Your Guide to Quackery, Health Fraud, and Intelligent Decisions

About Quackwatch
Mission Statement (updated 5/2/07)
Tips for Navigating Our Web Sites (updated 2/5/07)
Recently Posted Articles
Who Funds Quackwatch? (updated 5/2/07)
Scientific and Technical Advisory Board (152 members, updated 3/28/03)
Legal Advisory Board (28 members, updated 3/31/06)
Honors and Awards (70+) Given to Quackwatch (slow-loading page, updated 7/11/04)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (updated 3/24/06)
Cheers and Jeers from Quackwatch Visitors (updated 10/6/04) FEATURE
Special Message for Cancer Patients Seeking Alternative Treatment (updated 3/22/06) FEATURE
Join the Health Fraud Discussion List FEATURE
Quackwatch auf Deutsch Quackwatch en Français Quackwatch em Português
About Dr. Barrett
Biographical Sketch and Contact Information (updated 6/4/07)
Curriculum Vitae (updated 10/14/06)
Books and Book Chapters (updated 3/25/06)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (updated 1/31/07)
Biography Magazine Interview (posted 11/17/98)
MEDHUNTERS magazine article (posted 8/6/02)
Publications for Sale
Consumer Protection Books (updated 7/20/06)
Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine (updated 8/15/02)
Consumer Health Library: Recommended Reference Books (updated 3/8/08)
General Observations
Quackery
How Should It Be Defined? (updated 1/23/01)
How It Sells (updated 1/20/05) FEATURE
25 Ways to Spot It (updated 7/29/04) FEATURE
How It Harms Cancer Patients (posted 5/29/97)
"Health Freedom" (updated 9/27/97)
More Ploys That May Fool You (updated 1/17/07)
"Research" Associated with Promotion of Questionable Methods (updated 1/31/08) FEATURE
Seven Warning Signs of Bogus Science (posted 3/5/03)
Common Misconceptions (updated 8/30/99)
Why People Are Vulnerable (posted 7/28/98)
How People Are Fooled by Ideomotor Action (posted 8/26/03)
Endorsements Don't Guaranteee Reliability (posted 2/12/03)
The Power of Coincidence (posted 8/31/00)
Distinguishing Science and Pseudoscience (posted 5/30/01)
Why Science Needs to Combat Pseudoscience (posted 12/13/98)
Why Health Professionals Become Quacks (posted 12/11/98)
Why Quackery Persists (posted 12/7/01)
Victim Case Reports (20) (updated 7/25/06) FEATURE
Nonvictim Case Reports (4) (updated 6/28/00)
Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked (posted 4/24/97)
Signs of a Quack Device (posted 9/23/00)
Signs of a "Quacky" Web Site (updated 9/6/06)
Pro-Quackery Legislation (updated 5/16/01)
Senate Hearing on Anti-Aging Quackery (updated 11/11/01)
Incisive Comments (updated 2/5/05)
The Medical Messiahs: A Social History of Quackery in 20th-Century America (posted 2/1/02) FEATURE
The Toadstool Millionaires: Social History of Patent Medicines before Federal Regulation (updated 6/1/02) FEATURE
Propaganda Techniques Related to Environmental Scares (posted 3/10/98)
Spontaneous Remission and the Placebo Effect (posted 12/19/01)
Why Strong Laws Are Needed to Protect Us (updated 11/15/98)
Some Notes on the Nature of Science (updated 6/22/01)
Why Bogus Therapies Often Seem to Work (posted 9/2/97)
Fifteen Ways to Spot an Internet Bandit (posted 12/29/96)
Questionable Products, Services, and Theories
Acupuncture (updated 12/30/07) FEATURE
AIDS-Related Quackery and Fraud (updated 12/5/01)
