed with natural amino acids, beta carotene, and phytochemicals, centella helps to prevent pollution in the air from damaging the skin, perfect for city dwellers. It’s also great for sensitive skin, which is why it’s doing double duty in my arsenal- as a toner and also in my sunscreen. Plus, it is also called cica which is just adorable.

Arbutin

I came across this product while reading about hydroquinone, a bleaching agent used for lightening dark spots. I was concerned about using hydroquinone because of the list of harsh side effects and its potential as a carcinogen. Instead, the article recommended arbutin. Made from bearberries, it is promoted as a skin brightener. This ingredient can prevent the formation of tyrosinase which is an UV activated enzyme that leads to dark spot formation on the skin. Impressively, it can even help to fade scars. I should have been using this years ago, but better late than never.

Snail mucin

The first ingredient that hooked me on K-beauty. I had snails in my backyard and although cute, I hated them because they ate my plants. I always knew it was them because they left behind a trail of silver slime. Did people actually put this on their face?

Yes. And I do too.

Snail mucin, or snail secretion filtrate, is the ingredient that snails use to heal their fragile little bodies. That same regenerative power can be harnessed for our skin too. This is my all-time favorite product. It checks all the boxes: it hydrates, helps with acne and pigmentation, increases collagen leading to firmer skin, and of course it helps to blur those fine lines and scars. Whew! But wait-it also contains glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid which exfoliates skin cells, for a brighter overall complexion. Sold.

Worth it?

I still spend too much money on K-beauty skincare. During the time it took to write this article I have jotted down at least three new products that I want to try. But for me, as an aging, non-makeup wearer, skincare is one of the most important aspects of my life.

And since faithfully using these products, I have seen a huge improvement. On lazy days, I can skip maybe one face wash, but miss two and I can definitely feel the difference in my skin. At least I was able to avoid the ten step product trap. I only use nine.

The post The Hero Ingredients in Korean Skincare appeared first on Medika Life.

I believe that marijuana should be legalized, regulated, and taxed, just like alcohol and tobacco. If marijuana is going to be approved for use as medicine rather than for recreational use, however, the standards of evidence it must meet should be no different than any other drug, and for the vast majority of indications for which it’s touted medical cannabis doesn’t even come close to meeting that standard.

There is zero credible and convincing evidence to suggest that CBD is effective for serious conditions, like treating cancer. There is also none that shows routine use while well can prevent disease. There are in fact studies that suggest frequent use of cannabis can lead to an increased risk of cancer, testicular in this instance.

Is it possible that the illegal marijuana trade has happened upon a short cut to legitimacy and legalization by pursuing the medical legalization of CBD and by association, the legalization of cannabis?

What’s all the fuss about?

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil is everywhere and seemingly in everything these days. It’s the new panacea for a sick society and will, if their hype is believed, cure a massive range of illnesses and conditions. It’s even recommended as a daily supplement to help smooth out our stress filled lives.

I’m not sure I agree with the supplement label, but I can vouch for the stress removal aspect. Who knew ‘comfortably numb’ would be the the 21st centuries answer to stress.

CBD is one of the many chemical compounds called cannabinoids that is isolated from cannabis (marijuana). Marijuana contains over 400 chemicals of which, at least 120 are cannabinoids, chemicals that stimulate cannabinoid receptors in the human body. We are actually the proud owners of cannabinoid receptors and our bodies produce their own cannabinoids.

The most well-studied cannabinoids that are isolated from cannabis are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD. Unlike THC, CBD is not psychoactive (a drug affecting the mind) and there are hundreds if not thousands of producers and products now on the market, sold everywhere from country markets to pet stores to pharmacies. Like most panaceas, the hype outpaces the evidence and the snake oil salesmen and quacks are out in full force.

What are the facts

Lets start with a few simple facts and work our way up from there. These facts are important and key to understanding how the marketing of CBD is manipulated, even to the point where marketing claims are at odds with each other.