Algae Products: False Claims and Hype (updated 1/14/07)
Allergies: Dubious Diagnosis and Treatment (updated 1/17/08)
"Alternative" and "Complementary" Methods
Important Definitions (posted 1/3/01)
Be Wary of "Alternative" Health Methods (updated 6/11/01) FEATURE
A Special Message to Physicians (to be posted)
Miniglossary of "Alternative" Methods (updated 12/31/07)
"Alternative Medicine as Self-Care (posted 12/1/00)
Commonly Publicized Methods (updated 12/8/99)
The Braid of the 'Alternative' Medicine Movement (posted 6/21/01)
Science vs "Alternative" Methods (posted 8/22/97)
A Public Health Perspective (updated 8/16/99)
The Eisenberg Data: Flawed and Deceptive (posted 3/16/02)
Why Extraordinary Claims Demand Extraordinary Proof (posted 12/26/98)
"Alternative Medicine" and the Psychology of Belief (posted 6/24/01)
"Postmodern" Attacks on Science and Reality (posted 5/30/98)
Problems with "CAM" Peer Review and Accreditation (revised 6/14/04)
"Alternative Engineering": A Postmodern Parable (posted 1/4/00)
Should Managed Care Companies Cover "Alternative Medicine"? (posted 1/24/99)
Views of a Concerned Layperson (posted 8/23/01)
Additional Thoughts about "CAM" Beliefs (posted 7/24/02)
Newsweek's Misleading Report (revised 7/14/03)
Definitions of 1,169 Methods (130-page dictionary posted 5/27/97)
White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (posted 3/4/02) FEATURE
Detailed Analysis of WHCCAMP Draft Report (updated 3/4/02) FEATURE
Institute of Medicine Publishes Dishonest "CAM" Report (posted 1/12/05) NEW
A Skeptical Look (index to Dr. Barrett's weekly column on Canoe.ca)
"Antiaging Medicine" (posted 8/26/04)
Aromatherapy: Making Dollars out of Scents (updated 8/22/01)
Ayurvedic Mumbo-Jumbo (updated 11/3/98)
"Bio-Identical" Hormones (updated 1/19/08)
Cancer: Questionable Therapies (index to many articles, updated 9/16/07) FEATURE TOPIC
"Calorie-Blockers" (posted 7/5/01)
"Candidiasis Hypersensitivity/Yeast Allergy" (updated 10/8/05)
"Cellulite" Removers (updated 8/10/00)
Chelation Therapy (updated 7/24/07) FEATURE
Chinese Medicine (updated 1/29/04)
Chiropractic: FEATURE TOPIC - ALSO VISIT CHIROBASE
Don't Be Fooled (updated 7/31/98)
Chiropractic's Dirty Secret: Neck Manipulation and Strokes (updated 7/2/06)
Advertising Gimmicks (posted 5/20/97)
Steer Clear of Chiropractic Nutrition (updated 9/2/02))
"Chiropractic Pediatrics" (to be posted)
Subluxations: Chiropractic's Elusive Buzzword (updated 5/21/06)
Undercover Investigations (posted 9/14/97)
How Chiropractors Oversell Themselves (updated 11/20/98)
My Visit to a "Straight" Chiropractor (updated 9/11/98)
Inside View of a Chiropractic Office (posted 7/14/97)
Applied Kinesiology (updated 4/23/99)
Contact Reflex Analysis (updated 4/16/98)
What a Rational Chiropractor Can Do for You (link to Chirobase)
Does the Bad Outweigh the Good? (posted 3/23/01)
"Veterinary Chiropractic" (link to Chirobase)
Chiropractic Victim Support Group (posted 6/13/98)
Colloidal Minerals (posted 12/11/98)
Colloidal Silver (updated 10/10/02)
Colon Therapy and Related Quackery (updated 11/21/05)
Craniosacral Therapy (updated 7/7/03)
Dentistry: Dubious Care
Holistic Dentistry (revised 8/4/01)
The "Mercury Toxicity" Scam (updated 3/2/06)