CBD:THC Ratios

Most Hemp/Cannabis oils contain little to almost no THC, Remember that is the ingredient that is psychoactive and messes with your head. This fact is proudly advertised by the manufacturers. The THC levels are mostly below the limit of detection for common assays and manufacturers brag that it’s impossible to fail a drug test if you’re consuming hemp seed oil because “THC levels in our products are barely measurable.”

So no argument there, unless of course the manufacturers would like to retract their statements. Why does this matter you ask? It does matter, because it’s the THC that shows some clinical potential to address tumors, more on this later.

As long as we are in agreement, that the ingredient looked to and referenced for all the research claims made by sites like Medical Jane, references an ingredient that is mostly not present in their product.

Quality Control ? Who needs it.

It has suited the CBD camp to pursue their legalization under the guise of a natural product, rather than that of a drug. The drug industry is heavily regulated and with good reason. One of the benefits of this regulation is strict quality control, something sadly lacking in the natural healthcare sector.

Whilst Canadians enjoy rigorous quality checks on the CBD oils they purchase, Americans are not protected in the same way and legalization and marketing controls vary from state to state, but are mostly non-existent. Depending on where you live, CBD oil might only be available on the black or “grey” market which means there’s little consumers can rely on with respect to product quality and consistency.

No one is checking and consumers are happily sipping away, placing their trust in the manufacturers.

Without being assured that you’re purchasing a high quality product, it’s impossible for consumers to base expectations on published evidence. If you can’t trust what’s on the label of your CBD oil, then any published evidence of benefit, even if it’s of the highest quality, becomes largely irrelevant.

Studies in countries like the Netherlands have shown wide variations between label claims and actual ingredients, and the stated CBD:THC ratio is often, if not invariably, incorrect.

The Drug Debate

Medical (prescription) products based on cannabis or that contain cannabinoids are available in many countries. Epidolex is an FDA-approved CBD extract that is approved for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome.

Marinol, a synthetic THC, is approved for nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, and for the treatment of AIDS-related anorexia. Clearly, the development of these medications points to medically validated benefits of cannabinoids. Yes, these exist, no one is denying that.

The coexistence of CBD in both supplement form and prescription form raises the question of whether or not CBD oil should be treated as a drug or as a supplement. Often these products co-exist in both retail and regulated markets, re-branded and sold by their manufacturers into the different channels.

This classification system is important and can be simply explained as follows. Drugs are generally considered unsafe and unproven until evidence (clinical trials) show otherwise. Supplements and “natural products” are seen as having long histories of use and are considered safe until evidence emerges to show otherwise.

The marketing strategy of CBD manufacturers, having managed to latch onto existing medical claims and utilize these to essentially have an illegal substance re-branded as natural, is nothing short of genius. Few actually appreciate this blatant sleight of hand, pulled off in full view of the public and with the apparent consent of regulatory authorities.

The acceptance of medical marijuana in the public space appears to be far more driven by politics than it is by science, as was pointed out in a recent New York Times article about the impending legalization of medical cannabis in New York State:

New York moved last week to join 22 states in legalizing medical marijuana for patients with a diverse array of debilitating ailments, encompassing epilepsy and cancer, Crohn’s disease and Parkinson’s. Yet there is no rigorous scientific evidence that marijuana effectively treats the symptoms of many of the illnesses for which states have authorized its use.

Instead, experts say, lawmakers and the authors of public referendums have acted largely on the basis of animal studies and heart-wrenching anecdotes. The results have sometimes confounded doctors and researchers.

A lot of people stand to make a lot of money. A lot of people are also poised to pay with their lives for it.

CBD oil does have pharmacological and drug-like effects, there can be little doubt of this. The stronger the emerging claims become, the louder the calls for re-classification will become. Lets examine the validity of a few of these claims made by the CBD industry.

The Cancer Cure

The internet abounds with emotional and painful stories of people that have been cured of their cancer, all thanks to their use of CBD oils. The words ‘miracle’ and ‘life-saving’ permeate these stories. What does real science have to say about the efficacy of CBD on tumors? Note, we aren’t referring to anecdotal evidence and hearsay, but rather hard clinical data.

You cannot have this discussion without first acknowledging the glaring quality control issues surrounding CBD, the consistency and potency of THC, and the volumes present in these oils. Its important to point out here that I am not suggesting there are no potential benefits from THC in the fight against cancer, there may well be and these need to be investigated further.

Associating any of the medical claims attached to THC with CBD is where the danger lies. It is intentionally misleading marketing, designed to offer false hope to desperate individuals and it is unquestionably, morally and ethically reprehensible.

Herbs, when they work, are adulterated drugs. The active ingredient is usually a minor constituent, embedded in thousands of other constituents that make up herbs. It’s almost impossible to control lot-to-lot consistency with respect to content or active ingredients given how location, weather, soil conditions, rainfall, and many other factors can affect how the plants from which the medicines are extracted grow and therefore their chemical composition.

Producing a potent and consistent pharmaceutical compound is an expensive and complicated process, one of the reasons chemists seek to create synthetic variants that can be consistently reproduced. For any clinical trials to produce reliable results, the treatment needs to be consistent, obviously. For the results of these trials to be emulated in the public space, the same rule applies. Consistent quality.

Current manufacturing processes for CBD make this impossible with potency varying from crop to crop and by season. Without regulation, manufacturers take further advantage by ‘watering down’ the final product even further. No one checks.

Manipulating the Data

Medical Jane is at the forefront of promoting the medical benefits of cannabis online through the publication of medical research. In every single instance Medical Jane invokes medical research, the research or trials are not based on Hemp Oil and can thus be argues to bear no relevance whatsoever to CBD.

Each of the studies examines either purified cannabinoids or, in the case of this study, a chemically modified cannabinoid. This study cited in Molecular Cancer, for instance, looks Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the most abundant and potent cannabinoid in marijuana, and JWH-133, a non-psychotropic CB2 receptor-selective agonist.

Both inhibit the growth of HER2(+) breast cancer cells in cell culture and in mice, but the concentrations needed are pretty high, with an IC50 (concentration that is 50% of maximum inhibition) in the range of 5 to 10 μM, concentrations achievable with injection of purified compound but certainly not by smoking pot.

You are also highly unlikely to achieve these levels by drinking hemp oil, As we’ve already established, and manufacturers have confirmed, there is little to sometimes no THC in CBD oils. How then can claims relating to this ingredient be offered as proof of the efficacy of CBD?

Invitro tests (performed outside of a living organism) and mice are also a long step away from proven human efficacy. Oral bioavailability of THC from such oils is notoriously low, between 4–20%, making it unlikely that concentrations well above the 10 μM necessary to inhibit or kill more than 50% of the cancer cells are achievable with oral dosing. Drinking litres of CBD is clearly not going to offer a workaround either..

None of the various studies cited, such as this one, which shows inhibition of the epidermal growth factor pathway by purified cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic cannabinoid or this one, the aforementioned study that examines purified Δ9-THC and JWH-133 against HER2(+) breast cancer, support the use of medical marijuana, either smoked as the plant or ingested as an oil, to treat breast cancer.

A recent review concludes that “current preclinical data does not yet provide robust evidence that systemically administered Δ9-THC will be useful for the curative treatment of cancer,” although CBD might have a role based on preclinical data.

Again, in the words of Dr Gorski;

Neither cannabinoid, however, is likely to be curative for advanced cancer. It’s possible that specific cannabinoids might have a role to play in the multimodality treatment of cancer, but, given what we know about them from preclinical studies, it’s highly unlikely that cannabinoids, medical marijuana, or hemp oil can cure stage IV cancer of any kind.

First, do no harm

This medical ethic, drilled into the head of every first year medical student, doesn’t apply to the cannabis industry. They’ve not sworn an oath designed to place your interests and your health before all else. They are purely driven by profits and will exploit whatever means necessary to maximize said profits, even at the expense of your life.