Neuralgia Inducing Cavitational Osteonecrosis (NICO) (updated 5/27/06)
"Detoxification" Schemes (posted 8/15/97)
DHEA: Ignore the Hype (updated 10/12/98)
Dietary Supplements, Herbs, and Hormones (index to many articles) FEATURE TOPIC
Dubious Diagnostic Tests (index to many articles) FEATURE TOPIC
Ear Candling (updated 4/15/05/03)
Electrodiagnostic Device Quackery (slow-loading article, updated 9/5/07) FEATURE TOPIC
"Ergogenic Aids" (updated 8/14/00)
Eye-Related Quackery (updated 9/13/07)
Fad Diagnoses (index to 17 articles, updated 7/3/06) FEATURE TOPIC
Fad Diets
Faith Healing (updated 3/3/03)
Genetic Testing Scams (updated 1/22/03)
Glucosamine for Arthritis (updated 4/7/06)
Gamma-hydroxybutyric Acid: A Growing Danger (posted 7/17/98)
Growth Hormone Scams (posted 3/20/02)
Hair Analysis: A Cardinal Sign of Quackery (updated 4/21/06)
Hair Removal Methods: What Works and What Doesn't (updated 8/21/01)
Herbal Practices and Products
The Herbal Minefield (updated 3/16/04)
Paraherbalism: Ten False Tenets (posted 8/31/99)
"Natural Product" of the Month: Garcinia
Homeopathy: FEATURE TOPIC - ALSO VISIT HOMEOWATCH
The Ultimate Fake (updated 8/25/01) FEATURE
Essay by Oliver Wendell Holmes (1842) (posted 3/26/99)
Hyperbaric Medicine: What Works and What Does Not? (partially posted 4/21/01)
Insurance Fraud and Abuse (updated 11/17/05)
Ionic Cleansing (link to Device Watch)
Iridology (updated 3/28/08)
Juice Plus+® (link to MLM Watch)
Juicing (updated 9/7/99)
Low-Carbohydrate Diets (including Atkins Diet) (revised 7/13/08)
Lyme Disease: Questionable Diagnosis and Treatment (updated 3/12/07)
Macrobiotics (posted 9/27/01)
Mail-Order Quackery (updated 7/11/01)
Magnet Therapy: A Skeptical View (updated 6/29/08)
Massage Therapy: Riddled with Quackery (revised 9/22/02)
Mental Help, Questionable Approaches
Feingold Diet (updated 3/11/02)
Nutritional Supplements for Down Syndrome (updated 10/18/98)
Orthomolecular Therapy (updated 7/12/00)
Procedures to Avoid (updated 7/10/03)
Psychomotor Patterning (posted 7/6/01)
Psychotherapy Mismanagement (updated 9/4/01)
Self-Help Products (updated 8/18/04)
Index to Mental Help Topics (updated 2/6/04)
Metabolic Therapy (posted 7/1/01)
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (updated 9/8/00)
Multiple Sclerosis "Cures" (updated 6/20/03)
Multilevel Marketing: Mostly a Mirage (updated 8/17/01) ALSO VISIT MLM WATCH
Natural Hygiene: A Critical Look (posted 12/31/07)
Naturopathy ALSO VISIT NATUROWATCH
A Close Look (updated 6/13/03)
Opposition to Immunization (posted 12/29/01)
HEW Report (1968) (updated 8/30/99)
Medicare Testimony (1970) (posted 5/25/99)
Index to more information (posted 1/8/02)
Nutrition Insurance: A Skeptical View (posted 12/1201)
Organic Foods: Certification Does Not Protect Consumers (updated 7/17/06)
Osteopathy's Dubious Aspects (updated 6/25/03)
Pharmacists
Selling Dubious Products and Services (updated 3/12/01)
Misuse of Compounding (updated 10/14/02)
Pneumatic Trabeculoplasty (PNT) for Glaucoma (updated 1/15/06)
Power Lines and Cancer: Nothing to Fear (updated 5/17/01)
Psychic Practices (Astrology, Tarot, Palm Reading, Tarot, etc.) (posted 5/1/03)
Qigong (updated 7/30/99)
Reflexology: A Close Look (9/5/04)
Therapeutic Touch (several articles, updated 2/3/08)
Top Health Frauds (FDA list, updated 4/5/99)
Unnecessary Surgery (posted 2/22/99)
Vitamin C: The Dark Side of Linus Pauling's Legacy (updated 6/8/08)
Water-Related Frauds and Quackery (index to several articles, posted 12/2/01)
Weight Control Gimmicks and Frauds (updated 2/7/99)
Wild Yam Cream Threatens Women's Health (updated 7/19/02)
Questionable Advertisements
"80% of Doctors Take Antioxidants" (updated 12/6/97)
Can Florsheim Shoes Cure Your Magnetic Deficiency? (updated 8/8/00)
"Chiropractic Healing Successfully Treats Cancer" (link to Chirobase)
Clarified Butter (Ghee): Is It a health food? (updated 9/1/98)
Eckerd Drugs' "Personalized Vitamins" (posted 7/4/01)
Enzyte Marketers Sued (posted 9/28/04)
"Enzyme Deficiency" (updated 8/31/01)
Gero Vita, A. Glenn Braswell, and the 'Journal' of Longevity (updated 2/6/06) FEATURE
Homeopathic Hype (posted 2/15/98)
Impossible Weight-Loss Claims: Summary of an FTC Report (posted 12/16/03)
Life Force Energy Discs (posted 10/25/97)
Magnetic Bracelet (posted 8/13/99)
Magnetize Your Beverages? (posted 9/19/98)
"Mommy My Ears Hurt" (updated 6/9/06)
"Oxygenated Water" Device (updted 7/3/06)
More Oxygen Hype:"Magnesium-Based Oxygen Therapy" (posted 1/19/08)
Phytopharma/Plant Macerat Weight-Loss Plan (updated 9/14/01)
"Recommend Centrum to Bridge Nutrition Gaps" (updated 8/9/98)
Recovery™: An "Amazing" Story (posted 11/30/01)
Reflexology Steering Wheel Cover (posted 9/16/97)
Slim Slippers: A Precautionary Tale (posted 2/28/02)
"Free Preliminary Spinal Examination" (posted 10/11/97)
Stress Vitamins
Nonrecommended Sources of Health Advice
Books (updated 9/6/06)
CME Providers Who Have Violated ACCME Guidelines (to be posted)
Credentials to Be Wary of (to be posted)
Degree Mills (updated 6/2/00)
Health-Food-Store Advice: Don't Trust It! (updated 8/14/03)
Individuals
Robert Atkins, MD
Robert Barefoot (updated 6/13/03)
Herbert Benson, MD
Peter R. Breggin, MD (posted 9/12/02)
Jeffrey Bland, PhD (updated 4/19/04)
Patrick T. "Tim" Bolen (updated 1/31/07)
Hulda Clark's Bizarre Claims (updated 11/21/06)
Adelle Davis (updated 1/15/06)
Lorraine Day, MD (updated 1/24/08)
Kurt W. Donsbach (updated 1/10/07)
David Eisenberg, MD (posted 3/16/02)
James S. Gordon, MD (posted 2/14/02)
Earl Mindell (posted 3/14/05)
Gary Null (updated 3/13/05)
David W. Rowland (updated 5/6/00)
Jordan S. Rubin (posted 3/13/06)
Bernie Siegel, MD. (updated 11/25/98)
Lendon Smith, M.D updated 12/22/01)
Andrew Weil, MD (posted 3/10/02)
Julian Whitaker, MD (link to another site)
Other Individuals (Index) (updated 1/23/08)
Questionable Organizations: An Overview (updated 2/4/08)
American Association of Nutritional Consultants (updated 10/18/05)
Center for Medical Consumers (to be posted)
Citizens for Health
Council for Responsible Nutrition
Foundation for the Advancement of Innovative Medicine (updated 9/21/99)
National Health Federation (posted 7/18/03)
People's Medical Society (updated 8/23/06)
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (link to another site)
Periodicals (updated 1/20/08)
"Psychic" Advice by Mail or Telephone (updated 8/2/01)
Publishers That Promote Quackery
Avery Publishing Group
Bottom Line Books
Future Medicine Publishing
Keats Publishing
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Rodale Press
Nonrecommended Web Sites (updated 3/18/04)