As more people join the pseudoscience cult of marijuana, ascribing their miraculous recoveries to cannabis, little attention is given to their existing conventional medications and treatments. Treatments that often bring these patients to the point where they are able to garner what little benefit the Cannabis oils and products may offer. Ascribing their recovery solely to Cannabis, is both misleading and dangerous.

Whilst we rejoice in the apparent cures of these individuals, we need to look beyond the hype. We need to study, in a controlled environment, the effects of Cannabinoids when used in conjunction with conventional medicines.

We already know enough to be able to say without doubt, that on their own, Cannabinoids cannot cure cancer. To assert these false claims and then use them to exploit a very vulnerable segment of the population purely for profit is grossly unethical and borders on criminal.

Whilst may form an important part of the multimodality treatment of cancers, it’s far to early to call the race. It is not whether these compounds exhibit any effects that is in question here, Science openly acknowledges that something is at play, it simply hasn’t had the time yet to work out what that is and until it does, the quacks and pseudo-scientists need to be reeled in.

They do a discredit to any potential benefits the plant may show, they impede the scientific processes required to ascertain these benefits and to they negate the efforts of legal, properly qualified medically trained doctors currently experimenting with cannabis in the fields of pain and nausea management in chemo patients and other fields of medicine.

Conning people out of cash is one thing, conning them out of their health and life and is an entirely different issue. As long as we continue to confuse correlation with causation, we will require legislation to protect these vulnerable individuals and it’s time the state wakes up to these dangers. It has an obligation to public safety. First do no harm.

On Drug Interactions

You wont be surprised at this point to learn that cannabis interacts and interferes with the pharmacological action of other drugs. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…Which drugs are these and if it is a medically proven fact, why are warnings not adhered to CBD oils? Another questionable benefit cannabis enjoys, operating under the CAM banner of a ‘natural product’.

A total of 376 drugs are known to interact with cannabis. 354 are considered moderate, but 24 of these are listed as major or serious enough to warrant warning. These drugs are listed below and linked for additional information on each. Always inform your doctor or health care provider of any medications you are using, including natural and homeopathic products.

• alfentanil
• buprenorphine
• butorphanol
• codeine
• dezocine
• fentanyl
• hydrocodone
• hydromorphone
• levomethadyl acetate
• levorphanol
• meperidine
• methadone
• morphine
• morphine liposomal
• nalbuphine
• oxycodone
• oxymorphone
• pentazocine
• propoxyphene
• remifentanil
• sodium oxybate
• sufentanil
• tapentadol
• tramadol

On Legalization

In case you’re left with the feeling that I would like to see cannabis revert to its original criminalized status, nothing could be further from the truth. I have in the past, and still occasionally, engaged in the consumption of a stress busting joint or brownie. It is a mostly harmless pursuit and possibly far less toxic than cigarette smoke and alcohol.

Prosecuting and incarcerating cannabis users is insanity, a waste of policing resources and hugely damaging to the lives of those affected. I am firmly in the camp of legalization, treating cannabis as we do alcohol and tobacco. Neither of the two aforementioned, however, make spurious claims as to their medicinal and curative properties and herein lies the problem.

Lets take a step back and a time out, rather than allowing the cannabis industry to dictate it’s preferred area of unsanctioned medical testing, namely on you, it’s customers. The fact that it currently manipulates existing science and relies on half truths and the misinterpretation of data to sell itself, should be proof enough of the industries bonafide’s.

Its called baffling with bullshit, and when I last checked, misrepresenting your product to the public was a criminal offense. Especially when it involved the customers health and, potentially, their life. Add to that the manipulation of vulnerable individuals to provide you with testimony to corroborate your story, and you should be looking at life.

The post The CBD Oil Scam- A Con That Relies on Confusing Correlation with Causation appeared first on Medika Life.