Consumer Protection
Intelligent Consumer Behavior (posted 5/1/97)
Doctor-Patient Communication Tips (updated 10/9/06)
How to Spot a Personal Injury Mill (posted 7/25/02)
Antiquackery Organizations (updated 4/29/07)
Where to Complain or Seek Help (updated 2/11/04)
NCAHF Victim Redress Task Force (updated 9/4/99)
Online Scams: A Message from the FTC (posted 5/20/97)
Plaintiffs Wanted for Consumer-Protection Suits (posted 9/19/99)
Dealing with Telephone Pests (posted 5/15/02)
Spam Messages
Some Strategies to Prevent Spams (updated 10/29/02)
FTC Names "Dirty Dozen" Spam Scams (posted 4/6/00)
Strengths and Weaknesses of Our Laws (updated 9/15/01)
How Congress Weakened the FDA in 1994 (updated 5/18/02)
Genetically Engineered Foods Should NOT Bear Special Labels (posted 1/2/00)
Why Nutritionist Licensing Is Important (updated 4/17/02)
AMA Discourages Product Sales in Medical Offices (updated 11/23/99)
Viatical Settlements (posted 8/16/00)
The Assault on Consumer Protection Standards (to be posted)
FDA Warning Letters (2001)
Other Important Regulatory Actions
Enzymatic Therapy (posted 8/15/00)
General Nutrition (updated 9/24/99)
Home Shopping Network (posted 4/17/99)
Consumer Strategy: Health Promotion
Antioxidants and other Phytochemicals: Current Scientific Perspective (updated 7/28/03)
Cardiovascular Disease
Risk Factors (updated 12/20/00)
Homocysteine: A Risk Factor Worth Considering (updated 3/29/03)
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (posted 2/12/97)
Dietary Guidelines for Infants (updated 5/26/99)
Dietary Reference Intakes: New Guidelines for Calcium and Related Nutrients (posted 11/23/97)
Dietary Supplements: Appropriate Use (updated 5/11/01)
Exercise: Choosing and Using Equipment (posted 11/7/97)
Fluoridation: Don't Let the Poisonmongers Scare You! (4 articles, updated 3/4/01)
Food Irradiation: A Valuable Public Health Measure (link to another site)
Immunization: Common Misconceptions (updated 1/18/08)
Low-Fat Eating: Practical Tips (3/31/00)
Tobacco-Related News (updated 4/7/00)
Vegetarianism: Healthful But Not Necessary (updated 3/17/00)
Consumer Strategy: Tips for Provider Selection
Choosing a Dentist (posted 1/31/01)
Where to Get Mental Help (updated 11/14/02)
Where to Get Nutrition Advice updated 7/4/00)
Choosing an Osteopathic Physician (updated 4/24/01)
Choosing a Chiropractor (updated 10/13/00)
Be Wary of "Free Foot Exam" Ads (updated 12/20/98)
Board Certification: What Does It Mean? (updated 12/5/00)
Choosing a Personal Trainer (undergoing revision)
How to Check a Physician's Credentials (updated 1/14/08)
Choosing a Health Club (link to another site)
Personal Emergency Response Systems (posted 4/20/02)
Nonrecommended Treatment Facilities (posted 4/13/02)
Consumer Strategy: Disease Management
Drugs
Tips for Prudent Use (posted 10/25/99)
Generic Drugs: What You Need to Know (posted 9/22/02)
Overuse of Antibiotics, Blood-Pressure Drugs, and Heartburn Drugs (posted 2/19/99)
Glaucoma Patients: Don't Waste Money on Overpriced Eyedrops (posted 5/1/00)
Fibromyalgia Strategies (8 articles, updated 2/13/00) FEATURE TOPIC
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (posted 6/7/00)
Latex Allergy Epidemic (updated 1/23/00)
Low Back Pain (updated 5/18/99)
Refractive Surgery (updated 8/23/05)
Scoliosis: A Sensible Approach (posted 1/14/98)
Education for Consumers and Health Professionals
Consumer Health Library: Recommended Reference Books (updated 1/18/08)
Consumer Protection Books (updated 12/13/01)
Handling Challenges to Skepticism (posted 9/30/99)
HONcode Principles: What Do They Signify? (updated 9/20/04)
Internet Health Scares (posted 9/12/99)
Internet Search Strategies (posted 8/25/01)
Media Watch: Critiques of Prominent Articles and Broadcasts
Consumer Reports' Attack on Pesticides Criticized (posted 4/30/99)
The Unfounded Vaccination/Autism Scare (updated 11/17/02)
News Briefs (many topics, updated 12/18/01)
Questions and Answers (updated 3/31/03)
Quiz: What's Your Consumer Health IQ? (posted 9/19/97)
Recommended Magazines, Newsletters, and Journals (updated 3/8/08)
Reliable Agencies and Organizations (updated 10/20/05)
Urban Legends, Rumors, and Hoaxes (updated 3/3/02)
Web Site Evaluations (updated 3/18/04)
Research Projects (Volunteers Needed)
Alternative Cancer Treatment Registry (posted 9/20/98)
Dubious Advertising
Link Patrol (posted 5/18/98)
Multilevel Marketing through the Internet (updated 3/9/00)
Quackery for Pets (updated 11/14/97)
Questionable Methods Project (updated 1/9/99)
Legal and Political Activities (How You Can Help)
Fighting Quackery: Tips for Activists (revised 3/11/04)
Qui Tam Suits against Health Care Fraud (posted 8/23/00)
Why Psychologists Should Not Be Licensed to Prescribe Psychiatric Drugs (posted 4/15/02)
Recommended Links
American Council on Science and Health (ACSH)
Aquascams (Water-related scams and quackery)
Australian Council Against Health Fraud (ACAHF)
Chirobase (Quackwatch's skeptical guide to chiropractic history, theories, and current practices) FEATURE
Commission for Scientific Medicine and Mental Health
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP)
Current Issues in Alternative Medicine (CINAM) (Quackery viewed from a Christian perspective)
Dental Watch (Quackwatch's guide to intelligent dental care) FEATURE
ebm-first.com (What "alternative" medical practitioners might not tell you)
Hair quackery.comHealth Frontiers Center for Quackery Control
Homeowatch (Quackwatch's skeptical guide to homeopathy's history, theories, and current practices) FEATURE
James Randi Educational Foundation
MLM Watch (Quackwatch's guide to multilevel marketing) FEATURE
Museum of Questionable Medical Devices
National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF)
The Quack-Files
Quackcast (skeptical evaluations of "alternative" medicine)
Quackometer (efficient Web search for critical information)
RatbagsDotCom (fighting quackery with humor)
Science Based Medicine (antiquackery blog)
Skeptical Information Sources [updated 4/11/07]
Skeptics Circle Blogspot
Skeptics Dictionary (over 400 topics)
Veterinarywatch
Other Valuable Sites (More than 200 links, updated 1/23/08) FEATURE
Ring Membership
Anti-Quackery Ring (health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies)Navigate the Ring: Next Site Previous Site Random List Next 5 List All Sites
Skeptic Ring (examines claims about paranormal phenomena and fringe science)Navigate the Ring: Next Site Previous Site: Random List Next 5 List All Sites


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